Read: Luke 7:1-17

By: Sarah Joyner

“Jesus tends to His people individually. He personally sees to our needs. We all receive Jesus’ touch. We experience his care.” – Max Lucado

As Max Lucado says, “Jesus tends to His people individually.” But, not only does Jesus see our needs and tend to them on an individual basis, He does it in an empathetic and caring way.

There have been times in my life where I have felt helpless, lost, not sure of what to do next, where to go, or who to turn to for advice. Over the years, I’ve learned to turn to God when these feelings come over me. I stop and sit down with my Bible and ask Him to guide me to his words. And unfailingly, He will lead me to a book of the Bible where I find words of encouragement and hope; words that remind me of the Holy Spirit He has given me that provides me with the courage, strength and the ability to persevere. He shows me stories of others who have been in similar situations as me, who I can look to for guidance and insight. He speaks to my specific situation, assuring me He is by my side at all times.

He knows us, inside and out. He knows the good, the bad and the ugly. He knows how to care for us and love us even when we feel alone and unlovable, or when we feel hopeless and helpless.

Chapter 7 of the book of Luke, tells a story of a widowed mother who just lost her son, her only son. I am assuming, that in her moments of grief, she might have felt alone and helpless. But it wasn’t she who approached Jesus, but rather it was Jesus who saw her crying and hurting and approached her.

Luke 7:13 tells us, “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry.’ Then he went to the woman’s son and said, ‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’ The young man sat up, began to speak and Jesus gave him back to his mother.”

This shows us that Jesus knows everything about us: our pain, our hurts, our struggles, our difficulties in life, our thoughts, our fears, everything. Jesus saw the woman that day; He saw the tears falling to the ground as her heart was breaking at the loss of her only son, after having already lost her husband. He felt her pain and He knew He could do something about it. He knew He could change her life in a drastic way.

An element of the Lenten season is often becoming more aware, or reminding ourselves, of the suffering and sacrifice that Christ endured for our benefit. It is also a time for us to open our eyes to the suffering of those around us. There are people in the world, in our own community, and even in our own family, who are encountering the loss of loved ones, physical ailments, spiritual and emotional distress, illnesses, job loss, addiction, hunger, homelessness, hopelessness, and the list goes on.

As Christ-followers, we can be Jesus to these people. We can meet them where they are and reach out to them before they even think of coming to us for help. We can offer words of encouragement and hope, wrapped in the love of Jesus, which might change their life in a drastic way.