The Compassion

And

Mercy of

Jesus

“People First.”

“People First” is a statement that gets used a lot by politicians and world leaders today. I think Jesus was totally “People First” Person but he had to overcome religious barriers and discrimination to achieve it.

There is today a lot talk about religion and not enough about God and his Love and Mercy. Jesus was not about religion but about God and his mercy. Jesus felt more comfortable with the outcasts of his day. He found the religious people were very judgmental but the outcasts more responsive to God and his mercy.

Jesus was against the pharisee’s pubic display of religion. He saw the pharisees standing in the street corners and praying out loudly. They sought the approval of men and not the approval of God. That is the sad thing about religion. The question we need to ask ourselves always is, “Do I seek the approval of men or the approval of God?”

Jesus saw through hypocrisy of the pharisees. Their big problem was that they didn’t show compassion or mercy to the people. The heart of God is love, mercy and forgiveness. Where there is love there is God.

Jesus entered a synagogue on a sabbath and a man was there with a withered hand. The pharisees were looking closely at Jesus whether or not he would heal this man as it was the sabbath.

The Pharisees had interpreted the law wrongly-according to them obeying the law was more important than the well-being of the people. The law took priority over the people. Today the purchase of weapons takes priority over feeding the poor in the world. How right is that? Man has become very arrogant and has rejected God.

Jesus looked at the pharisees and asked a question, “Is it permissible to heal this man on the sabbath or let him suffer?” The pharisees were silent they were only interested in whether or not Jesus would heal the man on the sabbath and break their law.

Jesus healed the man and pharisees were unhappy and reported this to the high priest. We can easily lose sight of mercy and compassion and follow man-made rules which saddens God. Jesus is mercy and love.

For Jesus respect and value of life is more important than man-made rules. What we are losing today is that respect for each other and value for human life. There is a lot of pressure to meet targets today but what about the quality of life we offer to others?

James in the New Testament touches on the same theme. He said, “If you see your brother or sister is hungry and you walk away, how can the love of God be in your heart?”

This is a challenge to us all. It is not about how much religion we get right but how much love is in our hearts for God and our neighbour?

Jesus showed love and mercy was far more important that religious laws. It’s a challenge to our establishments and institutions to put “People First”. (The story of Jesus healing the man with a withered hand on the sabbath is found in Matthew 12:9-13.)

Dear God

You look at my heart

And you see my inmost being.

Please deliver me from

All those things that

Get in the way of my relationship with you.

And fill me with your love.

Amen.

By harbajan (servant of Jesus) 9^th May 2026.