Spontaneous Compassion
Sometime after healing the servant of the Centurion, Jesus, His disciples and a multitude of people following Him journeyed southwest of
Capernaum to the town of Nain. As this joyful group approaches the gate to the city they are met by a funeral procession coming out of the city. The only son of a nameless widow is being carried to his final resting place. The open casket, the lack of burial wrappings and the absence of paid mourners tells us this was a widow of meager means. She had made this trip to the cemetery at least once before to bury her husband, and now her only means of support was now dead as well. Her tears today are not only for the loss of her son, but because of very bleak future that is in front of her. How will she make ends meet, how will she survive? Will she have to beg for the means to live?
When Jesus sees what is going on, Luke tells us, He is “moved by compassion”. Those words speak volumes about God. Jesus becomes emotionally involved with this situation and His compassion moves Him to action. He stops the procession, takes hold of the corpse, and restores life to the lifeless, and at the same time, hope to the hopeless.
About a year ago I was walking down the hall at Skyline Hospital in Nashville. I was on my way to my sleep study which was located near the Emergency Room waiting area. I passed an older couple walking away from that area and you could tell by the expressions on their faces that they were carrying a heavy load. Something inside of me said stop and see if there was anything I could do to help, but that other voice inside began to make excuses and instead of acting on the first feelings of compassion, I said nothing and walked on to my appointment. I have regretted that decision to this very day.
Jesus was compassionately spontaneous. He did not care what others thought, He was not concerned about how others might react; He simply acted out of compassion. Since that day at Skyline Hospital, I resolved to be more spontaneous. I know I am limited in what I can do, but I can do something. I can’t raise the dead or heal the sick, but I can give a word of comfort, I can pray with someone, or I can just sit in silence and be available.
After the young man was united with his mother once again Luke tells us the people were grip with fear and they began to give glory to God saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us! And, God has visited His people!” Luke 7:16. When we are moved by compassion and act, we allow God to visit His people. We through our actions of compassion let others know how God feels about their situation.
Not even Paul Harvey knows the rest of Luke’s story, but the rest of your’s is yet to be written. Let me encourage you to fill your story with acts of spontaneous compassion.
