The Compassion of the Father

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14 ESV).

 

Compassion arises from an understanding of the limitations and struggles of another person. When a baby dumps their bowl of cereal on the kitchen floor, we have compassion because they know nothing about gravity. Our reaction is quite different when our twelve-year-old does the same thing. Parents adjust expectations to their child’s developmental level. There have been many times in the raising of my three sons that I have been called upon to exercise compassion and understanding. I hope I got it right most of the time.

 

As we have compassion on our children, so our Creator, who knows all our limitations, has compassion on us. We are not flawless people. We are not masters of our own destiny. Our abilities are not limitless. God knows we are dust, and because of his frank and accurate assessment of our human condition, he is filled with compassion. God knows we will fail. God will not condone rebellion or excuse wicked behavior, but he has genuine compassion and is therefore quick to forgive.

 

Jesus’ ministry centered on compassion. He was moved to help the weak and helpless. That compassion led Jesus to the cross to save us in our hopeless state. When Scripture says, “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities,” it almost makes God sound unfair. We deserve death but get life. “Not fair” is the definition of God’s grace, compassion, and mercy—all qualities of his perfect love.

 

Compassion. Not pity, not anger, not shame, not impatience, not intolerance, not rejection, but compassion is what God, my Father, gives to me. He cares for my pain enough to enter into my world and share it in Jesus. Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t treat us fairly?