“The Compassion of Jesus”


BIBLE READING: Luke 23, John 18-20
                Jesus must have had a good relationship with all His disciples, but there was really something special about John.  The Bible describes him and his brother James as “the sons of thunder”. That gives us reason to believe that he must have been very bold in his behavior and demeanor.  We do know that at least on one occasion he is arguing with the others about which one of the disciples is greatest; yet when we read his account of the Gospel, we see more of a quiet disciple, one who even feels uncomfortable with naming himself in his own book.  Throughout his account of the gospel he refers to himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved”, instead of using his own name.  There must have been something to this designation, because as we see Jesus hanging on the cross, the only disciple He reaches out to is John.  In John 19.26-27 as Jesus is breathing His last breaths, He reaches out to His disciple John and asks him to care for His mother.  Mary, the mother of Jesus, would have already been a widow after the death of Joseph and would have had to rely on her family to survive.  Jesus, knowing how difficult this situation was going to be for His mother, asks John to take care of her as if she were his mother.  The text says, “from that hour the disciple took her to his own home” (John 19.27).   Within this small portion of Scripture, I believe we see a great example of the compassion of Jesus.  He knows that death and pain are a part of everyday life, but He also knows the best way to deal with these things is togetherness.  I believe that Jesus does this not only for Mary’s benefit, but also for John’s.  You see, all of the other disciples have for the moment abandoned Jesus; Judas is dead, Peter had denied Him and as for the rest …no one really knows.   The next few days were going to be difficult for Mary and John. Jesus knew that together they would be able to offer the comfort and peace needed for each other until His resurrection.  It is here again that we see the compassion of Jesus being lived out.   Jesus knows that when we love each other and work together, we will be able to overcome any difficulty this world may offer to us.   This is especially true for us as Christians, because we have the promise of a better life after this one.  So, as we continue waiting and praying for the return of Jesus our Savior, lets “rejoice with them that rejoice and weep with those that weep” (Romans 12:15).

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