WEDNESDAY'S WORD - EMPATHY - 11/26/14 SADELL BRADLEY

Empathy is the ability to understand and share in the feelings, experiences and emotions of another.  From the Greek empatheia 'in' + pathos - 'feeling' It is the action of being aware, and understanding and sensitive to the feelings, thoughts, or experience of another without necessarily having them communicated in an objectively explicit manner.  Here's a GREAT short video WATCH NOW The Power of Empathy

In this trying time in our Country, empathy is one of the qualities that will best serve us. As the clip states, it is a very vulnerable place to share in the painful feelings and experiences of others without looking in from the outside and offering insensitive quips.  Empathy is part of the Christ-following culture.  Paul instructed us to "Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not.  Rejoice with those who do rejoice and weep with those who weep," (Romans 12:14-15) and to "Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ," unconditional love. (Galatians 6:2)

Christianity is not for the weak.  The things that Jesus calls us to do are counter-cultural, uncomfortable, and downright scandalous sometimes, but He has CHOSEN us to walk this way to bring an example and light to the world around us:

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48

In Ephesians 2, Paul describes the reconciliation that Christ's finished work on Calvary was meant to bring between the Jews and the hated 'Gentiles. Jesus does not only bring peace - the absence of strife and restoration to wholeness; He IS our peace: 

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Ephesians 2:15-18)

Similarly, in this crisis, Christ followers can speak peace to those who are close by us (relationally, ethnically and in location), as well as those who are far off with the goal of making peace, putting hostility to death and reconciling to UNITY.  This is a difficult, but necessary engagement that requires a great deal of the character quality empathy: the ability not only to hear, but to be sensitive to and share in the pain, experience and perspective of another without judging it invalid, trying to explain it away or even solve it initially, or running because it causes us pain.

Jesus is our example.  Paul states in Hebrews 4:15 that Christ is "not unable to empathize with our weaknesses,"or is  'touched with the feeling of our infirmities.' (KJV)  He has been tempted in every way, yet without sin.  Jesus deeply understands and has experienced pain, suffering, hatred, racism, persecution, abuse, mocking, rejection, abandonment, brutal beating, oppression WITHOUT protest, killing and being left for dead - all for our sakes. Isaiah 53 goes into great detail about our Savior, who suffered silently as the Lamb of God for the atonement of our sins AND for the trespasses of those who've sinned against us.  It is through this lens that we are to look at EVERY situation we face. 

Jesus was able to love and empathize with us despite us.  We through the power of His Spirit must do the same.  This is not a suggestion, Jesus says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." This love is supposed to be the identifying mark of ALL Christ followers.  "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35) Love demonstrated includes EMPATHY.