I was quite young, not even in school yet, but some memories stay with you forever. We were at the airport, traveling to visit family, when something unusual caught my attention. An older man was speaking with a security guard and he looked really upset. This man was blind, holding a special white cane in one hand and his wallet in the other. He kept gesturing to his wallet and talking to the security guard, and soon tears were streaming down his face.
I asked my mom what was wrong, and she sadly explained that the man had been robbed. She explained that his wallet had special pockets where he organized different dollar bills, so he could easily find a $5 or $10. But someone had tricked him. Instead of handing him $20 bills, they had given him $1 bills and stolen the difference. His wallet, which should have had enough money for his trip, was now nearly empty with just a few $1 bills in it.
I remember feeling sick to my stomach. How could someone do something so cruel — cheating and stealing from a blind man? It made me so sad to see this gentleman hurting. It wasn’t fair! My mom assured me that the security guard was helping him and we continued on to board our flight. But for the remainder of the day, I couldn’t stop thinking about that man.
“What do you want me to do for you?”
Have you ever had an experience like that? A moment when seeing someone else’s pain made you hurt too? That’s empathy. Empathy is feeling with others, and it often compels us to help.
Throughout his life and ministry, Jesus set the ultimate example of empathy. Again and again in the gospels, we read that “He had compassion.” Jesus saw people who were sick, hurting, hungry or lost, and he felt their pain. Then he responded with compassion.
In Matthew 20:29-34, there’s a story about two blind men who cried out to Jesus, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” The crowd grew annoyed and told them to be quiet, but the men kept calling out to Jesus. Jesus stopped and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” They asked for their sight, and in verse 34 it says,
“Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately, they received their sight and followed him.”
When people are hurting, it can be easier for us to ignore them or move on. Sometimes, we even tell them to be quiet because their pain makes us uncomfortable. But next time you see someone struggling, listen to the still, small voice of Jesus within you and ask, “What do you want me to do for you?”
I still think about that blind man at the airport and wonder what happened to him. In the future, I don’t want to be left wondering—I want to respond with compassion. Let’s be the hands and feet of Jesus to those around us. It is sure to be a blessing!
