July 18, 2025

God’s “Kiss” for Suffering Humanity

I lived in Colorado Springs at the base of Pikes Peak for 25 years. This majestic mountain towers 14,114 feet and is one of the nation’s great tourist attractions. It was at the top of this grand mountain peak that Katharine Lee Bates received her inspiration to write the song “America the Beautiful.”

Thousands of people drive to the pinnacle of this mountain every year to enjoy its panoramic views. Other people – of dubious wisdom, in my opinion – actually climb it. You don’t have to do so with ropes, spikes, and such; there is a steep trail several miles long that winds its way to the top. I’m told it takes about eight hours to make the trek, and eight weeks to recover from the pain!

One day, I found myself thinking that I might try this, but I quickly recovered from this momentary imbalance and promised my spasming body that I would never again think such an insane thought.

A friend of mine once climbed it with his two kids and several other young children. I don’t know what possessed him to do this, but we did recommend several weeks of psychiatric care for him. We also agreed not to tell the local social services that he led his children on this journey. Surprisingly, his kids still love him and want to remain in his care.

He told me that it took ten and a half hours instead of the typical eight, because the kids had to stop frequently. He ended up carrying their burdens – the packs, water bottles, lunches – most of the way. Serves him right! They should have made him carry them, as well. 

They all bragged about it later; I think it was due to a lack of oxygen.

Mount Calvary

Christ climbed a mountain while on earth. He loaded our “burdens” on His back – sin, sickness, suffering, despair, rejection – tied them to a cross and carried them to the top. The mountain was Calvary. Several times, He staggered under the weight of our burdens, but love drove Him all the way to the top.

Isaiah said our sins and other weaknesses were “laid upon” Him (see Isaiah 53:6 KJV), and He carried them away. The words “laid upon” are translated from the Hebrew word paga, which is also the Old Testament word for intercession. Fascinating. One of the meanings of intercession is to have someone else’s burden “laid upon” us; “taking the place of another.” Jesus “took our place” at Calvary, and our sins were “laid upon” (paga) Him.(1) 

What a beautiful aspect of intercessory prayer. Acting on behalf of others, we make requests for them, partaking of Christ’s priestly ministry of intercession. Spiritually, the conditions and burdens of others are “laid upon” us, and we “bear” their weaknesses. We don’t do so in the sense that Christ did, of course, as the Redeemer. But we represent and release what He did, bearing the burdens of others through prayer. Consider the following verses:

“Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.” (Romans 15:1-2)

“Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

“And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26)

Jesus was often moved with compassion (see Matthew 9:36-38; 14:14; 15:32; and others) and has “poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit” this same love (Romans 5:5). We are to be agents of love, filled with the compassion of Christ, living not just for ourselves, but accepting the privilege of extending His love on the earth. To do this effectively, we must allow Him to love through us, motivating us with His compassion.

The great teacher on prayer, Dick Eastman, expresses this beautifully as he defines compassion in his book, Love on Its Knees.

“Compassion is derived from the two Latin words com and pati, com meaning ‘with’ or ‘together’ and pati meaning ‘to suffer’ or ‘to hurt.’ Combined, these expressions describe one who ‘suffers with’ someone in need or ‘hurts together’ with those experiencing pain.

“Compassion is more than mere pity. It is love in its dynamic phase, love released through action. It is a life of involvement in the struggles of others.”(2)

Epaphras experienced this true compassion for the believers in Colossae, who were being led into deception: “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has a deep concern for you” (Colossians 4:12-13, emphasis added). This verse tells us our prayers can produce growth and maturity in others!

The following story is told of Francis of Assisi and how an impartation of Christ’s love drastically altered his life: 

“Born into a wealthy Italian family, Francesco de Pietro Berardone seemed headed for a life of abundance. However, all that changed one afternoon in a transforming moment while he rode his pony around the city. Turning a corner, the pony abruptly halted, and Francesco was shocked by the sight in front of him. A leper, with his body partially eaten away by the disease, stood in the path. Sickened by the man’s appearance, Francesco turned away and was about to return home.

“But the Spirit of God suddenly opened Francesco’s eyes to eternal realities, and, as he looked again at the leper, he recognized his own spiritually depraved condition as being worse than the dying man’s leprosy. He leapt from his pony, embraced the leper, and gently kissed the suffering man as he gave him his bag of gold. Francesco had been baptized with the compassion of Christ, and his life would never be the same. He surrendered to his Savior outside the city of Assisi, and continued his life of compassion, becoming one of history’s most remarkable spiritual warriors.”(3)

Francis of Assisi was a mere human, like you and me, but he allowed the great Lover of the universe to penetrate his human soul. He was introduced to the power of intercession as the burden of this pitiful leper was “laid upon” him. 

Millions of spiritual lepers are waiting for someone to touch them with God’s love. We must leap from our comfortable “ponies” and fall to our knees, allowing the compassion of Christ to become ours. He wants to kiss suffering humanity with His healing lips, doing so through our lives.

Pray with me:

Father, we want to be touched by Your heart. Enable us to receive Your love for our brothers and sisters who are struggling. Your word tells us, “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). Raise up a company of intercessors who are willing to have the burdens of others “laid upon” them, that they might intercede from Your heart of compassion. 

And allow us to feel Your heart for unbelievers, who so desperately need You. Raise up intercessors in this hour, who will birth through their “labor” the millions of souls You intend to save. Give us the heart of the great Shepherd who left the 99 and went looking for the one. Bring revelation to the church that we can truly release the power of Christ’s salvation through our intercession.

And while it may not be the subject of this teaching, we remember to pray for our government, as your Word instructs us. Give wisdom to the president and his team, our legislators, and our judges/justices. Remove those in our government who oppose and dishonor You, and anoint those with hearts to follow You. Send revival and reformation to America and throughout the earth. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

Portions of today’s post were taken from my book The Essential Guide to Prayer, published by Baker Books.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

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1. James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), ref. no. 6293.

2. Dick Eastman, Love on Its Knees (Tarrytown, NY: Chosen, 1989), p. 28.

3. Ibid., p. 26-27.