03/22/2026

What do you think is the most important ability in interpersonal relationships? Leadership? Generosity? Intelligence? There might be various. But one of the most important one is empathy. Sharing others’ emotions, such as joy, grief, anger, and delight is crucial in interpersonal relationship.

By the same token, the clinical absence of empathy is often cited as a hallmark of psychopathy. They have difficulties with sharing others’ emotions.

And I had difficulty with sharing others’ emotions when I first came to the States. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I was a psychopath; It was not because of a lack of heart but a lack of language. When I was listening to someone, I had to focus on other’s reactions, not the speaker, so that I could make the same reaction at the proper times. No worries, now I'm off the hook.

Anyway, we all agree that empathy is a lubricant of human society. And in today’s gospel, we see this most human traits in the seventh sign in Jesus’ ministry: the raising of Lazarus. This story captures the absolute apex of Jesus’ divinity as the Lord of life, but in that same breath, it reveals his profound humanity through his compassion.

The Gospel tells us that Jesus was “perturbed”, “deeply troubled”, and that he wept. Jesus cried. Which means God cried. The tears of Jesus are the tears of God for humanity. Seeing this, the witnesses said, “See how he loved him.” In the same way, we say, “See how God loves us.”

The divinity of Jesus is not detached from his humanity; it is expressed through it. His divine power is inextricably linked to his human compassion. So, in Jesus, the most human aspect meets the most divine feature; Humanity is sublimated into divinity.

From the compassion of Jesus, life was restored. Compassion became the starting point of his life-saving work.

God has sown the seed of his divinity into our humanity.

When we choose to have the same compassion as Jesus, we allow that seed to sprout. When we cry with those who weep and rejoice with those in joy, we are participating in a divine emotion; we are co-feeling the heart of God. What God feels, we feel.

Through your compassion, others would feel the very comfort of God.

That is a miracle in its own right—a new sign performed by God’s children today.

Compassion.

Just a small, simple human emotion is, in fact, the most Divine-like emotion we feel. And it has a life-saving power. When you are compassionate, you reflect the very face of Jesus, and you become a channel of life to those around you.