Matthew 9:36
When he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
In fact, the world is not lacking people who are quick to see faults. We live in a culture that passes judgment quickly. When someone falls, people immediately talk about their fault. When someone fails, others readily point out their shortcomings. When someone is different, we are often quicker to distance ourselves than to try to understand. We can so easily see what is wrong in others, yet often forget that behind that fault is a human being who needs love, help, guidance, and salvation.
Matthew 9:36 reveals a beautiful thing about the quality of Jesus’ heart. When He saw the crowds, He did not merely see a throng. Jesus saw people who were weary and helpless. He saw their deepest needs. When He saw their condition, His heart was moved with compassion. This is the quality of heart we are called to emulate. Jesus never excused sin, but He did not use sin as a reason to stop loving people. He did not ignore wrongdoing, yet He refused to let someone’s mistake become that person’s final identity. Jesus saw a person beyond their failures.
This is evident when Jesus faced tax collectors and sinners. When Matthew held a banquet and Jesus ate with them, the Pharisees questioned him. To them, these people were a group to be avoided. But Jesus was present among them—not because he approved of their way of life, but because he came to seek and save those in need of salvation.
A judging heart and a compassionate heart are different. A judging heart tends to say, “That’s just how they are.” A compassionate heart says, “They need help.” A judging heart stops at the fault. A compassionate heart sees the possibility of restoration. A judging heart wants to distance itself from the wounded; a compassionate heart draws near to bring love and hope. That does not mean we should close our eyes to sin or treat everything as acceptable. Compassion does not mean abandoning truth. Rather, compassion enables us to speak truth with a heart that seeks to save, not to destroy. Jesus was full of love and full of truth.
Therefore, the important question for us today is, “What is the quality of our heart?” A heart like Jesus is measured not by how much we know about God, but by how we treat the people God places around us. Maybe today someone needs our acceptance. Maybe someone is waiting for forgiveness. Maybe someone is lost and needs direction. Maybe someone seems strong but is actually weary and helpless. Let us not be people who only point out others’ faults but never bring Christ’s love to them.
The world does not lack those who can judge. It desperately needs people who will show compassion. May the Lord, when He looks upon our hearts, find in us a heart increasingly like His own—a heart that sees people not only by their faults but by their need for salvation; not only by their past but by the possible future God provides; not only as those to be judged but as souls to be loved, accepted, forgiven, and guided back to Him.