October 10, 2025 • 16 mins
In this episode of 'Joy in Every Step', Sarita explores the profound theme of compassion, emphasizing its significance in our lives and its reflection of God's character. She discusses biblical examples of compassion, particularly through the actions of Jesus, and shares inspiring stories that illustrate the impact of kindness in communities. The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to embrace and spread compassion in their daily lives, highlighting the joy and resilience it brings.
Takeaways
- Compassion is a deep, visceral sympathy for the suffering of others.
- Jesus modeled compassion through his actions and teachings.
- Acts of kindness can create a ripple effect in communities.
- Compassion is a gift that brings joy and positive emotions.
- Demonstrating compassion can lift both the giver and receiver.
- Compassionate behavior helps build resilience in challenging times.
- We are called to clothe ourselves with compassion and kindness.
- Compassion is essential for fostering strong relationships.
- Every act of kindness can inspire others to do the same.
- Compassion is a reflection of God's character in our lives.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Introduction (00:03):
Welcome to a place of peace, hope, and divine
encouragement. This is Joy inEvery Step with your host,
beloved preacher, retiredteacher, and faithful through
(00:31):
the valleys or dancing on themountaintops, Sarita's voice
will guide you back to hispromises step by step. So open
your heart, settle your spirit,and take the next step in faith
with joy in every step.
Sarita Bernadette (00:49):
Hi, I'm Sarita Bernadette and welcome
back to another episode of Joyin Every Step. I'm so glad
you're here. The previousepisode was dedicated to the
gift of emotions and we are backto talk more about that today.
In that episode we establishedthat our range of emotions has
(01:13):
been given to us by God. Hecreated us in His image and
therefore we know that He tooexperiences emotions.
Let's talk about compassiontoday. Compassion. In the Word
of God compassion is a deepvisceral sympathy for the
suffering of others. It moves onour heart. It moves on our heart
(01:37):
so much that one wants to dosomething to alleviate that
suffering And my friends thatreflects the very character of
God.
Exodus 3three 19 And the Lordsaid, I will cause all my
goodness to pass in front of youand I will proclaim my name, the
(02:00):
Lord, in your presence. I willhave mercy on whom I will have
mercy and I will have compassionon whom I will have compassion.
Galatians five twenty threelists kindness as a fruit of the
spirit. Kindness and compassionare very similar however you
(02:21):
could say that compassion isfelt in response to seeing
someone suffering. Compassion isthe feeling that moves us to
show kindness.
Let's talk more. In Exodus3three 19, the Lord mentioned
showing mercy as a result of hisgraciousness. The Lord extends
(02:44):
his unmerited kindness, favor,and compassion towards us daily.
Daily, my friends. Hebrews oneand three reminds us that Jesus
is the reflection of God's gloryand the exact imprint of God's
very being.
In the last episode we mentionedthat Jesus showed compassion and
(03:07):
empathy in Matthew nine thirtysix and Mark six thirty four. As
he went about healing the sick,he was teaching the crowds that
were gathered to hear him there,and he showed compassion and
empathy. In the last episode, wementioned that Jesus showed
(03:29):
compassion and empathy. InMatthew nine thirty six and Mark
34, as he went about healing thesick and teaching the crowds
gathered to hear him. In Marksix thirty four we read, As he
went to shore, he saw a greatcrowd and he had compassion for
(03:50):
them because they were likesheep without a shepherd and he
began to teach them many things.
I believe Jesus was a role modelhere not only for Christians in
ministry but Christians ingeneral. He saw the people
without direction and he soughtto give them some hope. So he
(04:13):
fed them the Word. That'ssignificant in itself, but he
also met their physical needs inanother way. When faced with
huge crowds who had followed himand found themselves there with
nothing to eat, Jesus feltcompassion for them and
performed miracles to feed them.
(04:34):
Compassion. There are twomiracles recorded in the Gospels
where Jesus feeds themultitudes. Let's look at the
two miracles a little closer. Sothe feeding of the 5,000 occurs
first and it's recorded in allfour of the Gospels. This is the
(04:56):
first of the two miracles and itinvolves Jesus and the disciples
right after the martyrdom ofJohn the Baptist.
In Matthew 14 verses 13 through21 we read, Now when Jesus heard
this, he withdrew from there ina boat to a deserted place by
himself. But when the crowdsheard it, they followed him on
(05:19):
foot from the towns. When hewent ashore he saw a great crowd
and he had compassion for themand cured their sick. When it
was evening the disciples cameto him and said this is a
deserted place and the hour isnow late send the crowds away so
they may go into the villagesand buy food for themselves.
(05:40):
Jesus said to them they need notgo away you give them something
to eat.
They replied, We have nothinghere but five loaves and two
fish. Verse 18 And he said,Bring them here to me. Then he
ordered the crowds to sit downon the grass. Taking the five
(06:03):
loaves and the two fish, helooked up to heaven and blessed
and broke the loaves and gavethem to the disciples. And the
disciples gave them to thecrowds.
And all ate and were filled. Andthey took up what was left over
of the broken pieces 12 basketsfull and those who ate were
(06:26):
about 5,000 men besides womenand children. Then there's the
feeding of the 4,000. It'sdocumented in the fifteenth
chapter of Matthew and also inthe eighth chapter of Mark. In
the fifteenth chapter of Matthewverses 32 through 38 we read,
(06:46):
Then Jesus called his disciplesto him and said, I have
compassion for the crowd becausethey have been with me now for
three days and have nothing toeat.
And I do not want to send themaway hungry for they might faint
on the way. The disciples saidto him where are we to get
(07:06):
enough bread in the desert tofeed so great a crowd? Jesus
asked them, How many loaves haveyou? They said, Seven and a few
small fish. Then ordering thecrowd to sit down on the ground,
he took the seven loaves and thefish and after giving thanks, he
broke them and gave them to thedisciples and the disciples gave
(07:29):
them to the crowds.
All of them ate and were filledand they took up the broken
pieces left over seven basketsfull. Those who had eaten were
4,000 men besides women andchildren. There are certainly
similarities between these twomiracles but they are two
separate ones. The first miracletook place in Northern Galilee
(07:53):
and involved over 5,000 peoplebecause remember they only
counted the men. Jesus used twofish and five loaves of bread to
feed the crowd and the leftoversfilled 12 baskets.
This miracle is seen asproviding for the Jewish people
with the 12 baskets likelyalluding to the 12 tribes of
(08:14):
Israel. The second miracle tookplace in Southeast Galilee. On
that occasion Jesus took sevenloaves of bread and a few small
fish to feed over 4,000 peopleand again they only counted them
in so you know that number islikely much higher. This miracle
(08:34):
served a Gentile crowdsymbolizing God's provision for
all people not just the Jews.Both miracles come from the very
heart of God.
He has compassion for usbeloved. He understands our
needs and he is well able tomeet them. These miracles also
(08:57):
show us that he doesn'tdiscriminate. The word tells us
in Galatians three and twentyeight there is no longer Jew or
Greek, there is no longer slaveor free, there is no longer male
and female for all of you areone in Christ Jesus. Romans two
and eleven reads, For God showsno partiality.
(09:22):
Galatians five and fourteenreads for the whole law is
summed up in a singlecommandment you shall love your
neighbor as yourself we are allone in Christ with none better
than the other and a neighbor isanyone living and breathing the
(09:43):
good Lord's air. Period. SoJesus modeled compassion for us
beloved and I know you might besaying well that was the Lord
Jesus Christ he fed themultitudes twice. Well Paul
encourages believers inColossians three twelve with
these words (10:02):
Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
clothe yourselves withcompassion, kindness, humility,
meekness, and patience. Clotheyourselves, he says, meaning we
should adopt thesecharacteristics or spiritual
(10:22):
qualities and live by them.
We can do it beloved. Have youever heard the expression a
little kindness goes a long way?There is so much truth in that
statement. During difficult daysone small act of kindness can
literally change someone's wholeday and brighten their outlook.
(10:46):
Beloved, compassion shown toanother human lets them know
they are seen and not just by usbut by God himself.
Ephesians four thirty twoencourages believers to be kind
and compassionate to oneanother. God uses us to spread
(11:08):
His love. We represent Him. Whenwe show compassion, it can have
a significant and far reachingimpact. Our act of kindness can
inspire others to do the same.
One gesture can move someoneelse to pay it forward. It can
indeed create a ripple effect.We need that today, don't we? I
(11:33):
have found that demonstratingkindness and compassion not only
lifts the receiver, it lifts theheart of the giver as well.
Maybe even more!
You both walk away feeling joyand a sense of connection that
stays with you. Speaking ofconnection, don't you just love
hearing stories about people whoexperience a special and lasting
(11:57):
connection because of an act ofkindness, a show of compassion.
Many strong relationships havebeen born from one person
showing empathy or sensitivitytowards another. Quick story:
CBS News correspondent SteveHartman does a series called
(12:17):
Kindness 101. A recent storyfeatured a 66 year old family
practitioner by the name ofDoctor.
Michael Zullicoffer. His officeis located in one of the poorest
neighborhoods in Baltimore andhe's been there for over forty
years. As he was beinginterviewed his eyes just lit up
(12:39):
and you could hear the passionin his voice. He loves his job.
His spirit is just bubbly andeffervescent.
The Pace mentioned how Doctor. Zas he's called has never gone on
a vacation because he says hispatients might need him and he
wants to be available 20fourseven. His patients have his
(13:03):
cell phone number. Another thingstood out in the piece and that
is Doctor. Z will see youwhether you can pay or not.
No insurance? No problem.Several of his patients were
interviewed and you could tellthey love him just as much as he
(13:24):
loves them. They spoke of him asthough he was a part of the
family. He's established himselfas an integral part of the
community there in Baltimore.
So not long ago Doctor. Z wasdiagnosed with two types of
cancer and due to a series ofunfortunate mishaps he had no
(13:47):
insurance and he had no way topay for his radiation
treatments. Beloved, the wordreminds us in Galatians
six:nine, So let's not get tiredof doing what is good. At just
the right time we will reap aharvest of blessing if we don't
give up. Enter Doctor.
Z's patients. They heard aboutthe issue and crowdfunded over
(14:12):
$100,000 A thousand peopledonated money to the campaign.
Doctor. Z went through histreatment and his prognosis
today is good. He has plans touse the extra money from the
campaign in the community.
One of his patients said, Wecouldn't give up on him because
(14:33):
he never gave up on us. Thepeople he'd served all those
years were oh so happy to dosomething for him in return.
Doctor. Z said he wanted thenation to see his story so they
could see what it looks like togive. He considers himself a
rich man and I would have toagree with him.
(14:57):
What an outstanding example ofcompassion in that story.
Beloved, compassion is a giftand when used it brings on joy
and a host of other positiveemotions. More specifically,
when we act with compassion thebrain releases chemicals that
(15:19):
create feelings of pleasure,contentment, and serenity. These
God given neurochemicalscounteract stress hormones like
cortisol which leads to lessstress and anxiety. Lastly,
compassionate behaviorcultivates inner strength.
(15:41):
It builds us up and it helps tomake us more resilient. So when
life's challenges hit us, withGod's help, we're able to cope.
Beloved, I would challenge youto increase your acts of
kindness and compassion in thecoming days, in the coming
weeks, and even in the comingmonths. Let's sprinkle it around
(16:04):
like confetti. You've beenlistening to Joy in Every Step.
I'm Sarita Bernadette and I'mgrateful you chose to spend some
time here with me. You can findJoy in Every Step wherever you
listen to your podcasts and giveus a follow there. Do check out
the website atjoyineverystep.org.
Welcome to a place of peace, hope, and divine
encouragement. This is Joy inEvery Step with your host,
beloved preacher, retiredteacher, and faithful through
(00:31):
the valleys or dancing on themountaintops, Sarita's voice
will guide you back to hispromises step by step. So open
your heart, settle your spirit,and take the next step in faith
with joy in every step.
Sarita Bernadette (00:49):
Hi, I'm Sarita Bernadette and welcome
back to another episode of Joyin Every Step. I'm so glad
you're here. The previousepisode was dedicated to the
gift of emotions and we are backto talk more about that today.
In that episode we establishedthat our range of emotions has
(01:13):
been given to us by God. Hecreated us in His image and
therefore we know that He tooexperiences emotions.
Let's talk about compassiontoday. Compassion. In the Word
of God compassion is a deepvisceral sympathy for the
suffering of others. It moves onour heart. It moves on our heart
(01:37):
so much that one wants to dosomething to alleviate that
suffering And my friends thatreflects the very character of
God.
Exodus 3three 19 And the Lordsaid, I will cause all my
goodness to pass in front of youand I will proclaim my name, the
(02:00):
Lord, in your presence. I willhave mercy on whom I will have
mercy and I will have compassionon whom I will have compassion.
Galatians five twenty threelists kindness as a fruit of the
spirit. Kindness and compassionare very similar however you
(02:21):
could say that compassion isfelt in response to seeing
someone suffering. Compassion isthe feeling that moves us to
show kindness.
Let's talk more. In Exodus3three 19, the Lord mentioned
showing mercy as a result of hisgraciousness. The Lord extends
(02:44):
his unmerited kindness, favor,and compassion towards us daily.
Daily, my friends. Hebrews oneand three reminds us that Jesus
is the reflection of God's gloryand the exact imprint of God's
very being.
In the last episode we mentionedthat Jesus showed compassion and
(03:07):
empathy in Matthew nine thirtysix and Mark six thirty four. As
he went about healing the sick,he was teaching the crowds that
were gathered to hear him there,and he showed compassion and
empathy. In the last episode, wementioned that Jesus showed
(03:29):
compassion and empathy. InMatthew nine thirty six and Mark
34, as he went about healing thesick and teaching the crowds
gathered to hear him. In Marksix thirty four we read, As he
went to shore, he saw a greatcrowd and he had compassion for
(03:50):
them because they were likesheep without a shepherd and he
began to teach them many things.
I believe Jesus was a role modelhere not only for Christians in
ministry but Christians ingeneral. He saw the people
without direction and he soughtto give them some hope. So he
(04:13):
fed them the Word. That'ssignificant in itself, but he
also met their physical needs inanother way. When faced with
huge crowds who had followed himand found themselves there with
nothing to eat, Jesus feltcompassion for them and
performed miracles to feed them.
(04:34):
Compassion. There are twomiracles recorded in the Gospels
where Jesus feeds themultitudes. Let's look at the
two miracles a little closer. Sothe feeding of the 5,000 occurs
first and it's recorded in allfour of the Gospels. This is the
(04:56):
first of the two miracles and itinvolves Jesus and the disciples
right after the martyrdom ofJohn the Baptist.
In Matthew 14 verses 13 through21 we read, Now when Jesus heard
this, he withdrew from there ina boat to a deserted place by
himself. But when the crowdsheard it, they followed him on
(05:19):
foot from the towns. When hewent ashore he saw a great crowd
and he had compassion for themand cured their sick. When it
was evening the disciples cameto him and said this is a
deserted place and the hour isnow late send the crowds away so
they may go into the villagesand buy food for themselves.
(05:40):
Jesus said to them they need notgo away you give them something
to eat.
They replied, We have nothinghere but five loaves and two
fish. Verse 18 And he said,Bring them here to me. Then he
ordered the crowds to sit downon the grass. Taking the five
(06:03):
loaves and the two fish, helooked up to heaven and blessed
and broke the loaves and gavethem to the disciples. And the
disciples gave them to thecrowds.
And all ate and were filled. Andthey took up what was left over
of the broken pieces 12 basketsfull and those who ate were
(06:26):
about 5,000 men besides womenand children. Then there's the
feeding of the 4,000. It'sdocumented in the fifteenth
chapter of Matthew and also inthe eighth chapter of Mark. In
the fifteenth chapter of Matthewverses 32 through 38 we read,
(06:46):
Then Jesus called his disciplesto him and said, I have
compassion for the crowd becausethey have been with me now for
three days and have nothing toeat.
And I do not want to send themaway hungry for they might faint
on the way. The disciples saidto him where are we to get
(07:06):
enough bread in the desert tofeed so great a crowd? Jesus
asked them, How many loaves haveyou? They said, Seven and a few
small fish. Then ordering thecrowd to sit down on the ground,
he took the seven loaves and thefish and after giving thanks, he
broke them and gave them to thedisciples and the disciples gave
(07:29):
them to the crowds.
All of them ate and were filledand they took up the broken
pieces left over seven basketsfull. Those who had eaten were
4,000 men besides women andchildren. There are certainly
similarities between these twomiracles but they are two
separate ones. The first miracletook place in Northern Galilee
(07:53):
and involved over 5,000 peoplebecause remember they only
counted the men. Jesus used twofish and five loaves of bread to
feed the crowd and the leftoversfilled 12 baskets.
This miracle is seen asproviding for the Jewish people
with the 12 baskets likelyalluding to the 12 tribes of
(08:14):
Israel. The second miracle tookplace in Southeast Galilee. On
that occasion Jesus took sevenloaves of bread and a few small
fish to feed over 4,000 peopleand again they only counted them
in so you know that number islikely much higher. This miracle
(08:34):
served a Gentile crowdsymbolizing God's provision for
all people not just the Jews.Both miracles come from the very
heart of God.
He has compassion for usbeloved. He understands our
needs and he is well able tomeet them. These miracles also
(08:57):
show us that he doesn'tdiscriminate. The word tells us
in Galatians three and twentyeight there is no longer Jew or
Greek, there is no longer slaveor free, there is no longer male
and female for all of you areone in Christ Jesus. Romans two
and eleven reads, For God showsno partiality.
(09:22):
Galatians five and fourteenreads for the whole law is
summed up in a singlecommandment you shall love your
neighbor as yourself we are allone in Christ with none better
than the other and a neighbor isanyone living and breathing the
(09:43):
good Lord's air. Period. SoJesus modeled compassion for us
beloved and I know you might besaying well that was the Lord
Jesus Christ he fed themultitudes twice. Well Paul
encourages believers inColossians three twelve with
these words (10:02):
Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
clothe yourselves withcompassion, kindness, humility,
meekness, and patience. Clotheyourselves, he says, meaning we
should adopt thesecharacteristics or spiritual
(10:22):
qualities and live by them.
We can do it beloved. Have youever heard the expression a
little kindness goes a long way?There is so much truth in that
statement. During difficult daysone small act of kindness can
literally change someone's wholeday and brighten their outlook.
(10:46):
Beloved, compassion shown toanother human lets them know
they are seen and not just by usbut by God himself.
Ephesians four thirty twoencourages believers to be kind
and compassionate to oneanother. God uses us to spread
(11:08):
His love. We represent Him. Whenwe show compassion, it can have
a significant and far reachingimpact. Our act of kindness can
inspire others to do the same.
One gesture can move someoneelse to pay it forward. It can
indeed create a ripple effect.We need that today, don't we? I
(11:33):
have found that demonstratingkindness and compassion not only
lifts the receiver, it lifts theheart of the giver as well.
Maybe even more!
You both walk away feeling joyand a sense of connection that
stays with you. Speaking ofconnection, don't you just love
hearing stories about people whoexperience a special and lasting
(11:57):
connection because of an act ofkindness, a show of compassion.
Many strong relationships havebeen born from one person
showing empathy or sensitivitytowards another. Quick story:
CBS News correspondent SteveHartman does a series called
(12:17):
Kindness 101. A recent storyfeatured a 66 year old family
practitioner by the name ofDoctor.
Michael Zullicoffer. His officeis located in one of the poorest
neighborhoods in Baltimore andhe's been there for over forty
years. As he was beinginterviewed his eyes just lit up
(12:39):
and you could hear the passionin his voice. He loves his job.
His spirit is just bubbly andeffervescent.
The Pace mentioned how Doctor. Zas he's called has never gone on
a vacation because he says hispatients might need him and he
wants to be available 20fourseven. His patients have his
(13:03):
cell phone number. Another thingstood out in the piece and that
is Doctor. Z will see youwhether you can pay or not.
No insurance? No problem.Several of his patients were
interviewed and you could tellthey love him just as much as he
(13:24):
loves them. They spoke of him asthough he was a part of the
family. He's established himselfas an integral part of the
community there in Baltimore.
So not long ago Doctor. Z wasdiagnosed with two types of
cancer and due to a series ofunfortunate mishaps he had no
(13:47):
insurance and he had no way topay for his radiation
treatments. Beloved, the wordreminds us in Galatians
six:nine, So let's not get tiredof doing what is good. At just
the right time we will reap aharvest of blessing if we don't
give up. Enter Doctor.
Z's patients. They heard aboutthe issue and crowdfunded over
(14:12):
$100,000 A thousand peopledonated money to the campaign.
Doctor. Z went through histreatment and his prognosis
today is good. He has plans touse the extra money from the
campaign in the community.
One of his patients said, Wecouldn't give up on him because
(14:33):
he never gave up on us. Thepeople he'd served all those
years were oh so happy to dosomething for him in return.
Doctor. Z said he wanted thenation to see his story so they
could see what it looks like togive. He considers himself a
rich man and I would have toagree with him.
(14:57):
What an outstanding example ofcompassion in that story.
Beloved, compassion is a giftand when used it brings on joy
and a host of other positiveemotions. More specifically,
when we act with compassion thebrain releases chemicals that
(15:19):
create feelings of pleasure,contentment, and serenity. These
God given neurochemicalscounteract stress hormones like
cortisol which leads to lessstress and anxiety. Lastly,
compassionate behaviorcultivates inner strength.
(15:41):
It builds us up and it helps tomake us more resilient. So when
life's challenges hit us, withGod's help, we're able to cope.
Beloved, I would challenge youto increase your acts of
kindness and compassion in thecoming days, in the coming
weeks, and even in the comingmonths. Let's sprinkle it around
(16:04):
like confetti. You've beenlistening to Joy in Every Step.
I'm Sarita Bernadette and I'mgrateful you chose to spend some
time here with me. You can findJoy in Every Step wherever you
listen to your podcasts and giveus a follow there. Do check out
the website atjoyineverystep.org.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Medal of Honor: Stories of Courage
Rewarded for bravery that goes above and beyond the call of duty, the Medal of Honor is the United States’ top military decoration. The stories we tell are about the heroes who have distinguished themselves by acts of heroism and courage that have saved lives. From Judith Resnik, the second woman in space, to Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice, these are stories about those who have done the improbable and unexpected, who have sacrificed something in the name of something much bigger than themselves. Every Wednesday on Medal of Honor, uncover what their experiences tell us about the nature of sacrifice, why people put their lives in danger for others, and what happens after you’ve become a hero. Special thanks to series creator Dan McGinn, to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and Adam Plumpton. Medal of Honor begins on May 28. Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear ad-free episodes one week early. Find Pushkin+ on the Medal of Honor show page in Apple or at Pushkin.fm. Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com