When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes between them, taking a quarter-share each. There remained his tunic, which was seamless - woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said to each other, “Don’t let us tear it; let’s draw lots and see who gets it.”…While the soldiers were doing this, Jesus’ mother was standing near his cross with her sister, and with them Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by her side, and he said to her “Mother, behold your son!” And then he said to the disciple, ”And there is your Mother.” And from that time, the disciple took Mary into his own home. John 19:23-24, 26-27
Mary stood at the foot of the cross. The young girl who had been heralded by the angel, whose courage went beyond the stigma of her pregnancy, who had been visited by kings, amazed by a young son in the Temple and who encouraged Him to begin His ministry at the wedding in Cana, was now witnessing the horror of his crucifixion. She would see it through, as her son fulfilled the will of God.
From the torture of the cross, Jesus saw His mother standing, watching, hearing the jeering crowd and the insolence of the soldiers. And in His pain, He had compassion on her. In one of His last acts before He died, He provided for His mother in the care of His most trusted disciple.
The word compassion comes from the Latin meaning “to suffer together with.” Scripture records over and over the concern Jesus had for the multitudes who were “bewildered and miserable like a flock of sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) Paul reminds us in the letter to the Philippian church to live in a fellowship of compassion, in humility, thinking more of others than ourselves. (Philippians 2:1)
I have been so blessed to have a mom that represented the meaning of compassion. Her entire adult life was dedicated to helping others as a registered nurse. She spent her life doing God’s work through her 50 years in the medical field. Her compassion for her patients and their families could only be a gift from God. Her gentle words and her soft hands helped hundreds of people during some of life’s most difficult times.
As Christians, we are called to “take up our cross and follow.” Often this calls for demonstrating compassion to our family, friends, and neighbors in challenging times, offering us the opportunity to selflessly serve. But to understand the needs of those whose lives may not reflect our own - who need the touch of Jesus to bring the reality of salvation - requires not only compassion but courage. It demands a servant’s heart of sacrifice. It is defined by love.
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. ...And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Colossians 3:12, 14 The Message
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