Where is God When I Hurt?

Compassion

Luke7:11-16

  • Some try to avoid or ignore our emotions.
  • We might even wonder if our faith and our feelings are enemies.
  • But during His time on earth, Jesus felt emotions deeply.
  • He wasn’t distant from us.
  • He’s with us—even in our emotions.
    • Looks over Jerusalem, people rejected God—Grieved.
    • Religious leaders care more about rules than people—Angry.
    • 72 followers describe how God used them—Overjoyed.
    • Friend Lazarus dies—Weeps in sadness.
    • Before cross—Discouraged, lonely, spiritual agony

How are you doing? (speak, ask questions, respond – AMEN, YES!, REPEAT)

  • What’s One word describe current emotional state? (Numb—Angry—Afraid—Anxious—Irritated—Unsettled)

  • Do your Emotions ever Get best of you?

  • Would you describe Jesus as...emotional?

  • Someone studied emotions Jesus—39 different emotions

  • When we were “created in the image of God” emotions were included

  • Today’s emotion...compassion

Luke 7:11-1611Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain,and a large crowd followed him. 12 A funeral procession was comingout as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died wasa widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was withher. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion.“Don’t cry!” he said. 14 Then he walked over to the coffin andtouched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “Itell you, get up.” 15 Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk!And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 Great fear swept the crowd,and they praised God, saying, “A mighty prophet has risen amongus,” and “God has visited his people today.”

  • Compassion “his heart overflowed with compassion”
    • Heart – feeling place
    • How would you define this emotion? (Feel WITH and FOR another)
    • Similar to empathy...feeling with others what they feel and then having that feeling motivate you to feel for them...which motivates you to act
    • It is seeing and hearing with and through the eyes of the Spirit of God
    • It is being Christ-like...compassion
    • What would you say the opposite of compassion is? (ignoring/selfishness)
      • refusing to see other’s feelings
      • ignoring the reality that YOUR actions will have on the emotion of others
      • thinking and caring only about ones self
      • (note...self care is important...failure to care for yourself will limit your ability to hold any compassion in your heart)
    • Compassion is an ESSENTIAL emotion for the Christ follower to have

So...how?

  • How did Jesus Christ do it? Step 1. See
    • Before “heart overflowed with compassion” what do you see just before that verse?
    • “The Lord SAW her”
    • Over 40 times Gospels, we’re told Jesus “saw someone.”
    • He didn’t just look—He saw—He noticed.
    • Just because you look—Doesn’t mean you see—Notice!
    • Giveme your eyes Brandon Heath

Giveme Your eyes for just one second Giveme Your eyes so I can see

Everythingthat I keep missin' Give me Your love for humanity

Giveme Your arms for the broken-hearted The ones that are far beyond my reach

Giveme Your heart for the ones forgotten Give me Your eyes so I can see

    • not blind like the Pharisees...blind to the hurt...blinded by their selfish-righteousness...Jesus saw
    • What did Jesus see? (funeral procession) let’s zoom in on this

12A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the villagegate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and alarge crowd from the village was with her.

  • What Jesus SAW
    • Jesus walked up funeral procession—
    • Mourners w/flutes & cymbals.
    • Widow, not sure how old she was when her husband died...was not uncommon for older men to take much younger wives
    • She has lost her son...the words here infer that he was a “little boy” most likely between 5-12years old...too young we would say
    • So what did Jesus see? A Single mom, Lost husband, lost her son!
    • What emotion did he see in her do you think? Grief, heartbreak, anger, confusion, fear…
    • Cannot over emphasize this SEEING...this COMPASSION, Jesus felt FOR AND WITH HER
    • IN that day...a woman with no husband and no son...was not treated with compassion (were not educated, unlikely to be chosen by another husband – seen as cursed, no value, fate? Beggar or prostitute to live)
  • In today’s time this is still a rare occurrence
    • Divorced women
    • Widowed women
    • Women who have lost children
    • Those who had abortions in the past
    • Those without that heart of compassion...will see and JUDGE
    • “What happened to her?”
    • “Changed since her husband died”
    • “What has she gotten herself into”

LORDKEEP US FROM THE EYES OF JUDGMENT! Give us compassion

  • Steps to compassion 1. SEE and 2. Speak with love
    • When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said
    • Jesus reaches out to this woman (we don’t even get her name) and he speaks to her...this woman weeping over her dead child
    • Others saw and judge, perhaps shun, or even ignore...Jesus SAW and SPOKE to this grieving woman

Sundayafter accident...we came here, I did not preach or lead music orsing...I was just here...Kyle in Wheelchair, me holding Layla. Youchurch saw us and many spoke to us, some with words others withcards...we felt your compassion for us, I felt your compassion for me– thank you!

    • Speaking can be hard, but if you first SEE with the eyes of the Spirit the Spirit will also drive your words
    • Speak through phone calls, words, cards
    • do not judge certainly do not ignore...Speak, even if all you have to say is “I don’t know what to say”
  • Jesus compassion led him to 1. see and 2. speak and 3. Crossed a line
    • Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.”
    • He touched the coffin (Not like ours Flat piece of wood they’d lay body on)
    • Shocking downright Scandalous so much so that the coffin bearers stop
    • Pharisees had 613 religious laws can you guess one?
    • Can’t touch dead body or anything that is touching a dead body is unclean!
    • When Jesus touched boy’s body he Crossed a line!
  • Compassion crosses lines
    • Jesus was a line crosser
    • Every time religion drew a line—Jesus crossed the line.
    • Distorted religion draws lines to keep people out!
    • Could be a reason so many turn away from church today.
    • Religious people care about rules, appearances.
    • If that’s part of the church world you don’t like guess what...Jesus doesn’t like it either.
    • We don’t draw lines to keep people out. We cross lines to bring people in. (say this with me)

Crossinglines means going INTO the world, means when we see the pain peopleour feeling and feel WITH AND FOR THEM we go out of our way tohelp...even if that means doing what seems ridiculous… prisonministry, Alpha, pantry...what else can we do?

    • In touching this dead son, Jesus crossed the line in order to truly have compassion...Jesus felt FOR and WITH this widowed mother who lost her son. He saw, he spoke and he crossed the line...he TOUCHED

JUSTONE TOUCH FROM THE SAVIOR...does miracles

Thenthe dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to hismother

  • What happens when followers of Jesus show compassion...
  • What happens when we see and speak and cross lines…
  • Hope…That is what that mom felt and That is what the crowd felt
  • That is what we bring to others when we show compassion
  • Maybe you are not in a place to feel compassion yet...because you are feeling what this mom felt...
  • The Lord says this to you… I see you! I feel with and for you! Allow me to touch your heart and bring you peace. God’s ONE TOUCH!

Jesussees. He cared. He crossed lines...He touched – that is compassion!Let us do the same to all we encounter!

Ephesians4:32: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving eachother, just as in Christ God has forgiven you.”