John 4:28-30 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”
“And now you know … the rest of the story.” The famous radio broadcaster Paul Harvey used to end his broadcasts with this statement. It was his signature sign-off in the 1960s and beyond. Paul would feature long forgotten or little known facts about a famous person, giving the listener a new perspective and appreciation for the life of that individual. Harvey’s features were positive and hopeful. He wasn’t a radio basher trying to “take down” his person of focus. Oh, how I wish we could know “the rest of the story” regarding the Samaritan woman that Jesus encountered at the well. Clearly this woman’s life was in tatters! Whether by her own doing or a set of unfortunate events with her husbands, the Samaritan woman had experienced quite a tumultuous past! It seems that her encounter with Jesus reset her life anew. This transformation wasn’t just hers to experience, but according to scripture, many in the Samaritan village also came to Jesus. These villagers experienced a newfound faith in Jesus as the Messiah, who had promised them the living water of his words.
As part of the triune God, Jesus knew of the Samaritan woman’s life before he ever spoke his very first words to her. Given his foreknowledge, Jesus displayed both empathy and compassion as he chose his life-giving words carefully. I have been thinking about empathy lately. How is it different from compassion? Or are these two words one and the same? Recently I’ve read articles where it was stated that empathy demonstrates weakness and clouds one’s judgement. In our present culture, empathy has taken on a negative connotation. But … How can one be truly Christian and not experience empathy? If we look to the life of Jesus, time and again as he encounters those he serves, he demonstrates empathy. He knew the Samaritan woman was most likely avoiding the crowds of gossipers and shamers as she came to the well in the midday heat. He knew of her pain – and felt it. That empathy compelled him to show compassion! He initiated conversation and provided loving relief through acceptance of her, and ultimately, through her faith in his words.
I recently read a sermon by The Rev. Dana Colley Corsello of the Washington National Cathedral. She states that “empathy is understanding how they (people) feel. Jesus, as God, embodied empathy by coming to earth as a man and enduring the human experience.” Jesus could literally put himself in our shoes, because he did just that by his incarnation! He knows and feels our pain, confusion, and inadequacy. He’s been there himself, in all of his humanity. Empathy then is essential! It feeds into compassion – and then on into action. Father James Keenan, in this same sermon, is quoted as saying that compassion is the “willingness to enter into the chaos of another person’s life.” Compassion may be a close sister to empathy, but they are not one and the same. One cannot exist without the other. Dear Lord, may we feel empathy for the pain and suffering of those in our lives. May we then take action in healthy ways to walk alongside the sufferer, to provide relief, and always – to show love in Your name!
Blessings to all as we enjoy this brilliantly sunny Monday!
Diana
*Quotes taken from cathedral.org, sermon entitled “The Sin of Empathy” by The Rev. Canon Dana Colley Corsello, 3/30/25.
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