Christian Family Services Ministry

8-14-2019 – A Word to the Wise

It is my experience that we often find ourselves having to deal with the same temptations, the same bad attitudes, same failures. Wonder why? Perhaps it is because we do not take seriously examples the Lord has given over the many generations of mankind.

Consider what the scriptures says about the closing days of the great biblical commander Joshua; “he left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.” (Joshua 11:15)

Unfortunately we are more like King Saul. I Samuel 15 tells us of Saul’s great failure and the consequences for generations to come. The Lord commanded Samuel to tell Saul to go to war with the Amalek and to completely destroy them and everything that belonged to them.

The orders were given by the Lord because they were ruthless people who had attacked and killed the aged, sick, and the orphans in the wilderness. Saul did not do it, rather decided to take captives, and property. His kingdom was taken from him for not obeying the Lord.

Because of his failure it would be another 500 years of Amalekite treachery before Queen Esther fully obeyed and destroyed Haman and the rest of the Amalekite.

As a patrol officer in South Dallas there was a particular block that reeked with drug houses and all kinds of wickedness. On one occasion having a shooting call at this location I stepped up on the porch and someone shot at me. I hated that area. I noticed not too long ago that the whole block had been leveled to the ground.

The lesson here for us? One does not stop when the enemy is defeated you take all that belongs to him. Destroy all the strongholds of Satan and he has nothing to return to. Our great temptation is to leave our houses of addiction, immorality, greed, and idolatry standing. Doing so dooms us to fight another day, and another.

That is what we have to do with our houses of sin and temptations, level them to the ground.

8-9-2019 – A Word to the Wise – A study of COMPASSSION AND EMPATHY
What is compassion? How is it connected to empathy? We, I suspect will find some very certain truths about Jesus when we examinee these two forces.
We will use simple definitions and make a clear distinction between the two. Compassion is an action word that reflects physical action towards others, in a manner which relieves pain, suffering or discontent. Empathy in contrast is a word which is being used here to reflect passivity and emotion. Thus one active the other passive.
Compassion has the distinction of being at the top of the list of character qualities highly esteemed and accounts for increased length of life. It is the ability to see the needs of another and to meet those needs. The emphasis here is on the desire to act to intervene in the affairs of men.
In sharp contrast empathy is a strict emotion with no indication or reference to physical action. It is the emotional experience that arouse from the heart and to various degrees evident in mood and effect.
These are the simple descriptions of these two traits that will be reflected in our study. (For the biblical scholars the key Strong word for compassion in Hebrew is rhm , or 7355, the Greek is eleeo or 5806). There is no particular word for empathy.
However, definitions do not point us in the direction we wish to explore rather the events and moods present in scripture. Those will be our teacher. Our chief focus will be on Jesus with emphasis on his healing ministry.
First let’s consider compassion. Often it appears with no empathy is present. This means what occurs is a strict action or compassion on Jesus part.
Lk. 8:40 ff tells us of a woman who has been ill 12 years. She approaches Jesus unbeknownst to him, touching his garment and is healed. The only interaction occurring is after this act of compassion.
Mt. 14:36 gives a similar account where many are healed simply by touching Jesus garment again no personal interaction.
In contrast let’s see samples where empathy on Jesus part occurs. Lk. 7 recounts the story of a sick centurion’s servant and how Jesus is called upon to help. The pathos of the situation is evident in the plea for help and Jesus response.
Another time John 5 relates the account where Jesus focus attention on a man who had been sick some 38 years. Empathy is apparent in the choice since the man did not approach Jesus. The same occurs in John 9 with a man born blind. Again we find Jesus approaching the person.
These are samples of the situations where compassion and empathy are to be distinguished.
Now what is to be discovered? One more element is to be added to illuminate what is occurring. Remember the event in Mark 2 where a paralytic is let down through the roof to be healed? Well it is the sentence Jesus uses “which is easier” healing or forgiving? The implication here is that it cost Jesus to heal. Cost what? Not money, or something tangible rather it cost him energy, or power.
Our tendency is to think it is all free there is no price to pay. That is not so. Which do you think is more expensive, compassion, or empathy? Two short passages answer.
Compassion: 13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a lonely place apart. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 As he went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.(RSV)
Empathy: 41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, (KJV)
Which is the higher price?
Society understands the importance of acquiring compassion and empathy. For some time now there are programs in prisons dedicated to teaching offenders empathy. The hope being once the person learns to feel what the victim feels they will stop offending. To say the least these programs only have partial success.
It is not that compassion and empathy cannot be taught, in fact on occasion sociopaths and psychopaths may exhibit signs of compassion. It just seems that it goes deeper than that. There is something deeper than just technical attributes.
Something else. I believe Jesus left us a pattern for how we are to treat others with compassion, however empathy is a different matter. Empathy is not a lesson to be taught, compassion is on the other hand teachable
Remember that phrase in Mt 26:53 think not my Father would send 12 legions of angels? Who is it written to? Often the answer is to the disciples
However, I think Jesus was telling the Father he knew the power He could weld…just don’t. The empathy between the Son and father is complete Jesus knew His Father wanted to send those 12 legions of angels to rescue his Son the Father must have had enough. “Don’t Father, let it be.
All of this is to say we miss the mark when we suppose the pattern for us is empathy towards our fellow man.
No! Our pattern for empathy is that between the Father and Son. That is what the Lord desires. Our feelings are to unit with that of the Father and Jesus. The resulting feelings is what is to guide His followers.
We should copy the lesson of compassion Jesus patterns for us and apply it to our fellowman. But the lessons of empathy patterned as displayed between Father and Son that is our ultimate goal.
This is why true empathy is not experienced or learned by looking at human experiences, rather at divinity.
Jesus at the grave of Lazarus. Jesus in the garden with blood rolling down His face. Now that is empathy. Are you able to experience those feelings? That is the pattern for empathy. Do not confuse it with empathy for ones fellowman. This is indeed holy ground. Treat it as such.