"6 On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10 and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12 John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick."
- Matt 14:6-14
Have you ever had one of those days when everything seems to be against you? The vending machine is out of Diet Coke, the teacher assigns a paper that must be single-spaced, your friend keeps trying to tell you about the “weirdest dream” she had last night, and every traffic light is red.
Or maybe, something terrible really has happened to you recently, and for that I send my love and condolences. Maybe you received some upsetting news, lost a loved one, or feel unsure about your calling in life.
Whether you’ve had a bad day or a really bad day, it can be hard to show compassion on anyone other than ourselves during times of sorrow.
But in Matthew chapter 14, we are told that Jesus has lost his best friend, John the Baptist. Yet, right after receiving this news, Jesus sees a crowd of people and has compassion on them. Jesus’ compassion was not contingent on his condition. Jesus’ compassion was a result of his unconditional love for the Father. Jesus loved the Father so much; he couldn’t help but love His children regardless of his own personal struggle.
Jesus’ compassion was not a byproduct of his circumstances, but a result of loving God in all circumstances.
May we show compassion on those around us today, despite our own personal turmoil. Compassion is not meant to be shown only when things are going our way, but in every circumstance through every trial.
On your bad days, wouldn’t it be amazing if someone showed you compassion? Let’s show those around us that the love of Jesus is not contingent on good days, but is present in everyday, through acts of compassion.