Splagchnizomai : Compassion, Pity and Sympathy.
Faith and Mental Health
Elaine Akoto
7/20/20206 min read
God doesn't have to be compassionate - but He is. The Greek word, “splagchnizomai”, means "to be moved in your inward parts, to feel compassion".
Compassion, as shown in parables.
"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him." Luke 10:33
A Samaritan man, who was not supposed to be seen near a Jew, changed his course, and helped a man in need. He did not see the things that divided them. All he saw was a man in need, and with real compassion helped him beyond usual -as though he was his own brother. As if binding up his wounds, carrying him on his own breast, taking him to an inn with his own money and taking care of him wasn't good enough for our Samaritan, he also saw to it that this Jew was taken care of in his absence.
I believe this is how Jesus expects us to treat others, with compassion leading the way when we decide put aside the social constructs that divide us. Let's look at another example.
"And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." Luke 15:20 KJV
This is a popular passage from the story about the prodigal son. Perhaps the father could have remarked on his son's return the following “You can’t just walk back into our lives", “I thought you said you didn’t want to be here anymore. What do you want?”. Yet, the father showed him compassion and love. He wholeheartedly accepted his son back. He reinstated him in the position of a son, and adorned and celebrated him. He saw him from a distance, and ran to meet him, embraced him even before he could apologise.
This is the kind of compassion God shows us daily, and will continue to show us as we run to Him. This is also the kind of compassion we need to show others, that is, forgiving them and loving them even before they ask us for it.
Compassion, as seen in His passion for the Kingdom.
"As Jesus landed, He saw a great crowd waiting, and He was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things." Mark 6:34 AMPC
Jesus knew the will of the Father during His time on the earth. He came to bring grace, truth (John 1:17), and fellowship with God. However, this verse shows Jesus' compassion for the people he met throughout His ministry. The Bible says He looked upon the multitude of people who had come after him, and saw that they were lost without someone to teach them the Word of God. Jesus felt their need for salvation and I believe that the compassion He felt (and still feels today) compelled Him to offer this salvation in spite of His own will.
"When He saw the throngs, He was moved with pity and sympathy for them, because they were bewildered (harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless), like sheep without a shepherd. [Zech. 10:2.]Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the labourers are few. So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust labourers into His harvest." Matthew 9:37
Again, after He was moved with compassion he spoke to His disciples, asking them to pray to the Lord for more servants in His vineyard; more people to win souls and more people to lead and teach His people. What a man!
Compassion, as seen in miracles.
Now, this is a rapid fire scripture round, so hats on tight, everybody!
“When He went ashore and saw a great throng of people, He had compassion (pity and deep sympathy) for them and cured their sickness.” Matthew 14:14 AMPC
“Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, I have pity and sympathy and am deeply moved for the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days and they have nothing [at all left] to eat; and I am not willing to send them away hungry, lest they faint or become exhausted on the way. And the disciples said to Him, Where are we to get bread sufficient to feed so great a crowd in this isolated and desert place? And Jesus asked them, How many loaves of bread do you have? They replied, Seven, and a few small fish. And ordering the crowd to recline on the ground, He took the seven loaves and the fish, and when He had given thanks, He broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they gathered up seven [large provision] baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.” Matthew 15:33
“And as they were going out of Jericho, a great throng accompanied Him. And behold, two blind men were
sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, Lord, have pity and mercy on us, [You] Son of David! The crowds reproved them and told them to keep still; but they cried out all the more, Lord, have pity and mercy on us, [You] Son of David! And Jesus stopped and called them, and asked, What do you want Me to do for you? They answered Him, Lord, we want our eyes to be opened! So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.”
Matthew 20:29
“And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.”
Mark 1:40
“And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, '' Do not weep. And He went forward and touched the funeral bier, and the pallbearers stood still. And He said, ``Young man, I say to you, arise [from death]!”
Luke 7:13
What is similar about all these chapters?
In these chapters, after Jesus felt compassion for the people, He was moved to action. What struck me was that when He healed the blind men, the leper, or raised the young man from the dead, He actually reached out and touched them. I want you to picture in your mind, receiving such comfort from a loved one.
What does this mean to us?
1.God loves us deeply. His love is demonstrated in his compassion towards us. If He was just a healer, why did He mourn over Lazarus before He brought him back to life? He has feelings with us and for us. If we can learn to depend on Him and believe that we can also receive His compassion, we will see miracles everywhere we go.
2. We need to be compassionate people. Many people meet Christians who are so mean, unkind, unforgiving, and judgemental. They depict the life of the Levite who was so busy trying to show up for God that He was unkind to his neighbour. This actually turns many people away from Christ, because they may ask themselves, “Is this person really the one teaching people about God?". As Christians, we have the full nature of God in us. We need to express this nature by being compassionate towards others - especially in their suffering.
It is my hope that we receive God's compassion during difficult times and extend compassion to others during their difficult moments.
About the writer
Elaine Akoto is a Christian writer and an aspiring Clinical Psychologist. You can follow her on Twitter: @akot_o
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