– [Carissa] If you tried to describe what God is like, it could be difficult or daunting. But when the people who wrote the Bible pondered the mystery of God, they consistently described God’s character in this way. “Compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, overflowing with loyal love and faithfulness.” The very first word used in this description of God is “compassionate,” or in Hebrew, “rakhum.” This word also appears as a noun, “rakhamim,” or compassion. And what’s fascinating is that both of these words are related to the Hebrew word for womb, “rekhem.” So compassion in the Hebrew Bible is centered in a person’s core, and the word invites us to imagine a mother’s tender feelings for her vulnerable infant. So “rakhum” is a word that conveys intense emotion. Sometimes it’s even translated as “deeply moved,” like in the story of King Solomon who meets two women who’ve just given birth. One of their babies sadly dies, but then both women claim that the baby still living is theirs. As a test, Solomon says to cut the baby in two and give each mother a half, and the baby’s real mother is deeply moved. She would rather the other woman take her baby than see her child die. And it’s her compassion that reveals that she’s the true mother. But “rakhum” isn’t just an emotional word, it also involves action. And surprisingly, the word is used most often to describe God’s actions motivated by his emotions. Like when the Israelites are suffering and oppressed in Egypt, God hears their cries and is compelled by his compassion, his rakhamim, to rescue them. Then, as the Israelites travel through the dangerous wilderness, they’re hungry and thirsty and God is rakhum, caring for them as his own child. He provides everything they need, food, water, and clothing, as he personally guides them. So it’s no surprise that when Yahweh reveals his character to the Israelites in the wilderness, he begins by saying he’s compassionate. But despite Yahweh’s continual rakhamim, the Israelites turn away from him time and again. They reject Yahweh’s compassion and instead give their allegiance to other gods. And rather than showing compassion to each other, they do violence. And their rebellion results in exile, and they’re scattered among the nations. And it’s in this dark moment in Israel’s story that we come to the book of Isaiah, where Yahweh compares himself to a mother full of rakhamim toward her baby. He says, “Can a mother forget her nursing child, or have no compassion,” or rakhamim, on “the child of her womb?” “Even if she forgets, I will not forget you!” God is full of motherly compassion, and he will rescue his people. And as you read further in Isaiah, you realize that God is going to do this by entering into the suffering of humanity. And this points forward to a time when Jesus comes on the scene. He is Yahweh’s deep compassion become human. In Greek, the word “compassion” is “oiktirmos.” And as Jesus embraces the sick and cares for the outcast, He’s deeply moved by human suffering. Jesus compares himself to a mother hen using her wings to shield her chicks from danger as he gathers people into his embrace. And in the ultimate expression of oiktirmos, Jesus is moved by compassion to enter into humanity’s suffering, into death itself, to rescue and bring us near to God. And it’s this same life of compassion that Jesus calls his followers to imitate, allowing ourselves to be moved by the pain of others, to embrace the hurting, and to participate in relieving suffering in the world. In this way, we, too, can embody the compassion of Yahweh, or in Jesus’s words, “Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate.” Now you can see how fitting it is that “compassionate” is the first word God uses to describe himself. So, when we’re in pain or see others suffering, we can be certain that God is deeply moved to respond and that he’s there to meet us with his deep compassion. (mysterious music)