Deep feelings for others and sympathy for their needs, leading to appropriate action on their behalf. Spiritual sensitivity is the ability to perceive and respond to the call of God or the spiritual demands of the moment. Oversensitivity and lack of sensitivity are extremes to be avoided.
God's sensitivity to his people
Exodus 3:7 See also Judges 2:18; Isaiah 40:2; Lamentations 3:22; Hosea 2:14; Luke 1:78
The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
Sensitivity shown by Jesus Christ
Matthew 12:20 See also Isaiah 42:3Matthew 23:37 parallel Luke 13:34 See also Luke 7:12–13, Luke 19:41; John 9:34–35, John 11:33–35
A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish, till He leads justice to victory.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!
Jesus Christ's own experience of temptation
Hebrews 4:14–15 See also Hebrews 2:18
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.
Sensitivity to others
Arises from an experience of God's compassion
2 Corinthians 1:3–4 See also Philippians 2:1
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
Believers urged to show sensitivity
Romans 12:15 See also Isaiah 40:2; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:12–13; 1 Peter 3:8; Hebrews 13:3
Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
Sensitivity to foreigners in Israel
Exodus 23:9 parallel Exodus 22:21 See also Leviticus 19:33–34
Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
Sensitivity to those in distress
Job 2:11–13 See also Matthew 26:38–40 parallel Mark 14:34–37; 2 Corinthians 7:5–7; Hebrews 10:33–34; James 1:27
Now when Job’s three friends— Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite— heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, each of them came from his home, and they met together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him. When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw how intense his suffering was.
Sensitivity to those weak in faith
Romans 15:1 See also Romans 14:1–3, Romans 14:15; 1 Corinthians 8:9–12; 1 Thessalonians 2:7
We who are strong ought to bear with the shortcomings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
Sensitivity in speech
Proverbs 15:23, Proverbs 16:24, Proverbs 25:11, Proverbs 25:15; 1 Peter 3:15
Insensitivity to others
Examples of insensitivity to others
Deuteronomy 28:53–57 As a result of God's judgment, the most sensitive person will become insensitive even to the needs of family; 1 Samuel 1:13–14 Eli's insensitivity to Hannah; Job 16:2 the insensitivity of Job's “comforters”; Jonah 4:9–11 Jonah's insensitivity to the people of Nineveh; Matthew 19:13 parallels Mark 10:13, Luke 18:15 the disciples' insensitivity towards children brought to Jesus Christ; 1 Corinthians 11:20–21 insensitivity to the needs of others; James 2:2–4 insensitivity towards poorer visitors to church
The results of insensitivity
Psalm 69:20; Proverbs 25:17, Proverbs 25:20
Oversensitivity
Oversensitivity in the face of rejection
1 Samuel 25:11–13 David's hasty reaction towards Nabal; Luke 9:53–54 James' and John's hasty reaction
Oversensitivity of conscience
Romans 14:2; 1 Corinthians 8:6–8
Spiritual sensitivity
Spiritual awareness
1 Samuel 3:8 See also Matthew 24:32–34 parallels Mark 13:28–29, Luke 21:29–30; Acts 16:9–10
Once again, for the third time, the LORD called to Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy.
Lack of spiritual sensitivity
Ephesians 4:18–19 See also Proverbs 23:31–35; Romans 1:28–29; 1 Timothy 4:1–4ISA 1 Timothy 42:25; Jeremiah 5:3EZK Jeremiah 12:2; Zechariah 7:11–14
They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.
God hardens human hearts
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.