“When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. ‘Don’t cry!’ he said.” Luke 7:13 (NLT)

It was a hard day. I was crying and wondering if God really cared. But then a memory popped into my head about a woman in the Bible who felt about as low as a woman could feel.

She was a widow, which was sad enough. But then the unthinkable happened: Her only son died as well. You can’t get much lower than that, especially in a culture where women had few options for supporting themselves. Family and financial support … all gone. Heartbroken and soul-sick … all seemed lost.

“A funeral procession was coming out as [Jesus] approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her” (Luke 7:12, NLT).

She walked in a funeral procession with her tears sprinkling the dusty ground under her feet. Grief moved one foot in front of the other.

Just as the funeral procession walked out of the city gate, Jesus walked in. Here’s what happened next:

“When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. ‘Don’t cry!’ he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. ‘Young man,’ he said, ‘I tell you, get up.’ Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother” (Luke 7:13-15, NLT).

Yes, it was a miracle that Jesus brought the boy back to life, but you know what amazes me even more? The compassion Jesus felt for the grieving momma. When Jesus saw her, His heart overflowed with compassion. He saw her. He sees you.

While we don’t know all Jesus’ intentions with this miracle, we do know it was borne in part out of divine distress for a momma’s broken heart. Her tears moved Him emotionally and physically. “‘Don’t cry!’ he said” (Luke 7:13b). Jesus was and is a compassionate dryer of a woman’s tears.

I love that the story begins with a woman walking out of the city gate and Jesus walking in. Simply put, their paths crossed. Coincidence? Not a chance.

Most likely, in her grief, she didn’t even notice Jesus and probably didn’t even know who He was. But He noticed her. And He notices you and me too.

She didn’t ask for a miracle. She didn’t expect a thing. There’s no mention of her great faith or even a trace of hope for anything to change. Jesus simply saw the grieving momma and, filled with compassion, dried her tears and reversed the reason for them.

We might get so busy we fail to recognize Jesus walking alongside us or crossing paths with us. But know this: He always notices you, cares about you, and is ready to dry your tears.

Dear Lord, thank You for caring about me. I look forward to heaven, where there will be no more tears. Until then, it warms my heart to know You are a God of compassion who dries my tears. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

We have a new favorite thing at P31! Sharon Jaynes’ new 90-day devotional, Momma Moments with God, was released yesterday, July 2, 2024. In this beautiful book, Sharon shares highly relatable stories — momma moments — from her own life, as well as Bible verses, prayers, reflection questions and journaling pages. Every day invites you to pause and focus on a parenting theme such as relying on God, receiving and offering grace, and having the courage to move into a new season. We’re taking orders now!

ENGAGE

Before you go, Sharon would love to invite you to visit her official website, www.sharonjaynes.com, for more great devotions and free resources. You can also hang out with Sharon on Instagram, The Praying Wives Club and Facebook.

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Mark 7:25-26a, “Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter” (NLT).

You can read the rest of this “momma moment” with Jesus in Mark 7:24-30. This was the only miracle Jesus performed while in this area. Could it be that He went there for one lone woman? How does it make you feel that Jesus would stop there simply out of compassion for one hurting woman?

Describe a time when you felt Jesus stopping for you. Perhaps you experienced this physically through another person helping or serving you, acting as His hands and feet, or maybe you experienced Him spiritually through a sensing of His presence. Share about it with us in the comments!

© 2024 by Sharon Jaynes. All rights reserved.