Jesus sympathizes...to only grasp what this means! The word itself (sympathize = with, to suffer) means to be touched with, to suffer with, to have a fellow feeling with, to be affected similarly.
This bears out in a story shared by the late John Wimber in his ministry. As a result of an earlier rape, a woman over time had become hardened and cold to God. She could not reconcile where God was when this horrible abuse happened to her.
By the time she finally met with John Wimber, the signs of hardening had done their work and were visible upon her gestures and demeanor. As her story came forth, and through clenched teeth she spit out "Where was God?" John Wimber sensed words, radical words, arise in his spirit. He spoke them out..."When you were raped, Jesus was raped, too."
At this, the woman broke, and what proceeded opened anew the womb of a dear woman to Jesus' mending ministry. These were the words waiting to be heard for those years of strife. They were the words to penetrate a hurt, hard heart.
He is "touched" by our inability to be strong, lack of resources to produce results...just unable to get it together, weak. Avoid the natural sense of cowering away in shame. Come, come. There is One who is touched in the heavens and moving towards you. His love may be unexplainable, but don't miss experiencing how He is affected by it!
Cathy Vinson
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