By Sam Nobles
When he saw the crowds, he had
compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep
without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36 ESV
Compassion is your pain in my
heart. Jesus knew all about this. Perhaps this is why the Bible calls Jesus the
Man of Sorrows. He was no stranger to taking the pain of people into His own
heart. The irony though is found in Hebrews 1:9 which tells
us that Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows. How
could He be the Man of Sorrows and yet anointed with the oil of gladness at the
same time?
These are two qualities that
seem contradictory—until we remember the words Jesus taught, “Blessed, or
happy, are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). One of the keys of
happiness is to allow sorrow to penetrate your heart.
“Comfort” is an old English word
containing the same root as that of the word “fortify.” In other words, Jesus
is saying that the one who mourns will also be the one who is fortified. In the
Garden of Gethsemane, so deeply was Jesus mourning that blood flowed from His
forehead. And yet Luke tells us that even as He was agonizing in prayer, an
angel came and comforted, sustained, and fortified Him (Luke 22:43-44).
When is the last time you have
been at the place of being pained in prayer for someone else’s problem, someone
else’s sin? Could it be that I am not comforted because I am not doing what
Jesus did? Blessed are they who mourn, who plunge into life and feel the pain
of life. They shall be comforted.
Are you unhappy? Do you feel
comfortless? Take seriously what Jesus said. It’s an irony. It’s a mystery. It
runs crosscurrent to the thinking of our society. Yet a key to happiness is to
mourn for others, to carry someone else’s pain in your heart.
Scripture to Claim:
“Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in
our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:7 ESV)
