Show Compassion
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)
Yesterday we talked about Peter and John stopping to help the lame beggar outside of the temple. So today, I want us to take a closer look at a very specific part of this story, and that’s the grace and compassion Peter and John showed this man in need.
When the beggar asked them for money, they didn’t say to him, “Look, we got ours. You just need to get yours.” They didn’t say, “We pull ourselves up by our bootstraps every day, so why don’t you learn to do the same?” No, they didn’t say anything like that. Instead, they saw the man. They stopped for the man, and they spoke to the man.
This poor, marginalized beggar was trying to feed his family in a world that discriminated against people like him. Don’t miss the subtle tension in this passage either. The Bible says he was sitting by the gate called “Beautiful,” but he was dealing with some pretty horrible circumstances.
However, Peter and John set a great example for us of what it looks like to show grace and compassion towards everyone we come in contact with. They didn’t make assumptions. They didn’t judge him. They simply did what they could to help him and to show him the love of Jesus. We would be wise to follow their lead as we have opportunities to show compassion and grace in our lives as well.
Yesterday we talked about Peter and John stopping to help the lame beggar outside of the temple. So today, I want us to take a closer look at a very specific part of this story, and that’s the grace and compassion Peter and John showed this man in need.
When the beggar asked them for money, they didn’t say to him, “Look, we got ours. You just need to get yours.” They didn’t say, “We pull ourselves up by our bootstraps every day, so why don’t you learn to do the same?” No, they didn’t say anything like that. Instead, they saw the man. They stopped for the man, and they spoke to the man.
This poor, marginalized beggar was trying to feed his family in a world that discriminated against people like him. Don’t miss the subtle tension in this passage either. The Bible says he was sitting by the gate called “Beautiful,” but he was dealing with some pretty horrible circumstances.
However, Peter and John set a great example for us of what it looks like to show grace and compassion towards everyone we come in contact with. They didn’t make assumptions. They didn’t judge him. They simply did what they could to help him and to show him the love of Jesus. We would be wise to follow their lead as we have opportunities to show compassion and grace in our lives as well.
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