Compassion

Scripture:  Luke 7:11-17

11 Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. 12 A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. 14 Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” 15 Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen among us,” and “God has visited his people today.” 17 And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside. (Luke 7:11-17 NLT)

Jesus had a pretty packed schedule. He’d preached the Luke version of what is in Matthew’s Gospel the Sermon on the Mount, but in Luke’s Gospel is the Sermon on the Plain at the foot of the Mount, just after an all-night prayer session and choosing the Twelve from among his many disciples (students) to be apostles (messengers).

When he got back to Capernaum the officer in charge of enforcing Roman rule in the province of Galilee asked him to heal his sick servant. Now, Jesus and his disciples, with a great crowd following, head up into the hills between Galilee and Samaria to the little village of Nain. Just as Jesus reached the village gate, a funeral procession was coming out. In the coffin was the only son of a widow and when Jesus saw her weeping, his heart overflowed with compassion.

Jesus’ heart overflowed with compassion! Jesus said, “Don’t cry!” to the woman, walked over and touched the coffin, told the dead son “Get Up!” and the boy sat up and started talking! And Jesus gave the widow back her son!

Why did Jesus bring the boy back to life? He saw the mother’s tears and was moved with compassion! What if our hearts overflowed with compassion when we see people’s needs, their pain, their poverty, their suffering? What if we were moved with compassion to simply do what we can with what we have? I am privileged to work with churches who do that sort of thing. It’s what Jesus would do!

Prayer:

Father, May my response to the sorrow, the loss, the needs, and the suffering of others be a heart overflowing with compassion. May the compassion of Jesus move me to give and serve and act and help however I can. In Jesus’ Name.