Driven by love and compassion

Jesus revealed God’s power through His deeds, yet everything He did was driven by deep compassion and love.

Mark 1:40-42 tells the story of a man with leprosy who approaches Him, begging to be healed. The story shows Jesus' compassion as the driving force behind His actions. When the man says, "If you are willing, you can make me clean," Jesus, moved with  compassion, reaches out and touches him, declaring, "I am willing. Be clean!" Instantly, the leprosy leaves the man, and he is healed. His willingness to heal stems from a deep place of love and empathy for those who suffer. 

Despite the social stigma surrounding leprosy, He not only speaks healing but also physically touches the man, breaking barriers and demonstrating the power of compassionate love. What manner of love is this! He demonstrates a love that overcomes fear, social stigma, and prejudice. As Scripture says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” – 1 John 4:18

The apostles exemplified this same kind of love. Saint Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:14, “Christ’s love compels us…” With love being one of God's communicable attributes, when we truly come to know Him, we begin to love as He does. 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” – John 3:16. God’s love compels Him to give, and when He gives, He always offers us His very best.

It’s important to note that every great story with God begins with a change of heart. Encountering His presence inevitably, profoundly moves and transforms us through His grace and truth. As we immerse ourselves in God's Word and prayer, we find ourselves growing in humility and experiencing a deeper capacity for love. We begin to love better.

If we want to have a meaningful impact on those around us, we first need to let God impact us. As we begin to influence others, we’ll discover that this act of impacting others also profoundly affects us. For instance, when God works through us to touch others during times when we feel most unworthy and unprepared, it profoundly impacts us as well. We become more humble and appreciative of His mercy. This dynamic unfolds when we begin to walk in both grace and truth. 

The scriptures reveal the fullness of God's character in its  various aspects. They convey profound truths: God is spirit, invisible, and eternal. They teach us that God does not judge by outward appearance but looks at the heart; He knows each of us intimately, including our most cherished and hidden secrets. Nothing is concealed from Him. He is God of truth, but He is also full of grace and mercy. The Bible also speaks about us. It advises us not to rely solely on our own understanding because our emotions and thoughts can be deceptive. It reminds us that our time on earth is limited and that, after death, each one of us will stand before God and be judged according to how we have lived our lives.

The reason we experience a  profound change when we encounter God personally is that we realize He knows everything about us - the good, the bad and the ugly - yet still chooses to draw near and embrace us. The scripture says, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son…” (Romans 8:3). Moses brought the law, but the law could not bridge the gap. Then Christ came, bringing the fullness of grace and truth to heal our broken nature. God knows that true transformation is impossible unless truth is met with grace.

Truth reveals God’s will (His intentions for our lives). It reveals our identity; providing clarity, structure, and order. Grace, on the other hand, enables change and empowers us for transformation. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved,” This demonstrates that God's grace is as powerful as His truth.

Henry Cloud once wrote, “Just as grace is the relational aspect of God’s character, truth is the structural aspect of His character.” 

Tim Keller also explained the combination of grace and truth in a compelling way when he wrote:

“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.”

Notice how Mr. Keller emphasizes the fact that God knows us fully, yet loves us truly. We all dread the possibility of being let down by someone we deeply care about when they discover who we truly are or what we have done. We fear they might leave once they learn about our past, our struggles, or our health and financial situation. When someone says to us they’re searching for true love, what they’re really asking is, “If I reveal to you the truth about myself, will you still love me?” Because we so deeply fear rejection, we become experts at hiding our weaknesses while secretly longing for the day when we find a community or that someone who knows us completely and still chooses to love us unconditionally. Tim Keller explains that experiencing this kind of love in human relationships - where we are fully known and truly loved - is a lot like being loved by God. However, no human love can ever replace the kind of love that only God can provide. Speaking to the depth of Christ’s love for us, the Bible says, “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses" (Matthew 8:17). Not only does God fully know and chooses to love us still, He also chooses to take our burdens. He takes care of us.