Empathy

This time of year is characterised by an invitation to be compassionate and dig into our pockets. This call to think of others is desirable, but it raises questions about how to interpret it, enlightened by the Magister, rather than social activism.  Understanding his empathy, it is insightful that when the Magister speaks of the sinful woman’s search for forgiveness, he stresses her love: “Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven – as her great love has shown”(Luke 7,47a). Considering the nature of my search, I find this affirmation disturbing since he continues: “But whoever has forgiven little loves little” (Luke 7,47b). Yes, “Acta non verba”; it is better to do well than to speak well! 

Describing her love, the evangelist uses ‘egapesen’ (she loved), emphasised by ‘polu’ (much): her loving was a ‘committed love, greatly so’. This should serve me as an eye-opener to what it means ‘to repent’ (Metanoia), which we often associate with doing less (sinning), rather than more (loving): a blueprint to our praxis when we speak of discipleship. A question accompanies us as we consider our response. The answer is concealed in a question posed by the Magister to his disciples in the Golan: “But what about you: who do you say I am” (Mark 8,29). This question accompanies us, deepening its significance as we mature in our understanding of discipleship. 

Surpassing our idiocies, discipleship demands freedom if we want to answer this question because “the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2Corinthians 3,17). Experiencing this freedom, an awareness of ‘witnessing-from’ others strengthens as our loving is enriched by what we receive from others. This is the problem with the protesting Pharisee: he is blinded by his own self-righteousness to the woman’s ‘great love’. Consequently, he could not benefit from her ‘committed love greatly so.’ To do so, we need to know our heart and its treasures because “where your heart is, there also is your treasure” (Matthew 6,21). 

Let the Pharisee not become an excuse not to recognise myself! Reading the Gospels, we often forget that those portrayed as opposing forces to the Magister mirror us in our doings. This is one reason why our ‘witnessing-to’ is often irrelevant: an irrelevance that is implied in the question posed to Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” (John 21,15). Many claim to be “for Christ”, but with hands clenched, expecting others to give, they dare to judge others, convinced of their self-righteousness.

Peter was unwilling to surpass ‘friendship’ (Phileo) and embrace ‘committed love’ (Agapeo) because he was unprepared to embrace the Cross. Accordingly, he is unable to “feed my lambs” (John 21,15). This issue highlights his denying knowing the Magister (Luke 21,34-60) but also his ‘Metanoia’ (Luke 21, 61-62). As we follow in Peter’s footsteps, we discover ourselves crying bitterly for those times we denied the Magister. Like him, this serves to acknowledge our fragility, which should warn us against spiritual haughtiness exposing our ingrained impotence, which limits our rapport with others. 

Empathy focuses on affinity with those broken in heart and spirit, which reminds us of our story: “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft” (Deuteronomy 32,11) so that “those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40,31). 

Martin


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