In Luke 23:26-31, Jesus is on the road to the cross. He is bleeding from the lashes and the thorns. He is bruised from the beatings. He is exhausted from the torture and lack of sleep. Every step is utter pain. And he is too weak to carry his own cross, so the soldiers grap Simon from the crowd to do it for him.
Here then we see the depths of his compassion, as he looks not to his own great needs but to the needs of others. He stops to show compassionate care to a group of weeping women. He cares enough to warn them of the coming judgment.
And does he not show this compassionate care to us? Does he not comfort us in our weeping? Did he not warn us of coming judgment and call us to himself? And as we came, did he not forgive us, embrace us, and celebrate over us? Did he not endure the cross for us?
And he calls us to follow in his steps. He calls us to show compassionate care to others. To comfort the weeping. To warn the sinner. Even in the midst of our own suffering. In our trials, we can become so self-focused that we see only our needs. We disolve into self-pity. We expect others to minister to us. And certainly we need care in our suffering. But Jesus shows us that we can care for others even in the midst of our own suffering. What a challenge! And how convicting. How often we fail in this and must run back to the one whose compassionate care provided a way to be saved at such great expense to himself.
Brian J. Mikul 