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On many occasions Jesus was deeply moved by suffering and confusion.

A leper came to Him, imploring Him, and kneeling said to Him, “If You will, You can make me clean.” Moved with pity, He stretched out His hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean” (Mark 1:40-41).

When He went ashore He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34).

The New Testament’s Greek word for “compassion” is sympatheo. Like its English counterparts—sympathy and compassion—it literally means to suffer with another. Consider other examples of Jesus’ range of emotions.

[Mary was grieving over the death of her brother Lazarus.] When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled…. Jesus wept (John 11:33, 35).

[Jesus’ enemies were callous toward a needy person.] He looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored (Mark 3:5).

[Jesus’ enemies were making demands.] And He sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign?” (Mark 8:12).

At times, Jesus’ disciples brought Him joy (Luke 10:21), and also exasperated Him (Mark 9:19 cf. John 14:9; 20:27). “Looking up to heaven, He sighed” (Mark 7:34). He was indignant over the treatment given to children (Mark 10:14). He wept over the doomed city of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). He twice drove merchants from the temple (John 2:14-17; Luke 19:45-46). His intense attitude had long before been predicted by Psalms 69:9, “Zeal for Your house has consumed Me” (Psalms 69:9 cf. John 2:17). He was distressed and troubled, longing for His mission to be completed (Luke 12:49-50; John 12:27; 13:21 cf. Isaiah 53:3).