The Call To Compassion
"Do not withhold good from those to whom
it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so." Proverbs 3:27
(Message)
Compassion is one of the most important
characteristics you can learn in
life.
According to the late Charles Schultz, creator of the comic
strip Peanuts, “The people who make a
difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most
money or the most awards. They are the ones who care.” And that’s true. How
often, of late, have you felt compassion for people in need? How often have you
followed up with that feeling of compassion by actually helping somebody out by
serving them, by encouraging them, by visiting them, by expressing some kind of
love toward them? How often have you, not just felt compassion, but taken an
action on it and done something about?
Once upon a time a
man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out.
1. A sensitive
person came along and said, “I feel for you down there.”
2. A practical
person came along and said, “I knew you were going to fall in
Sooner or later.”
3. A Pharisee said,
“Only bad people fall into a pit.”
4. A mathematician
calculated how he far he fell.
5. A news reporter
wanted an exclusive story on his pit.
6. An IRS agent asked
if he was paying taxes on the pit.
7. A self-pitying
person said, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my
pit.”
8. A mystic said,
“Just imagine that you’re not in a pit.”
9. An optimist said,
“Things could be worse.”
10. A pessimist said, “Things will get worse.”
Jesus, seeing the
man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit! We are never more like
Christ than when we serve. In Mark 10:45,
we read His life statement when he said, “I
did not come to be served but to serve and give my life as a ransom for many.” When
we serve and show compassion, we become His hands, heart, and help to a world
in need.
In Luke
10, one of the most famous stories of
the Bible is told of someone who was willing to do just that. The “Good Samaritan” is a name that has
become synonymous with compassion.
Interestingly, whether a person comes from a church background or not,
most can share the thrust of the story of the ones that lacked compassion and
the one that showed it.
Adrian Rogers, the late pastor, once crystallized the Good
Samaritan story into three kinds of people:
Beater-Uppers, Passer-Uppers, and Fixer-Uppers.
1) The Beater-Uppers: They are the crooks who prey on people and
carry the spirit of the enemy who is out to kill, steal and destroy. (John
10:10)
2) The
Passer-Uppers: These are the
people, much like the priest and Levite, who have an opportunity to help but
generally see other things more pressing and passed the victim by.
3) The
Fixer-Uppers: These are
represented by the Good Samaritan who not only stopped, but participated in
making a difference in helping the one who was hurting.
Jesus highlighted the
story by sharing the heart of a compassionate person. In essence, everyone is your neighbor; not
just the person next door. A
neighbor is a "needer." If a person has a need that you can meet and
you should meet, that person is your neighbor. Every time you see a person in
need you immediately become a neighbor; you become a minister with a ministry. The last three words of verse 33 tells us
what set this Samaritan apart-he had compassion. He took “pity on him.”
You see what made this Samaritan so special
was not the color of his skin, but the compassion in his heart. Bill Hybels once said about this story, “No
law could make the priest or the Levite stop.
But love could make the Samaritan stop.” Jesus finally added, "So which of these three do you think
was a neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" (v.36) I'm sure the
answer almost gagged the lawyer. "And he said, He who showed mercy on
him.' Then Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise.'" (v.37)
So let me ask you a question. Are you a good
neighbor? Do you see yourself as a minister with a ministry? "Do
not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your
hand to do so." (Proverbs 3:27) As we have heard, “People
don’t care how much you know…until they know how much you care.” After all, let’s sing it together, “Like a good neighbor, Christians are
there!”
Terry Risser
Reflections:
1) Where would rank yourself on a scale from
1-10 (1 being cold-hearted and 10 being abundantly compassionate)?
2) Pray for God to reveal a person to whom you
can extend today.
Consider reading the Word today:
Copyright
2014- Terry Risser
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