Too many people are hurting. Disease, poverty, loss – there is too much pain. I’ve just heard the stories of two families who have lost teenage children. Their lives had just begun. These losses are devastating and will remain with their families for the rest of their days. There are no words, no way to ease their pain, let alone remove the suffering they now experience.
I can understand why Peter wanted to stop Jesus from going to the place of great suffering. He wanted to care for his friend, to take away his pain, to do anything he could to help one he loved avoid suffering. Yet, this is the same passage where Jesus tells the crowd the cross is before him. Jesus even calls Peter an adversary for getting in his way. Peter’s compassion is confronted for he cannot stop the suffering. Peter must, in turn, begin his own path to “take up the cross and follow Jesus.”
Compassion cares. Compassion wants to ease suffering. But, compassion also leads to following and joining the one who suffers. Compassion hurts. Peter’s path of compassion is one of failure and rejection, his loss and recovery of self worth. Yet, whatever fault we may find with Peter, Peter still chooses to be there, to be with the one who suffers. In our humanity, we too are compassionate, and in our own brokenness, we hurt too. But, we too can choose to be with the one who suffers.
Prayer: Lord, in compassion, even in our pain and brokenness, we choose to follow you, to be with the one who suffers. Amen.
Rev. Chuck Murphy
Minister of Congregational Care
