With a passion for Scripture and a determination, Gloria Copeland has been teaching about the life-changing power of God’s Word for more than 40 years. Read More
The compassion and mercy of Jesus operated as a force
against illness and disease. A good illustration of this is
in Mark 1:40-42 when a leper came to Jesus and asked
to be made clean. Verse 41 says, “And Jesus, moved with
compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and
saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.” As soon as Jesus had
spoken, the leprosy immediately departed from him, and
he was cleansed.
The Bible does not say, “immediately he was healed.”
It said that immediately leprosy itself departed, indicating
that the spirit life behind the disease left. When
that happened, the man’s body regained its health. The
force that drove the leprosy out was the compassion of
God released in the words that Jesus spoke and through
His hands.
The mercy of God governed Jesus in every situation.
After He healed the leper, Jesus instructed him not to say
anything about his healing but to show himself to the
priest. However, Mark 1:45 through Mark 2:1 says: “But
he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze
abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more
openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places:
and they came to him from every quarter. And again he
entered into Capernaum….”
The leper went out and stirred up the countryside to
the point where Jesus had to retreat to Capernaum. He
called attention to his healing until there were so many
people that Jesus could not even minister to all of them.
Jesus went to Capernaum. The crowds flooded Him there
as they had in the desert. It says in Mark 2:1-4:
And again he entered into Capernaum after some
days; and it was noised that he was in the house.
And straightway many were gathered together,
insomuch that there was no room to receive them,
no, not so much as about the door: and he preached
the word unto them. And they come unto him,
bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne
of four. And when they could not come nigh unto
him for the press, they uncovered the roof where
he was: and when they had broken it up, they let
down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Your sins are
forgiven you.” What a statement of mercy! He paid no
attention to them taking apart the roof. Through mercy,
He saw their faith. Through mercy and forgiveness, He
ministered healing and deliverance.

Don’t ever come against somebody’s faith, even if you
do not think they are strong enough. Get in there and help
them. That is what Jesus did. He was governed by mercy
and compassion instead of by legalism, rules and fear. If
He had been afraid Peter was going to drown, He would
have started sinking Himself.
Peter walked on the water based on the Word of Jesus,
“Come.” As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he made it.
But when he started looking at the wind, he became afraid
and began to sink.
As he started to sink, Peter cried, “Lord, save me.” The
Bible says:
Immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and
caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little
faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they
were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then
they that were in the ship came and worshipped
him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
And when they were gone over, they came into
the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that
place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all
that country round about, and brought unto him
all that were diseased; and besought him that they
might only touch the hem of his garment: and
as many as touched were made perfectly whole
(Matthew 14:31-36).
All this took place because Jesus was moved with
compassion out in the desert. In the life of Jesus, compassion
took a higher priority than anything else. It caused Him to
continually reach out to others and respond to their need.
Matthew 20:30-34 is a good example of this:
And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way
side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried
out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of
David. And the multitude rebuked them, because
they should hold their peace: but they cried the
more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of
David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and
said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? They
say unto him, Lord that our eyes may be opened. So
Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their
eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight,
and they followed him.
Jesus had compassion on them, not just for them. The
two blind men had caught sight of the fact that mercy
would do the job. They cried, “Have mercy,” and Jesus was
moved with compassion. The power of His mercy was
released and brought them their eyesight.

The nature of compassion is to give you a part of what
it possesses. This is how it works. For example, in spite
of His personal circumstances, Jesus prayed and
ministered to the people all day long and then provided
for their physical nourishment.
After all this had taken place, it says in Matthew 14:22
that “Straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into
a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he
sent the multitudes away.” Jesus had a reason in His heart
for telling them to go. I am satisfied that the Spirit of God
directed Him, in the middle of ministering to the people,
to go to the other side of the lake where more ministry
awaited Him, more sick, desperate people needing help.
Compassion was still directing Him.
He sent the disciples to the other side of the lake and
spent the evening in prayer. Matthew 14:23-28 picks up
the story: “And when he had sent the multitudes away,
he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the
evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was
now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the
wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night
Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.”
His compassion for them brought about this miracle.
The Spirit of compassion, the Holy Spirit, revealed they
were in trouble. He then enabled Jesus to walk on the water
to get to them: “And when the disciples saw him walking
on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and
they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto
them saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And
Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me
come unto thee on the water.”
Because Peter cornered Jesus by saying, “If it be You,”
Jesus could not answer Peter any other way but to say,
“Come.” Jesus knew Peter did not have the level of faith to
walk on that water, but He didn’t rebuke him for stepping
out on what little faith he had.

You must supply the sounds as the Holy
Spirit supplies the words. These words will be
unknown to you. The Scripture teaches us that
in the spirit we speak mysteries unto God:
“For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue
speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no
man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit
he speaketh mysteries…. He that speaketh
in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but
he that prophesieth edifieth the church”
(1 Corinthians 14:2, 4). You are not speaking
to man but to God.
One translation says we speak divine
secrets. You can pray beyond your natural
knowledge when you pray in other tongues.
So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our
aid and bears us up in our weakness;
for we do not know what prayer to
offer nor how to offer it worthily as
we ought, but the Spirit Himself
goes to meet our supplication and
pleads in our behalf with unspeakable
yearnings and groanings too deep for
utterance. And He Who searches
the hearts of men knows what is in
the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what
His intent is], because the Spirit
intercedes and pleads [before God] in
behalf of the saints according to and
in harmony with God’s will (Romans
8:26-27, The Amplified Bible).
The Holy Spirit comes to our aid to help
us in prayer when we don’t know how to pray
as we ought. He gives us utterance in other
tongues, praying the perfect will of God. We
need this help. So much of the time we know
so little. We may only see a symptom of a
much deeper problem. But the Holy Spirit
goes right to the root of the problem and
prays the perfect will of God for us.
Look at Jude 20, The Amplified Bible: “But
you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded]
on your most holy faith [make progress, rise
like an edifice higher and higher], praying in
the Holy Spirit.” Praying in tongues edifies
you. This means “to build up or charge,” as we
charge a battery.

Hebrews 11:11
KJV—Through faith also Sara herself received
strength to conceive seed, and was
delivered of a child when she was past
age, because she judged him faithful who
had promised.
Amp—Because of faith also Sarah herself
received physical power to conceive a child,
even when she was long past the age for
it, because she considered [God] Who had
given her the promise, reliable and trustworthy
and true to His word.
Moffatt—It was by faith that even Sara got
strength to conceive, bearing a son when
she was past the age for it—because she
considered that she could rely on Him who
gave the promise.
NEB—By faith even Sarah herself received
strength to conceive, though she was past
the age, because she judged that he who
had promised would keep faith.
2 Corinthians 12:9
KJV—And he said unto me, My grace is
sufficient for thee: for my strength is made
perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore
will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the
power of Christ may rest upon me.
Amp—But He said to me, My grace—My
favor and loving-kindness and mercy—are
enough for you, [that is, sufficient against
any danger and to enable you to bear the
trouble manfully]; for My strength and power
are made perfect—fulfilled and completed
and show themselves most effective—
in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more
gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities,
that the strength and power of Christ,
the Messiah, may rest—yes, may pitch a tent
[over] and dwell—upon me!
Moffatt—But he told me, “It is enough for
you to have my grace: it is in weakness that
my power is fully felt.” So I am proud to
boast of all my weakness, and thus to have
the power of Christ resting on my life.
NEB—But his answer was: ‘My grace is all
you need; power comes to its full strength
in weakness.’ I shall therefore prefer to find
my joy and pride in the very things that are
my weakness; and then the power of Christ
will come and rest upon me.