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“COMEBEMYFOLLOWER”
they recover sight. Without delay, they begin to follow
Jesus.—Luke 18:35-43; Matthew 20:29-34.
4 This was no isolated case. On many occasions and
under many different circumstances, Jesus was deeply
moved to show compassion. Bible prophecy foretold that
he would “feel sorry for the lowly one.” (Psalm 72:13)
True to those words, Jesus was sensitive to the feelings of
others. He took the initiative to help people. His compassion
was a motivating force in his preaching. Let us see
how the Gospels reveal the tender compassion behind
Jesus’ words and actions and consider how we can show
similar compassion.
Consideration for the Feelings of Others
5 Jesus was a man of deep empathy. He identified with
and shared in the feelings of those who were suffering.
Even though he did not share all their circumstances, he
truly felt their pain in his heart. (Hebrews 4:15) When
healing a woman who had suffered from a flow of blood
for 12 years, he described her ailment as a “grievous sickness,”
thus acknowledging that it had caused her great
distress and suffering. (Mark 5:25-34) When he saw Mary
and those with her weeping over the death of Lazarus,
he was so deeply touched by their sorrow that he became
inwardly agitated. Although he knew that he was
The Greek word rendered “moved with pity” has been called one
of the strongest words in Greek for the feeling of compassion. One
reference work notes that this word indicates “not only a pained feeling
at [the] sight of suffering, but in addition a strong desire to relieveandtoremovethesuffering.”
4. How did Jesus fulfill the prophecy that he would “feel sorry for
the lowly one”?
5, 6. What examples show that Jesus was a man of empathy?