What does the Bible say about empathy?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Empathy, which should not be confused with sympathy, is the ability to understand the emotions, situations, thoughts, or attitudes of another person. It takes great emotional capacity to feel what others feel, and while this comes easier for some than for others, we can all practice empathizing with the emotions of others as a way of loving them. The Bible teaches that empathy is essential to living out God’s love. God calls us to love one another, to care for the vulnerable, to relate to others’ struggles, and to respond with compassion (Exodus 22:21–23; Romans 12:15). We can do this when empathy moves us to understand the other person or at least moves us nearer to the other person. Empathy is often the catalyst for action.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God commands His people to protect and care for the vulnerable—foreigners, orphans, and widows (Exodus 22:21–23). Love for others and understanding their plight moves us to protect and care for the vulnerable.
• Many commands to empathize are grounded in Israel’s experience as slaves in Egypt. Leviticus 19:33–34 calls the Israelites to treat sojourners as natives and love them as themselves, “for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Our former difficulties help us have empathy for others.
• In Micah 6:8, God’s people are instructed to “do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Not only are we called to justice and fair treatment of others, but we are also called to merciful action and kindness, which are empathy in action.
• Proverbs 12:25 shows the value of compassionately considering others’ emotional burdens and lifting them up with kind words.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Gospels are full of stories of Christ showing compassion on people who need it. In Luke 7:11–16, Jesus saw a widow's pain and was filled with compassion for her. He felt her deep sorrow and grief and brought her son back to life, and everyone there glorified God. Jesus was always sensitive to others' experiences and stories (Matthew 9:36; John 11).
• Loving one another often means becoming deeply personal with each other. For example, Paul encouraged Christians to "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15).
• Jesus is our best example of empathy. He was born as a human so He could experience every human emotion (Hebrews 4:15). We can rejoice that Jesus has complete empathy for what we go through in our lives.
• The apostle Peter encouraged Christians to show compassion to others by having "unity of mind" and a "tender heart" (1 Peter 3:8).
• The apostle John phrases this relationship between empathy and action in this way: "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" (1 John 3:17). The love of God leads us to compassion (and empathy) for one another. If we do not have compassion on those who need material possessions or food or water, we are far less likely to act.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Although we have intentions of acting as God's hands and feet in this world, we often miss opportunities because we lack the empathy to perceive needs. Christians are called to love one another earnestly (Matthew 22:39; 1 Peter 4:8). One way we can begin to love others is to practice growing our empathy so we can understand each other. Just as we are able to show love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19), we are also able to show empathy because God is the greatest empathizer. David cried out to God in the Psalms, and his poetry teaches us how God intimately understands us. "You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?" (Psalm 56:8). We can be comforted through knowing that God has the capacity to know our each and every struggle and emotion. We can cast our anxieties on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

UNDERSTAND

• God calls us to love others and to care for the vulnerable.
• Understanding another person’s plight moves us toward them, in compassion.
• God calls us to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep, which requires empathy.

REFLECT

• How does God’s call to love others and to empathy challenge or motivate you?
• What does God’s desire for us to truly love others and not just provide for their needs reveal about His character?
• How has empathy deepened your relationships with others?

ENGAGE

• How does understanding another person’s struggles impact the way we respond to them?
• How does Jesus’ example of empathy inspire us to serve others more compassionately?
• How can we support each other in developing and responding with empathy?