Touching the Heart of God

When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” Luke 7:13 NASB

The stage is being set for a miracle. What has touched the very seat of Jesus’ emotions and affections? A widow who now grieves the loss of her only son! The NIV says His heart went out to her. Can you digest the tenderness of this scene? I have often heard it said that when we are in sorrow or distress, God’s tears mingle with our own. That is exactly what I see happening in this verse. Jesus doesn’t just feel sorry for the woman, He enters into the grief with her.

Think of the last time you grieved over something. Your chest could barely contain the pain, the tears flowed unceasingly, and you were consumed with such a cloud of heaviness that you feared you would never feel anything but grief again. It may have been the loss of something or someone dear to you. It may have been unalterable, horrible circumstances in your life. It may have been so wounding to you, that even now you struggle to put it into words. Got the picture? Now in that time, what did you sense Jesus doing? If you do not see Him as compassionate with you as He was with this widow, then there is work to be done!

I am moved by the fact that Jesus is about to do something radical. Not as a response to a person’s faith and not even in answer to a request that has been made of Him. He is about to intervene on behalf of this woman strictly out of compassion. How tender! But may I be so bold as to suggest that even when there is faith involved or a request being given, Jesus still acts on our behalf out of compassion.

He walked this earth for a little over thirty years as God in the flesh. During that time He experienced sorrow, loneliness, pain, rejection, loss, and a host of other deep emotions. That is why He is able to enter into our sorrows with us. He knows how we feel because He knows how all of THAT feels. Each time we go through a time of grief He looks at us with compassion and quietly says, “Don’t cry.” The next time you experience what I am talking about, invite Him into the place where you are hurting. Then get ready to experience comfort and compassion in a whole new way!

Father, there are times I need to know the kind of compassion that You give so abundantly. I am learning to cry on Your shoulder and I am always touched by Your response to my grief. Amen.