February 8, 2021
When Jesus went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. – Mark 6:34
Priest and author Henri Nouwen describes the very life of Jesus as being a life of compassion. Nouwen calls the life of compassion a “path of downward mobility,” claiming that Jesus chooses pain, rejection, persecution, and even death. This in rather contrast to what most people pursue as “upward mobility” toward power, authority, influence, and wealth. Jesus did not reach down and lift up the poor from above. Instead, Jesus became poor – he suffered with or Jesus lived with compassion. It is only, according to Luke, through the crucifixion and resurrection that enables redemption, and indeed relief from suffering for all humanity.
The compassion that Jesus shows, is in a stark contrast to what we often believe to be compassion in our society today. Most of the time, when we talk about having compassion, we mean that we should do something from our lofty estate, for someone else, who is “less fortunate.”
We say we are being compassionate because we volunteer at the soup kitchen or donate money to help natural disaster victims, and don’t get me wrong, these are all very important acts as Christians. We should use the blessing that we have to help those who are in need. But, in our Christians vernacular, these acts of piety, or acts of charity, and they may be done because we have a heart of compassion. Or these acts may be done because we empathize and understand the reality of the world that we are a part of is also where the marginalized are living.
We may have our hearts broken for the refugee, and for the deported, and want to rise to action. All of this, in the call of faith, is also important to who we are as we represent the love of God. However, compassion, the kind of compassion that Jesus shows in this miracles and teachings of his life, are is the embodiment of who Jesus truly is for all human kind - for all human suffering. This is the compassion that looks for a way to be justice and mercy as God’s people; by going and being like, being with, and suffering with those people, just as those people suffer. Not everyone is called to go and do this, some are simply called to have mercy and show charity and piety. But to borrow from Henri Nouwen once more: Compassion means going directly to the people and the places where suffering is most acute, most propionate, and building your home there. God’s compassion is total, it’s all-in, is absolute, is unconditional, is without reservation or hesitation.
Having the compassion of Jesus, or that Jesus teaches, we then choose to suffer the way others suffer, we embrace their pain, their marginality, and maybe even truly walk in their shoes. Through faith and compassion we hear Jesus say this suffering is also shared by God; who chose to suffer the greatest of losses to bring humanity the greatest of joys. Our faith is founded in the stories of Jesus ,in sharing in the experience of knowing that we have died with Christ, and we have also risen with him to live a life of compassion for all, and with all who suffer. In suffering, however, we find hope. A hope renewed in the everlasting life we have in Jesus our Christ.
Grace & Peace,
Sam