“He was moved with compassion.”
Matthew 9:36.
This is said of Christ Jesus several times in the New Testament. The original word is a very remarkable one. It is not found in classic Greek. It is not found in the Septuagint. The fact is, it was a word coined by the evangelists, themselves. They did not find one in the whole Greek language that suited their purpose and, therefore, they had to make one.
It is expressive of the deepest emotion a striving of the heart a yearning of the innermost nature with pity. As the dictionaries tell us Ex intimis visceribus misericordia commoveor. I suppose that when our Savior looked upon certain sights, those who watched Him closely perceived that His internal agitation was very great, His emotions were very deep and then His face betrayed it His eyes gushed like fountains with tears and you saw that His big heart was ready to burst with pity for the sorrow upon which His eyes were gazing. He was moved with compassion. His whole nature was agitated with commiseration for the sufferers before Him.
Now, although this word is not used many times even by the evangelists, yet it may be taken as a clue to the Savior's whole life and I intend thus to apply it to Him. If you would sum up the whole character of Christ in reference to ourselves, it might be gathered into this one sentence, “He was moved with compassion.” Upon this one point we shall try to insist, now, and may God grant that good practical results may come of it.
First, I shall lead your meditations to the great transactions of our Savior's life; secondly, to the special instances in which this expression is used by the evangelists; thirdly, to the forethought which He took on our behalf and, fourthly, to the personal testimony which one's own recollections can furnish. Let us take a rapid survey of.
