Daily Word of Grace # 3 (March 19, 2020)
In the gripping 2005 film Batman Begins, the first of the Dark Knight Trilogy, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is completing his training with the League of Shadows. All he has to do is execute a felon guilty of capital offenses in order to demonstrate his “commitment to justice.” But Bruce Wayne would not do it. When Bruce is warned, “Your compassion is a weakness your enemies will not share”, he replies, “That’s why it’s so important; it separates us from them.” Scripture assures us that compassion is one of the primary attributes of Jesus: “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). This compassion of Jesus for all of us sheep “harassed and helpless” by a myriad of challenges indeed separated him from his enemies, which unfortunately also included all of us (Romans 5:10). And yet this compassion motivated Jesus throughout his earthly ministry, and this compassion motivated his suffering and death on Good Friday when he demonstrated his “commitment to justice” by taking the judgment of all the harassed and helpless sheep of the world, taking the judgment of all his enemies who refused the “weakness” of his compassion—including you and me—upon himself. After his resurrection Jesus was still moved with compassion—just ask Peter. And even now his compassion remains unchanged. Jesus is still moved with compassion for you—all the time, no matter what.
Love and Prayers for you,
Dave