Jehovah Rules With Compassion
THROUGHOUT history many human rulers have wielded power in callous disregard for the suffering of their subjects. However, Jehovah provided a contrast by choosing a nation—Israel—and ruling it compassionately.
While the Israelites were still slaves in ancient Egypt, Jehovah heard their cries for help. “During all their distress it was distressing to him. . . . In his love and in his compassion he himself repurchased them.” (Isaiah 63:9) Jehovah saved Israel, provided them with miraculous food, and delivered them into a land of their own.
Jehovah’s quality of compassion was further manifested in the laws he gave to this nation. He commanded the Israelites to deal compassionately with orphans, widows, and alien residents. They were not to take unfair advantage of the disabled.
The Law required compassion to be shown for those in need. The poor could glean after the harvest. Debts were canceled in the Sabbath (seventh) year. All hereditary land that had been sold had to be returned in the Jubilee (50th) year. Ancient Israel—Its Life and Institutions reports: “In Israel, there never really existed social classes in the modern sense.” “In the early days of the settlement, all the Israelites enjoyed more or less the same standard of living.”—Leviticus 25:10; Deuteronomy 15:12-14; 24:17-22; 27:18.
Imitating Jehovah’s Compassion
God’s servants are inspired by his compassion. For example, throughout history, some new kings have killed surviving members of the previous royal dynasty. But Jehovah’s servant David did not do this. After King Saul’s death, David protected Mephibosheth, Saul’s surviving grandson and heir. “The king felt compassion upon Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul.”—2 Samuel 21:7.
No other human has imitated Jehovah’s compassion as Jesus did. Many of his miracles were motivated by godly compassion. On one occasion a leper entreated him: “If you just want to, you can make me clean.” Jesus was moved with pity and touched him, saying: “I want to. Be made clean.” (Mark 1:40-42) Another time great crowds followed Jesus. Amid the clamor, Jesus paid attention to two blind men who cried: “‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’ . . . Moved with pity, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they received sight.”—Matthew 20:29-34.
Large crowds did not numb Jesus’ feelings for others. Because they had not eaten for some time, he said on one occasion: “I feel pity for the crowd.” So he fed them miraculously. (Mark 8:1-8) When Jesus toured, he not only taught multitudes but was observant of their needs. (Matthew 9:35, 36) After such a tour, Jesus and his disciples had no leisure time even to eat a meal. The Bible account tells us: “So off they went in the boat for a lonely place to themselves. But people saw them going and many got to know it, and from all the cities they ran there together on foot and got ahead of them. Well, on getting out, he saw a great crowd, but he was moved with pity for them, because they were as sheep without a shepherd. And he started to teach them many things.”—Mark 6:31-34.
What moved Jesus was not just the sickness and poverty of the people but their spiritual condition. Their leaders had been taking advantage of them, so Jesus “was moved with pity for them.” The Greek word for “was moved with pity” means “to feel the bowels yearn.” Jesus was indeed a compassionate man!
Compassion in a Cruel World
Jesus Christ is now the King of Jehovah’s heavenly Kingdom. As he did in ancient Israel, today God rules his people with compassion. “‘They will certainly become mine,’ Jehovah of armies has said, ‘at the day when I am producing a special property. And I will show compassion upon them.’”—Malachi 3:17.
Those who want to be recipients of Jehovah’s compassion must imitate his ways. True, we live in a world where people are more interested in preserving their life-style than in helping those in need. Men in power often seek profit at the expense of the safety of workers and consumers. At 2 Timothy 3:1-4, the Bible accurately describes the moral climate of our time that has killed compassion in the hearts of so many.
Still, we can likely find opportunities to show compassion. Could we offer some needed assistance to our neighbors? Is there someone sick whom we could visit? Could we cheer up those who are depressed, in line with the advice: “Speak consolingly to the depressed souls, support the weak”?—1 Thessalonians 5:14.
Compassion will also help us to avoid reacting harshly when others make mistakes. We are told: “Let all malicious bitterness and anger and wrath and screaming and abusive speech be taken away from you along with all badness. But become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another just as God also by Christ freely forgave you.”—Ephesians 4:31, 32.
Compassion will help us to avoid the tendency to abuse power. The Bible says: “Clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness, and long-suffering.” (Colossians 3:12) Lowliness of mind enables us to put ourselves in the position of those under our supervision. To be compassionate involves being humble and reasonable rather than hard to please. Efficiency should not be an excuse for treating people as mere parts of a machine. Also, in the family compassionate husbands remember that their wives are weaker vessels. (1 Peter 3:7) Contemplating Jesus’ compassionate example can help us in all of this.
Since Jesus felt so deeply for people during his earthly ministry, we can be sure that he is now, and will continue to be, a compassionate Ruler. Psalm 72 says prophetically of him: “Let him judge the afflicted ones of the people, let him save the sons of the poor one, and let him crush the defrauder. And he will have subjects from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. He will feel sorry for the lowly one and the poor one, and the souls of the poor ones he will save.”—Psalm 72:4, 8, 13.
God’s Word foretells: “With righteousness he must judge the lowly ones, and with uprightness he must give reproof in behalf of the meek ones of the earth. . . . He will put the wicked one to death.” After describing how even some cruel, beastlike people will change their ways, the prophecy continues: “They will not do any harm or cause any ruin in all my holy mountain; because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea.” (Isaiah 11:4-9) This prophecy promises nothing less than an earth-wide society of people who know Jehovah and imitate his compassionate ways!