Empathy: A Godly Trait - Romans 12:15

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. - Romans 12:15

    We flip through the channels at night, seeking something worthwhile, entertaining at least, to watch on the tube. As we cascade through the seemingly endless tripe, we pass numerous calls for mercy via charities devoted to the poor, the unfortunates maimed by war or disease, the destitute. And we continue to move past them at an ever-increasing speed. How often are we moved by the plight of so many people in truly dire straits?
    I’m not suggesting that we jerk open our bankbooks and begin to write a plethora of checks to every conceivable charity or cause we encounter. Judicious discernment is called for as in any situation that calls upon us to contribute our time or resources to a humanitarian concern. But as Christians, we are called upon to follow the examples set by Christ Jesus regarding the plight of our fellow human beings. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” - Matthew 9:36. Jesus exemplified empathy. In His incarnate form, He knew all too well those issues and circumstances which plague the human body and soul. He identified with the hopeless in that He understood and cared about their troubles. The pain and suffering of the human condition affected Jesus greatly. “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept.” - John 11:33-35.
    In each of the aforementioned examples of Christ’s empathy, we see that His pity is aroused upon “seeing” the particular plight. Does seeing the human plight arouse such feelings of empathy in us? God knows our human condition. He knows there is no exultant bone in our bodies. There is no great esteem associated with the flesh. God knows how pitiful we are by our very nature. “For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” - Psalm 103:14. Still, He showers us with His common grace, even to those who refuse to His Lordship.
    We are called by God to do right by our fellow human beings. We are called to identify with them even in their hopelessness. We are called to remember those times and places when we too were hopeless. “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” - Exodus 23:9.
    While we may never have suffered from a serious disease or suffered the loss of our home or job or suffered the physical loss of life or limb in the noble service to our nation, we must be able to identify with those situations as members of humanity and respond where there is a need. Simple words of consolation will not do when there is a need that we are capable of providing for. “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” - James 2:15-17.
    In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he thanks them, in its final section, for their concern for his welfare. And despite his position that he had learned to be content in “every and any circumstance,” he added, “Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.” - Philippians 4:14. This is the Biblical essence of empathy - that we share in each other’s troubles to the degree that we can.
    I’m not suggesting that every plea become a God-given command. I only suggest that if we can put ourselves in another person’s place, we may well see the legitimate need in that person.
    We must take off our blinders, perhaps and see that we can always find a way to show genuine empathy for our brothers and sisters in much the same way we would hope that they could show us empathy and compassion. This is the seed of the Golden Rule - “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 7:12. Empathy for our fellow human beings is truly a Godly trait.