Compassion: The image of God's love


COMPASSION: THE IMAGE OF GOD’S LOVE

CL. Mario D’Couto SDB

            Compassion is one of the trademark virtues of a Christian. In Matthew 5:48, it s written, “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”. In parallel to this is St. Luke’s version, “Be merciful, even as your Heavenly Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). In doing so, Luke is only clarifying and putting beyond dispute a pint made in Matthew’s Gospel.
            The demand “to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” is illustrated by the powerful stress of Jesus on compassion: “Love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so  that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45). Here we see with unmatched clarity the characteristic feature of both Christianity’s image of God and its teaching on virtue. In contrast, the god of the Greek and Roman philosophers sits impassively on his throne, looking down on human beings, untroubled by the passion of sympathy. Hence, the typical Greek and Roman philosophers and their disciples would be untouched by the suffering of others.
            This is what spells out the Christian vision of love as compassionate. 

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