Colossians 3:12-14 - "And, so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoevere has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity."
These verses list eight virtues which should characterize those who follow Christ. These virtues do not naturally exist inside of us. They actually run contrary to our basic human nature. We cannot produce them by human effort. These virtues are produced in us by the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives. Each of them is demonstrated in the life of Jesus and as we allow God to make us more like Jesus, then these virtues become evident in our lives as well.
COMPASSION - The phrase “heart of compassion” in verse 12 is translated “bowels of mercies” in the King James Version. That is an accurate translation of the phrase. The word rendered “heart” does not refer to the muscle which pumps blood through our bodies. The word was used to describe the inward parts of the human body which react in a physical way to some external stimulus. It is like that sinking, heavy feeling you get when you are exposed to some horrible news or that buoyant, light feeling you get when exposed to some wonderful news. “Compassion” means mercy, tenderness, pity toward those who are suffering. One writer says that taken together, the two words mean that Christians are to “have a deep, gut-level feeling” toward those in need. [MacArthur, p.155]
This is a virtue which was often demonstrated in the life of Jesus. Matthew 9:36 says of Him, “And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd.” And this virtue of compassion, which was so evident in the life of Jesus, is a virtue God desires to reproduce in us.
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