12/01/2025
By Pastor Vinnie Cappetta
"Unmoved with Compassion"
Scripture: 1 John 3:17
“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” — 1 John 3:17
In 2004, a 61-year-old man suffered a heart attack on a commuter train. For several stops, passengers looked on but hesitated to act. By the time someone began CPR, it was too late.
The story made headlines for a few days, then faded — but that image lingers: a crowded train, a dying man, a car full of witnesses who did nothing.
John’s words pierce through our hesitation. Love that sees but doesn’t move isn’t love at all. Five times the Gospels describe Jesus as “moved with compassion.” The phrase means a deep stirring in His gut — emotion that led to action.
I think of how often I’ve seen need and quietly talked myself out of getting involved. Compassion costs time, energy, emotional safety — but doing nothing costs something too. Each time I turn away, my heart hardens a little.
Perhaps compassion begins not with fixing but with noticing. Not with having the answers but with showing up.
Reflection
- Who around you might need your compassion?
- What would it look like this week to move toward, not away from, someone’s pain?
Prayer
Jesus, make my heart responsive again.
Interrupt my comfort with compassion.
Help me love with Your hands, Your timing, and Your courage.
Memory Verse: Proverbs 1:5
