Jesus' compassion

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  John 13:34

I would love to have been able to watch Jesus at work in the years that he spent with people in Israel. He was clear on his mission to bring life and light into a broken world, all the while under the watchful glare of those who were wanting him out of the way. 

Then along came the woman with the bad back… on the Sabbath day. (The day of the week that was set apart for resting and worshipping God.) Now this lady had suffered greatly for 18 long years. Imagine not being able to straighten up for that length of time. The pain, the social ramifications. What would she have missed out on? Did she have a family to help her? Was she alone? She would have suffered on many different levels.

What did Jesus do? There was the woman in need of his help, but also present were those who were watching his every move waiting for opportunities to discredit him. 

He set her free of course! He healed her… Her life changed in an instant as she straightened up and praised God! 

And then came the backlash (I use this word deliberately) on Jesus. Reprimanded for working on the Sabbath and breaking the rules.

So how did Jesus respond? By reminding those with ears to hear of God’s big rule, to love one another. He was filled with compassion when his eyes rested on one of God’s precious daughters and he did something about it. You could liken it to a temporary suspension of normal rules in a sporting game. If someone is injured in play, first aid is administered immediately, not when the game reaches its conclusion. 

Here again we see Jesus sharing his Father’s heart with those around him. Wouldn’t you just love to have a coffee with this woman afterwards and hear her story? How she mattered to Jesus that much! I wonder what this story means for us today? How can we share God’s love and care with others that we meet?

God bless you!