“And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said under her, “Weep not” (Luke 7:13).

Before us is the very dramatic account of the raising of the widow’s son in Nain. Dr. Luke presents this for us in Luke 7:11-16. Upon entering the city of Nain, the Lord Jesus finds a funeral procession heading out of town. His timing is perfect, and His plan will not fail. He miraculously raises the dead son to life again. Needless to say, everyone was amazed at this mighty miracle. But what I would like to focus on today is the marvelous compassion that the Lord Jesus has for the people. This word “compassion” gives the idea of His “heart being moved, or the outflow of His emotions being touched by her deep need.” Charlie was on his way to the diner for a bite of lunch. It was a cold blustery day as he walked from the parking lot to the door of the diner. His eyes spotted the disheveled man shuffling along carrying a plastic bag filled with his only belongings. At that moment he felt great compassion on that poor man. Calling out to him, Charlie asked, “Say friend, I’m going to have some lunch. Would you do me the honor of joining me for a little bite of lunch today?” The homeless man looked around behind himself to see who this kind stranger was talking to. He was amazed to be invited to lunch by a complete stranger. Earlier that day Charlie had read about the compassion of the Lord and had asked Him for an opportunity to demonstrate similar compassion today.

For today: While you will need to exercise great discernment because of safety issues, ask the Lord for an opportunity for you to demonstrate your compassion.