A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Matthew 8:2-3
“The one thing we are to do is show compassion. Always! The Gospel writers frequently mention that Jesus was “filled with compassion” for people. In one story a leper came to Jesus, begging to be healed. When Jesus looked at the leper, He was moved with compassion. The Hebrew and Aramaic roots of compassion are inward parts, what the old King James Version used to call bowels of mercy. It comes from the same source as the word womb, and so we could speak of the womblike heart of Jesus, which brought healing mercy to the leper. Now, Jesus could have kept His distance and commanded the man to be well, but instead He touched him. Jesus’ touch of compassion was comparable to our taking hold of a person with AIDS, stopping the bleeding with our bare hands, and putting our own life in jeopardy. This is the compassion of Jesus.”
Richard Foster in Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home (New York: HarperCollins, 1992) 208.
It has touched me deeply to see the love that many are showing to Sophie and Peter as they prepare to unite as one in marriage on Monday. It’s great to see them willingly surround this young couple in support.
I am also moved at the way in which our Lord always shows compassion to those who call to Him. He sympathizes with suffering and acts to bring healing. He moves toward, not away from brokenness, and touches it.
God, by your Holy Spirit, help us touch people with compassion. Teach us to rally willingly around them to encourage them and to move toward those who are hurting. In your mercy hear my prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.