Being a Person of Compassion
Pastor Tan Thai · Nov 1, 2015
This sermon teaches the meaning and importance of compassion in the Christian life, based on Jesus' words: 'Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted' (Matthew 5:4). The pastor points out that we live in a broken world because of sin, and that God through Christ is the ultimate Compassionate One for all human suffering. The church is called to become a community of compassion, comfort, and mutual support.
The sermon opens by describing the reality of a world broken by sin, where people face suffering, loss, injustice, and a lack of compassion. The pastor observes that society tends to favor the wealthy, beautiful, and talented over the weak, poor, and disadvantaged, and that greed, selfishness, and pride — all products of sin — cause people to be indifferent to one another's pain. The story of Rosemary Kennedy is used to illustrate the tragic consequences of placing family reputation and prestige above love and compassion for a disabled family member.
The pastor presents four main reasons why compassion is essential in the Christian life. First, we live in a broken world where tears outnumber smiles, and Scripture does not promise that life after salvation will be uniformly joyful. Second, God himself through Jesus Christ is the supreme Compassionate One — he wept at Lazarus's tomb (John 11:35), suffered on the cross, and Hebrews 4:15-16 affirms that he 'sympathizes with our weaknesses.' Third, every believer in the church is a member of one body (1 Corinthians 12), so when one member suffers, all suffer together. Fourth, genuine compassion and comfort enable true healing and recovery.
The sermon then explores the value of adversity for developing compassion. Hardship helps believers recognize their own limitations, draw closer to God, mature in faith, and then compassionately serve others with authenticity — for only those who have 'crossed the bridge' truly understand those who stumble on it. The stories of writer Alexandr Solzhenitsyn in a Siberian labor camp and musician Tran Thuong Tri are used to illustrate how adversity can lead to spiritual rebirth and a deeper capacity to serve others.
The pastor emphasizes that the church must be a place where the mourning find compassion, not criticism and judgment. Being compassionate does not require solving problems or preaching sermons, but calls for patient listening with a tender heart. He cautions against the error of Job's three friends who accused rather than comforted, and contrasts this with Jesus' response to the woman caught in adultery — not condemnation but forgiveness and a call to change. The church has been entrusted with 'the ministry of reconciliation' (2 Corinthians 5:17-19), which requires a compassionate spirit.
The sermon concludes with a call for every believer not to place all their hope in this temporary life, but to set their hearts on heaven — where 'He will wipe away every tear' (Revelation 21:4). The fable of the mousetrap is used to illustrate that indifference to others' suffering ultimately harms oneself. The pastor calls the church to be a community that rejoices with those who rejoice, weeps with those who weep, and lifts one another up in every season of life.