Mission and compassion

Mission for the sake of doing mission becomes dull and mechanical. But when mission is driven by compassion, it comes alive.

Jesus was driven. He was driven by compassion for people who were hurting and troubled in life.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

For us, mission may have begun with a sense of compassion, but things change over time. the mission becomes a movement and then eventually it becomes an establishment. Then later, when the establishment grows, it becomes difficult to maintain it. Ultimately, the mission changes from being driven by compassion. It becomes driven by the establishment. Maintaining the establishment becomes the primary aim and in effect, the mission becomes the establishment.

Jesus refrained from developing an establishment to support his mission. His disciples followed his example and kept compassion as the driving force for mission. Thus the mission stayed as the mission.

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