Belonging - Day 3
Mark 5:30
Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
Jesus recognized that something was happening around him. His ability to know when his power was tapped into must have been something to behold. He knew that someone had touched his robe and was healed from that slight touch.
It seems that Jesus had a cognizance of someone taking something from him. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is interesting. What was the power that Jesus held? Was it something different than who he was so he might feel it as it left his body? Or was it so close to who he was that he felt it leave, like feeling the blood slip out of your veins?
We don’t know, nor do we have to know. We do know that Jesus was keenly aware of what was happening around him, who was there, and what they needed. This empathy that Jesus carried around with him wherever he went has served all of us well. Whether it is by seeing the example of empathy that Jesus showed us or the desire Jesus had to connect with others that has become a hallmark of his ministry and should be a hallmark of ours as well, we have learned more and more from the way that Jesus dealt with those around him—particularly those who were in need of something that he had to give them.
When we incorporate empathy into our lives, we are changed as well. Empathy is a way of living in which we are aware of the needs of those around us, and we are allowed to feel what they feel. This is sometimes difficult because we live in a world with a great deal of need, yet it allows us to serve those we come in contact with. Jesus was so in touch with this empathy that he could tell when someone needed some of his power and felt that power go out of him.
How do you experience empathy every day? Do you feel the needs of those around you in a way that brings you energy or saps you of your energy? We all have those people in our lives who seem to sap the energy from us, often because they are constantly having some drama in their lives. Maybe that person is you? Who knows, but we do know that when you have empathy, it can sometimes feel like it is being abused. This is the plight of those who live an empathetic life. Think of how much Jesus had to deal with every day.
Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
Jesus recognized that something was happening around him. His ability to know when his power was tapped into must have been something to behold. He knew that someone had touched his robe and was healed from that slight touch.
It seems that Jesus had a cognizance of someone taking something from him. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is interesting. What was the power that Jesus held? Was it something different than who he was so he might feel it as it left his body? Or was it so close to who he was that he felt it leave, like feeling the blood slip out of your veins?
We don’t know, nor do we have to know. We do know that Jesus was keenly aware of what was happening around him, who was there, and what they needed. This empathy that Jesus carried around with him wherever he went has served all of us well. Whether it is by seeing the example of empathy that Jesus showed us or the desire Jesus had to connect with others that has become a hallmark of his ministry and should be a hallmark of ours as well, we have learned more and more from the way that Jesus dealt with those around him—particularly those who were in need of something that he had to give them.
When we incorporate empathy into our lives, we are changed as well. Empathy is a way of living in which we are aware of the needs of those around us, and we are allowed to feel what they feel. This is sometimes difficult because we live in a world with a great deal of need, yet it allows us to serve those we come in contact with. Jesus was so in touch with this empathy that he could tell when someone needed some of his power and felt that power go out of him.
How do you experience empathy every day? Do you feel the needs of those around you in a way that brings you energy or saps you of your energy? We all have those people in our lives who seem to sap the energy from us, often because they are constantly having some drama in their lives. Maybe that person is you? Who knows, but we do know that when you have empathy, it can sometimes feel like it is being abused. This is the plight of those who live an empathetic life. Think of how much Jesus had to deal with every day.
- How do you experience empathy?
- Who in your life saps your energy?
- What gives that energy back into your life? How can you do more of that?
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