Spiritual Constipation

# 484 - Today's Living Word comes from: Mr 8:1-3, “In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2 "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 "And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar."

The word “compassion” is almost always understood in the sense of action sparked by pity. The word literally means, “yearning bowels.” Just think about that for a moment. Have you ever had “yearning bowels?” Perhaps it was something you ate or maybe you had a touch of the flu, but when your bowels yearn, you can't help yourself, you must find relief. Your bowels must find an outlet to express themselves.

In the parable of the good Samaritan, the Samaritan had compassion on the man in the ditch. He couldn't help himself, he had to express mercy on the man. Same thing with Jesus and the feeding of the 4,000. He could not restrain His mercy and He wanted His disciples to note this concept of compassion because when He ascended into heaven, it would be His disciples, the church, you, and I that would serve as the means of providing an outlet for His compassion.

So the next time you are moved to physically extend mercy, remember, that's Jesus at work in you. Don't hold back, lest you become as spiritually constipated as the priest and the scribe who ignored the man in the ditch.

I'm Duane Matz and that's Today's Living Word.