Jesus wept. John 11:35 (NIV)

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Jesus wept. He cried and he grieved. He sat on a hill and looked across the storied city of Jerusalem, wishing he could pull the hurting, confused people living there into his arms like a mother hen cares for her chicks (Matthew 23:37).

Jesus was deeply aware of the suffering around him, and he wanted to relieve it. Jesus is also very aware of your hurts and fears, and he wants to relieve them.

Being sensitively aware of how others are suffering is the core of compassion. It’s more that a heartfelt acknowledgment that someone else is in hardship or pain. Jesus-compassion enters into the sorrow and the pain of others, working to relieve those who suffer.

Being compassionate is part of God’s nature, and a characteristic of Jesus. The more we become like Jesus, the more compassion will become a part of our character.

But before we can give compassion, we must receive compassion. When God’s compassion walks through the door, it forgives us for the mess we’ve made, cleanses us of the stains from things we regret and the things we knew not to do, but did anyway. Compassion sits on the couch and hangs out, energizing what we do for Jesus.

When we hang out with compassion, it re-creates us as a safe place for others to bring their failures and frustrations, knowing they won’t be judged, but instead be loved by someone who resembles the face of Jesus.

Compassion sets us on a history-making journey to do the work of God right here, right now as we become beacons of God’s compassion in a world full of people who are isolated, ignored, and abandoned.

Jesus wept. Jesus-ones weep, too.

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