Tears of Compassion

My surgical procedure yesterday went smoothly and I was home by 10:30 am.
I lifted my shirt to see my wound (bandages) and much to my horror I discovered they had shaved my whole tummy!! I am not looking forward to experiencing "tummy stubble" in the weeks ahead.

At dinner last night I sat next to Joshua while feeling uncomfortable and sore. I ate my dinner rather quickly. I noticed Joshua had cleaned his plate rather quickly except for his rice. All of a sudden Joshua's hands covered his eyes and he started to cry.

My first response was the same as Julie's...."Joshua... you have eaten rice before. Now, please eat your rice." Joshua's hands over his eyes were like a vice grip, stronger than crazy glue. I was tempted to use the "standard parent frustrated at the dinner table strategy", listing all the children that were starving in Third World countries, but the better of me stepped forward and I simply demanded... "Joshua, eat your rice!"

His soft, tearful response still echoes in my heart...
"It's not the rice..."

Julie and I were in sync..."Then what is it buddy?"

"Daddy having surgery...it makes me cry..."

My whole body along with my demanding demeanor collapsed. I was hurting. And because I was hurting, Joshua was hurting and down his eight year old cheeks ran sweet salty tears of compassion.

My iWitness...

I will never forget the debate that took place one day during my seminary training to be a pastor of a church. The professor was very convicted with the strongest of arguments that God has no emotions. One of the rationales was "once you show emotion the other person has power over you. No one has power over God. Therefore, God shows no emotion."

Had I been bold enough back then I think I would have stood up and declared, "If that's the case, then I want no part of your unemotional God!"

Seriously, who wants any part of that?
That's one of the things I love about Jesus the most... His compassion! His ability to feel in totality the pain or the joy or the numbness that we are experiencing.

One particular showing of compassion took place when Jesus is told of his friend Lazarus having died. Jesus makes his way to the tomb. By the time Jesus arrives Lazarus has been dead for four days. His unhurried approach ticks off the locals as well as the family. He looks beyond the personal attacks and stops long enough to see through their anger to experience firsthand the grief and pain of his friend's family.

The apostle John's description of the scene is short and sweet, "Jesus wept." (John 13. 35)
Jesus didn't just shed a tear or two...
Jesus didn't just sniffle...
Jesus didn't just pull out his handkerchief and blow his nose...

This is what Jesus did...

Jesus wept...

His stomach convulsed uncontrollably...
he dropped to his knees...
his nose ran profusely...
his voice was unrecognizable as he wailed...
his unscarred hands covered his face...
his beard caught the deluge...
his body became one with the dirt of the earth...
Jesus wept tears of compassion...

And just in case anyone wants to know...

Yes! That's the kind of Savior I want to be a part of...
Because you see...
If He weeps tears for Lazarus, I bet He weeps tears of compassion for me.
And for you too...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!