Throughout the Bible, God is described as being compassionate. To be compassionate is beyond just being sympathetic to others. When a person is said to be sympathetic, it means that they understand and empathize with the plight of another. Such a person is able to grieve alongside someone who is experiencing pain or loss and may even feel the same intensity of emotion of that individual. It is good to have sympathetic friends and counselors in our times of deep sorrow. In fact the Bible instructs all Christians to “mourn with those who mourn”. (Romans 12:15)Compassion goes a step further. Compassion is sympathy in action. A person who is compassionate towards another will not only feel the pain and loss of another person, he will do something about it. The Bible makes it clear that true faith and love will not only sympathize, but also display practical acts of compassion. “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:17, 18) (See also Matthew 18:33 and James 2:15,16)Throughout history God has looked upon the depravity of mankind and has felt sorrow over our sinful condition. Fortunately, God is not only grieved over the sin of mankind and depravity of the world; He decided to do something about it. God’s greatest act of compassion came 2000 years ago when he sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. “But God demonstrated his love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)The God of the Bible is not a distant phantom in the sky. He cared enough about each one of us to leave the glory of heaven, become a human being and live amongst people who would scorn, mock and ultimately kill Him. Jesus experienced the pain and sorrow of the world and was tempted in every way, but never sinned. When He died on the cross, he not only bore all of our sins, He also bore our sorrows and pain. (Isaiah 53:3-5) Through his death we find forgiveness for the sins we have committed and healing from sins committed against us. The cross is God’s ultimate means of redeeming what was lost in Creation. It is through the cross that we realize that God is not distant and uncaring, but that He is actively seeking to provide help and restoration for our fallen condition.The cross of Christ does not remove the pain and suffering found in the world. There is still injustice, poverty, illness, hurt and pain caused by a fallen world, fallen mankind, fallen angels and the most fallen of all creatures, Satan. However, God gives us hope for a day when these things will pass away and everything will become new.Christian Growth Network