Introduction
It is clear from Scripture that God expects His children to bring the tears of heaven to earth through the exercise of compassion towards others:
- “All of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble” (1 Pet 3:8)
- “Be kind and compassionate to one another” (Eph 4:32)
- “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15)
- “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:2)
The way that the world will know the compassion of Christ is by seeing and experiencing the outstretched arms of His followers.
“Law Expert”
Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.” 28 “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” —Luke 10:25–29 CSB
Since Jesus is conversing with an expert in the law, Jesus appeals to the Law.
Jesus knows that the Law cannot save — rather it is the law that reveals that we are sinners.
There can be no true conversion without conviction.
A Good Samaritan
Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. 34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ —Luke 10:30–35 CSB
For Jesus’s audience, the idea of a good Samaritan would have been an absurd contradiction.
Mutual hostility existed between Jews and Samaritans based on ethnic, religious, & political barriers.
Yet this parable shows the extreme universality of the term, “Neighbor,” and demonstrates the depths of mercy that should be extended to all people.
There was no logical reason why this Samaritan man should rearrange his plans and spend his money just to help an “enemy” in need, but mercy does not need reasons.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” —Luke 10:36 CSB
This man was looking to justify himself. To find support for his belief that he was a righteous man.
Instead, Jesus’s parable prompts the “law expert” to consider what it means to be a neighbor to someone, rather than how to identify who is to be considered a neighbor.
The questions isn’t so much about “WHO is my neighbor?”, but “HOW to be a neighbor?”
“The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.” —Luke 10:37 CSB
Rather than tripping Jesus up, he was forced to acknowledge his own shortcomings and failures.
Jesus’s instruction to this expert in the Law — and to you and I today — “Go and do the same.”
All people, are to be treated as neighbors — with mercy and compassion.
Compassion is about the moment.
It’s about using what I have at hand — money, talent, encouragement, or at times even just a shoulder to cry on — to meet another person’s need.
The only way the world will ever know the compassion of Christ is by seeing and experiencing the comforting arms of His followers.
Brand YOU
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” —John 13:34–35 CSB
Christ followers aren’t known to the world because we all dress the same, act the same, enjoy the same music, or vote identically.
We are known by our love. <— That is our basic identity.
This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him—how does God’s love reside in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth. —1 John 3:16–18 CSB
Laying down our lives means we die to ourselves — to our own wishes, desires, and plans — and live to meet the needs of others in the name of Christ.
This kind of love is our identity — it is the core of our ChristLIKEness.
The more we understand and comprehend the amazing goodness of God’s grace towards us — the more compassionate and grace-filled towards others we become — and that is just what the world is looking for.
Go & Do the Same
It’s easy to read this passage and think only of the high cost of compassion, but it is far more costly not to care.
The priest and the Levite lost far more by their neglect than the Samaritan did through his compassion and concern.
On the other hand, the Samaritan’s ONE DEED of compassion and mercy has inspired sacrificial ministry all over the world (including Samaritan’s Purse).
Jesus’s call to you and I today is to, “Go and do the same.”