Ezekiel 24
Seek Empathy – Walk a Mile First!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Saturday, June 29.
“Don’t judge me until you’ve walked a mile in my shoes.” This idiom teaches us that to understand why people do what they do we must seek to empathize with them, understanding their experiences, circumstances, and challenges. Without empathy, we may take their words or behaviors out of context, presuming to understand them. In Ezekiel 24:16-18, the prophet was asked to walk a mile in God’s shoes:
“Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. Groan silently; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your mustache and do not eat the bread of men.” So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded.
The prophet put on display God’s extravagant love for Jerusalem in the most visceral way a person can possibly comprehend. Bringing judgment upon Israel was like losing a beloved spouse. There was a larger story unfolding for Israel, and Ezekiel’s prophetic action demonstrated the heart of God. Just like when Jesus, God’s beloved Son, died to satisfy the Father’s will – “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
Seize the moment and walk a mile in other people’s shoes, discerning your invitation in their story. God is always at work, doing more than can be seen because there is a larger story unfolding in your life and for the lives of all people. How can seeking empathy allow you to show others the love of Jesus?
God bless you!
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YOUTUBE:
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