How have you been touched by the depths of God’s compassion?
When her son stops breathing, the widow of Zarephath in the First Book of Kings rocks his body on her lap,
finding in that closeness and intimacy the only solace remaining to her. Imagine her consternation as the prophet
Elijah intervenes to take the child from her, Elijah, whom she blames for her
son’s illness: Why have you done this to me, man of God? she asks. Yet Elijah does what is necessary to serve
the God in whom he believes; confident that God will hear his prayer, Elijah’s
act of faith restores both the son and the mother to life.
Likewise, Jesus’ intervention during the burial rite of the
son of the widow of Nain in Luke's Gospel shows the power of God’s love entering in to do God’s
work. Nothing, not even a concern for
ritual impurity, keeps Jesus from touching
the coffin and commanding the young
man to arise. Moved with compassion from the depths of
his being, Jesus proves to be entirely engaged in this very human event, and
his actions arouse a sense of awe throughout the crowd in attendance. Having encountered the power of something so
far beyond anything they can imagine, the people commence to glorify God, proclaiming that A great prophet has arisen in our midst. Jesus’ miracle comes from the depths of his
connection to the human condition; it is his compassion for the woman that allows
him to enter into her death (without a son, she is essentially dead), and ours, so that we too might be raised.
Believers throughout history have celebrated the power of
God’s compassion in their lives, from Psalm 30 – I will extol you, Lord, for you drew me clear – to St. Paul in his
letter to the Galatians, who knows that God
has set him apart, that he might proclaim Jesus to the Gentiles. Paul’s encounter with the risen Christ is a
moment of transformation, all the more stunning in its compassion in that Paul
had for years persecuted the followers of Jesus, and in no way merited such a
revelation of the depths of God’s love for him.
Consider this. When the compassion of God touches and transforms our lives,
it becomes a directive to us: we are
called to practice compassion, to live Jesus’ compassion in our daily
lives. How have you touched others with the depths of
your compassion today?
This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
Image source: Wordle
