Compassion

Luke 7:11-15 (ASV)

11 And it came to pass soon afterwards, that he went to a city called Nain; and his disciples went with him, and a great multitude. 12 Now when he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, there was carried out one that was dead, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came nigh and touched the bier: and the bearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.

Impasse

The funeral procession of a young man is leaving the village gate just as Jesus, his disciples, and many followers arrive seeking to go in. Paralleled with this physical impasse we’re brought into another, and one that all of us dread, the impasse between life and death. For with the impasse of death and its finality comes immense pain suffering and heartbreak. In our narrative things are no different, we’re told of a young man, the only son of a widow is being carried out of the village on a bier (a frame that carries the body or a coffin) to the cemetery beyond the bounds of the living for burial. Luke tells us that Jesus' heart overflowed with compassion at the enormity of the situation, as he quickly moves to offer some words of comfort, "Don’t cry"
Imagine what the widow must have thought, "Don't cry”, I know you mean well, but my heart’s broken, what else can I do but cry?
Then Stepping forward, Jesus touches the bier and said" Young man, I tell you get up"

“Get up”,

At Jesus' command, the boy sat up and began to speak,
And in that instant, the impasse is no more, death is defeated for the young man. With it all tears of grief turn to tears of immeasurable joy, mixed with gasps of amazement, delight, and wonderment as the dead boy, sits up, and speaks, alive once more. All of us know that this isn’t the norm, people don’t come back to life, but with Jesus, the Son of God, nothing is impossible, and so in His compassion, he restores the boy’s life. Praise God, Alleluia, who has ever seen such a thing?
In the wonderment of the moment, Luke tells us that Jesus gave him back to his mother, the woman who had carried him and given him life.

Jesus’ heart overflowed with compassion, to the extent, that he intervened and gave the boy back his life with the words, “Get up”, and by this broke the impasse of his premature death.

‘Rachamim’

The dictionary defines compassion as “to recognise the suffering of others and then take action to help”. In this, we see that compassion embodies a tangible expression of love for those who are suffering.
Interestingly the Hebrew word for compassion is ‘rachamim’, which derives from the root word ‘rechem’, which literally means ‘womb’. In this Hebrew definition, we are taught that compassion means the same as the love a mother has for the child she carries, whom she has not yet met or knows. Yet in her maternal love, she carries the unborn child, directly beneath her heart. It is this image that reveals the true meaning of compassion, which in turn draws out the nurturing nature of our God who is the one who gave all of us life.

Today may all of us seek to grow in compassion so that we are better able to hold, help, nurture, and nourish our neighbours until God’s purposes are born in their lives, and in ours.

Have a great day, and God bless,

Trev.