Compassion

The Lord answered him, ‘You hypocrites! Any one of you would untie your bullock or your donkey from the stall and take it out to give it water on the Sabbath. Now here is this descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept bound up for eighteen years; should she not be released on the Sabbath?’ His answer made his enemies ashamed of themselves, while the people rejoiced over the wonderful things that he did.

(verses 15-17)

Read Luke 13:10-17

Recently there was a TV show about children in Third World countries abandoned at birth and brought up in orphanages. It showed how massive deprivation in regard to food and medicine and, most importantly, a total absence of love scarred these children for life. The show made you want to reach out and gather up each and every tiny body and take them all home with you and smother them with love.

Jesus ached when he saw the results of the woman’s bondage to Satan for eighteen years. He had power to reach out and heal her, and so he did. What a beautiful moment of pure love and compassion! When challenged, he lashed out at his enemies and even they had the grace to look embarrassed.

Jesus reaches out to you too and can heal your sorrows and fill you with love.

Lord, your compassion knows no limit. Reach out to me and fill me with your love and take my heartache away. Amen.

by Kathy Hoopman, in ‘Renewed Hope for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2000)

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