"When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home." - John 19:27-28

I don't do well with pain. When I'm in pain I want to be cared for and looked after. I want my wife to bring me a cup of tea while I lie on the couch and groan, complaining of the slight scratchy feeling in my throat. When I'm in pain I think about one thing: me. I don't care about others, I care about me. After all, I'm the one in pain, right? I'm the one with the headache, and when I have a headache the world needs to stop what it is doing and get me some Tylenol.

But Jesus isn't like me. As He hung upon the cross, with pain exploding through every one of His ripped nerves, He thought about others. In this passage we see the great caring heart of our Lord, who in the midst of agony took the time to care for both John and His mother.

Jesus looked down from the cross, and through blood that streamed into His eyes, saw His mother standing at the foot of the cross. Mary's eyes were probably stained with tears and her face was probably twisted in anguish as she saw her son having the life crushed out of him. As Jesus looked upon His mother He must have felt compassion for her. In the midst of death itself, Jesus felt deep compassion for His mother. When most people would only be aware of overpowering pain, Jesus' heart was moved with compassion. From the cross Jesus instructed John to care for Mary as if she was his mother, and He instructed Mary to care for John as a son.

What a compassionate Savior we serve! His heart beats today with the same compassion for you and me. When we are pain, He feels compassion. When we are caught in the darkness, He feels compassion. When it seems that all is lost, Jesus feel compassion. There is no one more compassionate than Jesus.

Today, let your heart be drawn upwards in thankfulness to your compassionate Savior. Take time to worship Him for His deep heart of compassion.