Empathy Deficit

Message Notes:

Read story about Naaman in 2 Kings 5. Focus on vv. 1-3:

•1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

The story-line of chapter 5 would normally focus on Naaman’s leprosy and healing. In today’s message we will consider, instead, the story of the young Jewish girl who was kidnapped and enslaved by a raiding party from Syria.

In “normal” life, if a person was kidnapped from their family and home, then enslaved by another country, that person would struggle with anger, bitterness and resentment toward their captors. They would also celebrate any kind of suffering experienced by their captors.

•Interestingly, this kidnapped and enslaved servant girl did not react toward her enemies in any of those ways (at least, there is absolutely no sign of it in the Biblical text).

•Instead, she responds with compassion and assistance (v. 3).

•This is an Old Testament story, but this girl reflects the New Testament values of Jesus. See Luke 6:27-28; Romans 12:14-21.

•The mindset of the New Testament (Jesus) is to open our hearts to all kinds of people.

Two unique struggles that people have “in our day:”

•Empathy Deficit

•Calling some versions of empathy a sin.

“Time” does not normally, by itself, heal our wounds. What is needed is that we are shaped by the values of Jesus.

•Galatians 3:28

•Colossians 3:11

Discussion Questions: 

How hard is it for you to forgive someone who has hurt you?

Think about the servant girl in 2 Kings 5. How do you think she overcame the horror of being kidnapped and enslaved?

Read Luke 6:27-28 and Romans 12:14-21. Why do you think Jesus and Paul offered such teachings? What is the alternative?

Read Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11. In what aspects of modern life do we experience the greatest division? Why?