
READ THE WORD
Luke 23:27-31
27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then
“‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!”’[a]
31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
LEARN AND REFLECT
Have you ever seen someone you love hurting? Christlikeness moves us to have compassion. Dealing with our own sin – carrying our cross – teaches us to be present in kindness for other people. There is a danger in developing a victim mindset and focusing solely on our own pain and struggles. Don’t underestimate how your struggles can bring comfort and consolation to others. Do you lean more towards being a victim or trying to comfort others?
Emotional health also means learning to recognize when you are in pain, and when you are reacting to other people’s pain. We never want people to be sad, and Jesus isn’t scared of how you feel: He has compassion. When you are sad, he wants to comfort you. What makes you sad? Jesus understands – Can you let Him comfort you as he did the women of Jerusalem?
Let’s Pray
as One.
Father, have mercy on me. Help me to have mercy on others. Use me to bring comfort, and teach me to seek to understand. Amen.