compassion – Three Minute Bible

June 28, 2025June 28, 2025

Philippians 2:1-2 – Paul’s Request

A graphic representation of a building (sky scraper) made from words. (Grok)

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

Summary: Paul’s thoughts are sometimes complex. In this meditation, we take a 30,000-foot view of Paul’s thoughts in his passage in hopes of seeing the “bigger picture.”

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you are probably shocked to see a meditation that is based on two entire verses at once. Never fear! We will, no doubt, dissect this in future meditations. However, given the complexity of Paul’s thought here, I thought it best to begin with an overview.

February 25, 2025February 25, 2025

Colossians 3:12c – Doing Compassion

…[clothe yourselves with] …compassion …

Picture of people serving food to an elderly woman.

Summary: God’s Word is amazingly consistent in every way. Compassion has something very much in common with faith; both require deeds to become real.

The first piece of spiritual “clothing” that Paul wants us to put on is compassion.

“Compassion” is a word that describes the feelings of pity and sympathy we have for people who are suffering. The Greek word Paul used takes this concept even further.

December 4, 2023December 5, 2023

Galatians 1:3a – From Grump to Grace

Grace …

Summary: What a word means depends to some extent on its context. The usage tells us what the author or speaker intends it to mean.

July 28, 2023July 28, 2023

Ephesians 4:32b – Avoiding Hell

… forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Summary: Today’s passage is for many the heart of the Gospel message: In Christ, we are forgiven for the things we have done to hurt others, offend God, and that ultimately wound our own souls.

July 27, 2023July 27, 2023

Ephesians 4:32a – Road Rage

Be kind and compassionate to one another …

Summary: Why does Paul tell us to be both kind and compassionate? They are very different and both are necessary, if we are to successfully share God’s love.

September 13, 2020September 14, 2020

1 Peter 3: 17 — The Up Side of Suffering

For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Summary: Suffering is a part of life. When we embrace it while trusting God, we grow in faith and learn a few things along the way.

August 28, 2020August 29, 2020

1 Peter 3:8 (d) — The Hammer

Picture: A small boy holds a hammer ready for action.

… be compassionate …

Summary: Compassion flows from a tender heart. It is a desire to help coupled with wisdom to know when and how to help.

March 3, 2019March 1, 2019

Compassion – John 11: 33-34

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ”Where have you laid him?” he asked.
”Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus is man and also is God. As God, he is able to “know” what is in the hearts of men. He doesn’t have to ask what people are thinking. He knows. Time and again we see this aspect of Jesus’ nature in the Gospel stories.

Jesus is also a man. In particular, he is a man who has suffered. As if normal suffering wasn’t enough for our Creator, he was required to suffer forty days in the wilderness without food. At the end of that time, hungry and weak, he was tested by Satan. Jesus knows what it means to go through hard times.