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A few years ago, a bride-to-be wrestled with a predicament when her fiancé got cold feet and called off the wedding. They had already paid a $6,500 down payment for a $13,000 banquet at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston. It was going to be a lavish meal. When she tried to cancel the arrangements, she discovered she was entitled to a $1,300 refund, but would have to forfeit the rest or have the banquet.

Well, she decided to have the banquet and reach out to the down-and-out people of Boston. She sent invitations to homeless shelters and rescue missions. That night, the Hyatt banquet hall was filled with vagrants, bag ladies, drug addicts, and homeless people who took a break from the hard life on the streets and ate a gourmet meal on white linen served by waiters in tuxedos. What a glorious, magical night for the hungry people of Boston. Did her act of compassion make a difference? She thought so. Oh, by the way, she changed the menu to "boneless chicken" in honor of the spineless groom.

Let's look at a different kind of banquet for hungry people that occurred during Jesus’ ministry. It’s the well-known "feeding of the 5,000." Actually, when you add women and children, it’s estimated that 15,000-20,000 people were fed that day. But the story is more than a "feed the hungry" program; it’s a model for showing compassion and how to reach out to others.

In the weeks leading up to this event, Jesus was not having the best of times. He had taken his message to his hometown and was rejected by them. Later Jesus was informed that Herod, the Roman ruler of the province, had executed his cousin and friend, John the Baptist. To make matters worse, Jesus’ growing popularity in the area—except in his hometown—caused Herod to insanely believe that Jesus was John come back from the dead. So Herod made plans to kill Him. Jesus was under enormous pressure, experiencing some of his roughest days.

We pick up the story in Matthew 14:13, "As soon as Jesus heard the news [about John and Herod], he went off by himself in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed by land from many villages". Jesus was hoping for a time out to be alone with God to deal with the intense emotions of grief, fear and rejection.

Imagine how he must have felt when he approached the shoreline, filled with thousands of needy people. Now, I would have been ticked and bitter about the insensitivity of the people. But Jesus responded differently. Matthew 14:14 says, "A vast crowd was there as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick."

He wasn’t mad or bent out of shape, even though he was tired and emotionally drained. Instead he was moved by compassion. Have you noticed how opportunities to show compassion come at the most inopportune times—when you’re tired, busy or in a hurry? That’s why you and I must consciously decide in advance to be compassionate. Here’s the first of six components of compassion:

1. True compassion’s highest work is often accomplished when you’re at your lowest. What is compassion? Literally, it means, "My heart goes out." It was used in Jesus’ day to describe a person ripping out the heart of an animal during a pagan ritual. (Let me demonstrate—just kidding.) The heart came out forcibly from the animal.

2. True compassion involves the heart. As Jesus climbed out of the boat, his heart went out to the crowd. Over and over again, he pulled his heart out and gave it to the people.

3. True compassion, not only involves the heart, it leads to action. Even though his emotional and physical gauges were on empty and these people had problems that were not his problem, his compassion led to action. He began healing the sick. His heart went out, and his hands and feet got busy.

After the hours of giving his heart away by healing sick people, a problem arose. Everybody was hungry and the concession stands were closed. Jesus’ disciples identified the problem in Matthew 14:15 "'This is a desolate place, and it is getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.'"

4. True compassion goes the extra mile. Matthew 14:16–21 says, "But Jesus replied, 'That isn't necessary—you feed them.' 'Impossible!' they exclaimed. 'We have only five loaves of bread and two fish!' 'Bring them here,' he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. And he took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and asked God's blessing on the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave some of the bread and fish to each disciple, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About five thousand men had eaten from those five loaves, in addition to all the women and children!"

This was not a bunch of compassionate people pulling out their sack lunches and sharing with each other. This was an extra-mile miracle of compassion. You’ll notice that Jesus’ followers wanted to send the people home. They had nothing to offer or any heart to give. They said, "Their problem is not our problem." But Jesus told them, "Their problem is your problem. So show some compassion by pulling out your heart and giving it to them. Feed them something!"

5. True compassion often involves teamwork. Jesus did the praying. His followers did the legwork. "Just do what you can with what you have. You only have one Happy Meal, go with that and see what happens." So they reluctantly did what Jesus said. More impact occurs when we team up to make a difference. Not only was everyone fed, twelve basketfuls of leftovers were collected from five loaves and two fishes. This leads us to one final component of compassion.

6. True compassion requires God’s intervention. Without God’s involvement, personal expressions of compassion will be limited. God wants to bless and multiply our acts of compassion. Granted, we have no control over this aspect of compassion, but with God’s intervention we can expect a much greater impact, especially when he stretches our resources like he did in the story today.

God can stretch a dollar that you give in compassion. He can make a can of soup fill up a person. He can take one act of compassion and begin a ripple effect that makes a greater impact.

Jesus came emotionally and physically empty, but he set aside his own needs and agenda for a time, allowed his heart to go out to the people and did what he could with what he had. That’s the model of compassion Jesus wants us to live.

Based on this story, let me flesh out a few questions for us to wrestle with that stretch our hearts. 1. Do sick and hungry people, who need your help, surround you? I believe they do—though you and I may not recognize them.

Here is part of a prayer I came across this week that may help us recognize and open our hearts of compassion to those around us. "O God, help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic is a single mom who worked nine hours that day and was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few minutes with her children.

Here’s a second question: When it comes to compassion, do you operate according to a scarcity mentality or an abundance mentality? Scarcity says, "My resources are limited. My emotions, time, money, and energy fuel gauges are close to empty. So I can’t take much risk. I’d better protect and replenish what little I do have before I consider giving it away." Isn’t that the way we treat others and the church? We dole out leftovers and loose change.

Abundance says, "I have way more than I need, and if I give some of it away, I will still have enough. God will see to it." As Christ followers, we are not to be driven by scarcity but by abundance. That’s a key theme of our story today. Jesus had little to offer in the form of food, but he gave it away. As we grow in our relationship with God and our trust of Christ as our leader, our compassion should be fueled more and more by an abundance mentality.

Here’s one final question: What can you do to actually raise your compassion quotient? Remember, compassion is more than a feeling. It’s giving your heart in a way that leads to action—even if your heart is on empty and you only have one Happy Meal to share.

Here’s how Jesus described the simplicity of compassion in a story he tells about the rewards of heaven for Christ followers who show compassion. He said in Matthew 25:35–40 "'For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' And the King will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me'"'

Their acts of true compassion were so simple—so everyday—that the people didn’t even realize that they were doing anything of earthly good, let alone of heavenly good. Feeding hungry people; giving water to the thirsty; showing hospitality to new people; clothing those who are without; taking some time to listen to someone who is scared; filling a shoebox for children in third-world countries; or writing a check to Heartland’s Helping Hand fund are simple acts that help others and get noticed in heaven.

How will you give your heart away this week in an act of true compassion?