Someone Else's Shoes - Matthew 14:13-14 - by Peter Kelm
One of the hardest things in life is to walk in someone else's shoes...see the world through their eyes... In fact, some people have stopped trying. Life becomes about me and what I want and what I need. Thank God Jesus wasn't like that. In Matthew 14:13-14 we read, "Jesus withdrew by boat to a solitary place (after hearing of the death of John the Baptist). Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick."
Jesus was undoubtedly sad after hearing of the death of John, he needed time away to rest, relax and pray...and yet confronted with the needs of the people around him, his heart went out to them. (Literally, his insides ached for them). He was willing to walk in their shoes, and see the world through their eyes. So he helped them.
God help us to put on the shoes of others: the sad, the lonely, the guilty, the poor, the depressed. God help us to see the world through their eyes. God help us to bring the healing power of Jesus to them in any way we can. God help us...because on our own we care only about ourselves.