Throughout scripture we see God’s compassion on display. In the original Greek, the word compassion is Splagchnizomai, which literally means ‘to be moved so deeply by something that you feel it in the pit of your stomach’. From Peter’s first encounter with Jesus, to Jesus healing the leper, we see Jesus moved with compassion. The leper, due to the state of his condition, was not able to stand in the presence of Jesus. Peter, due to his betrayal of Jesus, felt unworthy to be accepted by Jesus’ love. Yet, Jesus embraced both the leper and Peter with open arms, allowing their healing to take place. Regardless of our shortcomings, weaknesses, or failures, the compassion of Christ meets us where we are.

You can’t catapult yourself outside the compassion of Jesus.

1. Jesus and Peter

The story of Peter shows how a faithless fisherman became a fisher of men. At his greatest moment of weakness, Peter denies Jesus three times, but Jesus redeems Peter, asking him three times "Do you love me?" Peter responds three times, ‘Yes!’, each time erasing his past mistakes. Just like Peter, we too can experience redemption through the compassion of Christ.

2. Jesus and the Leper

Like the leper we can find ourselves asking the question, “Is God willing to heal me”? Surely after many mistakes and shortcomings we can feel distant from God, but he is a good God that loves us regardless of where we find ourselves.

God’s compassion is beyond anything we can think or imagine. In reading the Bible we can understand the essence of it, but miss the depth of it. God’s love is deeper and wider than the oceans. The Bible may contain rules, but it’s not a rule book, it’s a love story. No matter how many mistakes we’ve made, his love for us never changes. Remember there is hope because there is a God who is good and loves you. All we have to do is surrender. Surrendering is the holiest thing you can do. Allow his compassion to embrace you.