After five years and over 260 weekly posts, the Man to Man blogs are coming to an end. Past posts will still be available on the Murray Missionary Church web site. Thank you to those who have read the posts. I pray they have been of some help in your journey as men pursuing godliness.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have discussed a couple of characteristics of biblical manhood. The role of spiritual King creates order and provision. It provides direction. It leads with integrity. It allows us to be a blessing to those entrusted to our care. The Warrior shows our courageous energy and demands from us purposeful initiative. A man who accepts the role of Warrior is a man of action.
These are action based. We complete our journey with a call to allow our emotional energy to be directed toward those we love, both family and friends. God calls us to be men of compassion. This discussion is often avoided because, “Real men don’t show their soft side!” However, we need to understand that a man of compassion does not tarnish his roles as King and Warrior. In fact, just the opposite is true. Strong leadership requires us to be sensitive to the needs and wants of those we lead. Otherwise, we will not be followed.
The Apostle Paul reminds us of this when writing to the Believers in Thessalonica. In describing what made them successful in seeing people receive Jesus as Savior, he says this in 1 Thessalonians 2:7-9, As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
If you consider what the Holy Spirit provides to us when he takes up residency in our lives at salvation, it becomes clear what kind of leader he is challenging us to be in Galatians 5, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
The characteristic of compassion is primarily associated with tender care for others and a willingness to be emotionally available and open. King David modeled this through his interaction with rebellious children. He showed his love, even when it was not returned. Many of the Old Testament Prophets showed their compassion when they bravely proclaimed the unpopular warnings issued by God and were not only rejected, but persecuted. Many wept for the fate that was coming to the disobedient.
However, the greatest example of a King and Warrior who showed compassion was Jesus. He was not afraid to face the injustice in the world and offend those who were teaching lies. At the same time, he welcomed little children to come to him, he lowered himself to interact with the ungodly woman at the well, he hugged the person with leprosy who was shunned by everyone else society, and he comforted those who had lost loved ones to death.
I am reminded of the picture of Jesus hanging on the cross. He is suffering, not only the physical pain, but the understanding that he will soon take on the sins of the entire human race. He demonstrated his toughness and willingness to endure, but at the same time, modeled his compassion by his concern for the thief dying next to him. He also ensured that his mother would be cared for. Jesus was truly and King and a Warrior, but he was also compassionate and willing to show his feelings for others. We need to follow his example.