Empathy Says
Luke 7:13a (NKJV)
When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her...
Jesus walked into a city one day and came across a widow on her way to bury her only son. The Bible tells us that when He saw her, He had compassion on her. But Jesus’ compassion in this situation was more than just the little bit of sadness that you or I feel when we hear about something bad happening to somebody else. This was much stronger than that. Jesus grieved deeply for this woman’s loss. The Passion Translation says that His “heart broke” for this particular woman. The original Greek uses the word splanchnizomai, which refers to a sadness so intense that it is felt in the depths of your internal organs. Jesus’ literally felt this woman’s pain in the depths of His being. Jesus had empathy.
It is important for us today to carefully consider Jesus’ response to this grieving mother. He was not a mother, and certainly not a widow that had lost her only child, but that didn’t stop Him from fully identifying with her anguish and immersing Himself in her agonizing sorrow. He was able to empathize with her, regardless of how different His own circumstances may have been from hers. And this should not surprise us, because God’s heart has always been concerned with people. This empathy Jesus experienced was a natural expression of His great love for us.
Like many of you, I have been seeing and hearing about all the terrible things occurring in our country right now. The United States is dealing with a lot: COVID-19, social distancing, unemployment, racism, murder, injustice, and rioting. Regardless of your age, gender, social status, or life experiences, this is a difficult season to live through. All of these things affect every corner of society. It is a tough time for everyone.
Perhaps you, like me, have become very emotional. Recently I wanted to cry, pray, scream, and fight all at the same time. One day, I even woke up with a terrible migraine and didn’t know why. But now I understand. I was feeling what others are feeling. I was sharing their pain not only on a surface level, but so deeply within myself that I could feel it physically. Like Jesus did, I was feeling empathy, and that’s a good thing.
When we have empathy, we are identifying with or experiencing someone else’s feelings, thoughts, or attitudes. Empathy says, "I hear what you’re saying, I can see things from your perspective, and I feel your pain." Empathy activates compassion, and compassion finds solutions and moves us to action. Compassion compelled God to give His only Son as the solution for our sin, compassion led Jesus to multiply five loaves of bread and two fish to feed the hungry multitude, and compassion led to every act of healing we read about in Scripture.
God has chosen us to be His hands and feet in this world. We are His church and it is our responsibility to share His love with people who need it now more than ever before. When God looks at humanity’s suffering, He has empathy and compassion for us. Likewise, when we see our brothers and sisters hurting, we--being like Christ--should have empathy and compassion for them. We have to choose to put ourselves in other people’s shoes just like He did.
The love, compassion, and salvation of Jesus Christ is the only power that can transform a human heart. As Dr. King said, “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” If you want to see the world around you changed, begin by feeling empathy for those you see grieving.
What can you do today to feel what somebody else feels?
Who can you share the transformative love of Jesus with today?