Teaching Summary: Engaging Others With Compassion and Courage

Being a Christian is about more than believing—it’s about growing.

When a baby is born, the doctor doesn’t say, “Congratulations! I hope your baby has a nice life.” They schedule a series of check-ups—at 24 hours, one month, two months, and so on—to monitor growth and development. They measure, weigh, and compare the child against other babies to ensure they’re growing as expected.

When Nicodemus asked Jesus how to have eternal life, Jesus said he must be born again. Becoming a child of God is a spiritual birth—and like any newborn, we’re meant to grow. We should be able to look at a person’s spiritual life and, like those growth charts, see signs of progress toward maturity.

So what are the markers of spiritual growth?

One, a mature Christian knows Jesus deeply and follows Him faithfully.

Two, a mature Christian names and navigates their emotions honestly.

Three, a mature Christian engages others with compassion and courage.

And just as a doctor sounds the alarm when a baby stops growing, we too should pay attention when followers of Jesus stop developing. Many who claim His name today are not growing according to the pattern of Scripture—and that’s cause for concern.

Are you growing? Are you learning to engage others with compassion and courage?

Ephesians 4:13 says maturity looks like “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Jesus is the model of human spiritual maturity. He perfectly engaged others with both compassion and courage.

Brené Brown defines compassion as “the deeply held belief that we are inextricably connected to each other by a God rooted in love and goodness.” Compassion is seeing others through the eyes of God’s love—recognizing Jesus and ourselves in them. It’s not sentimentality; it’s strength. Compassion keeps on loving without losing yourself.

Courage is what sustains compassion when love becomes uncomfortable or costly.

It’s holding steady in love when everything in you wants to run away, lash out, or shut down.

When compassion and courage come together, we reflect Jesus, who walked in both truth and love.

Jesus embodied compassion and courage perfectly. He moved toward lepers, tax collectors, sinners, and outsiders—always with open hands and healing presence. But He also refused manipulation, confronted hypocrisy, and withdrew from crowds when needed. He showed compassion without being controlled, and courage without becoming calloused.

With the Pharisees, Jesus showed courage without contempt.

They tested and opposed Him, yet He never hardened His heart. He told the truth about hypocrisy while keeping the door open to repentance. That’s courage held in love.

With Peter, Jesus showed courage with tenderness.

When Peter tried to stop Him from going to the cross, Jesus rebuked him—“Get behind me, Satan”—but He didn’t reject him. He loved Peter enough to correct him without letting fear derail His mission.

With the Samaritan woman, Jesus showed compassion that tells the truth.

He met her in isolation and shame, listened to her story, and named her reality without humiliation. “You’ve had five husbands,” He said, not to condemn but to free. In one conversation, He restored her dignity and invited her into belonging.

In each encounter, Jesus held compassion and courage together. He moved toward people in love but never lost Himself in the process.

How could Jesus do that?

Because He maintained healthy boundaries.

Boundaries aren’t walls to keep people out—they’re structures that make healthy connection possible. They help us stay engaged without becoming entangled.

A boundary is the distance at which I can love you and me at the same time.

It’s a rule I create for myself about what’s acceptable and how I’ll respond when it’s crossed—not to withdraw, but to preserve space for love.

Because Jesus had boundaries, He could love the Pharisees without fear, correct His friends without resentment, and welcome outsiders without compromising His identity.

Without boundaries, we drift into one of two extremes: compliance or control.

In Genesis 27, Rebecca manipulates her family to secure Jacob’s blessing—crossing every boundary and tearing her family apart. She’s the unboundaried controller.

In Exodus 32, Aaron caves to pressure and builds a golden calf because he can’t stand disappointing people. He’s the unboundaried complier.

Controllers try to manage outcomes and force what they think God should do.

Compliers fear disappointing others and sacrifice truth for approval.

Neither reflects the way of Jesus.

Without boundaries, love collapses into resentment.

With boundaries, compassion and courage can coexist.

The goal of Christian maturity is to become like Jesus—to see as He sees, love as He loves.

1 John 3:2 says, “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

The clearer our vision of Jesus—His compassion, courage, and healthy love—the more His life takes shape in us.

We become less reactive, more rooted.

We listen more deeply and speak more truthfully.

We stop rescuing people and start respecting them.

We love with open hands instead of clenched fists.

That’s what maturity looks like—not perfection, but transformation.

Dallas Willard once said you can’t just imitate a baseball star’s swing and expect the same results—you must practice what they practiced. The same is true of Jesus. We don’t just try harder to be like Him; we train with Him. We practice His presence and rhythms until His compassion and courage become our reflexes too.

Learn to establish your own boundaries the way Jesus did and you’ll begin to move toward others with the compassion and courage of Christ. Be sure to read the Quiet Table Guide this week to learn the practice of Boundary Making.