The author tells the story of Sylvie de Toledo. Her sister died of a drug overdose leaving a young son behind. Sylvie’s parents decided to raise their grandson. This was difficult and challenging for the older couple to put their life on hold for their grandson. Sylvie was a social worker, and she became increasingly aware of relatives raising the orphaned children in their family. Sylvie saw the emotional and financial struggles people were facing. She decided to start a small support group for ten couples raising grandchildren. Soon there were so many people attending the support group that Sylvie decided to start the non-profit called Grandparents as Parents. For thirty years the organization has helped three thousand families a year.
There are three million children in America living with their grandparents. Grandparents as Parents has helped families cope with the financial and emotional struggles of raising grandchildren. They have kept children out of foster care and worked to keep siblings together.
Compassion is about helping in the moment of need. Compassion is about giving what we have, when we have it, and when it is needed. God wants us to be the healer and helper in another person’s life.
Sylvie wanted to help other grandparents with the struggles she saw her parents going through. As a social worker she knew how to create a support group. When she saw the great need she went a step further in creating Grandparents as Parents. She did what she knew how to do and God multiplied her efforts.
Jesus told a story of compassion in the book of Luke. It was the story of the Good Samaritan. Through two thousand years of history the story is repeated, studied, and emulated. There are Good Samaritan hospitals, Good Samaritan churches, Good Samaritan schools, and Good Samaritan charities. The story of the Good Samaritan touches people in a profound and life changing way.
The author begins by discussing what is not compassion.
Luke 10:25-29 NIV
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” The expert in the las was what we would call a theologian. He was an expert in the law of Moses. He and other experts spent much time discussing what the law meant and what people must do. He certainly knew the law well enough to quote it to Jesus.
Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Leviticus 19:18 NIV
“‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
Many experts in the law discussed the social problems of Israel but they frequently framed the question in a way to avoid taking action. This expert knew the scripture, but he did not know who his neighbor was. How can you love a neighbor if you don’t know who he is? The expert knew what the Bible said but he did not know how to take action on what the Bible said. Or he carefully asked questions to avoid knowing how to take action.
Luke 10:30 NIV
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
Jesus told a story that the lawyer could picture in his mind. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was steep and curvy. There were many places for robbers to hide and wait for a victim. Jesus chose to tell a story that was not abstract. It was a story the lawyer and others listening would easily understand.
The author tells of a time in 2003 when the community near his church was engulfed in California wildfires. In the nearby Crest neighborhood, many houses were burnt to the ground. For six weeks the church sent volunteers to the community to help by removing debris down to the foundation so rebuilding could begin. One day the author went with the volunteers. After the debris was removed the volunteers would gather with the family to pray over the cleared slab. Since the author was the church pastor he was asked to pray. He said it was the most difficult prayer he was ever given. He never felt as useful to God as he did that day.
This act of helping strangers in need was an act of compassion. It was not an abstract theological opinion. It was a difficult act of helping people in a painful and heart-wrenching situation.
Luke 10:31 NIV
A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
The lawyer and the listeners would have understood why the priest was traveling. The temple required 24 groups of priests to serve during a year. Each group served for two weeks then returned home. This priest probably lived in Jericho and was returning home after serving two weeks in the temple. Jewish law also required anyone touching a dead person to be ceremonially unclean for one week. Even though the priest was finished with his temple service for the year he still did not want to be unclean in his community. So, he carefully crossed on the other side of the road to ensure he could still preform any priestly duties.
The priest was afraid when confronted with the real world. He feared giving aid would interfere with his life for the next week. Even though he did not know if the injured man was dead or alive, he was afraid to take a risk. Afraid of what it would cost him.
Luke 10:32 NIV
So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
The Levite was a servant in the temple. He ministered during religious services and he interpreted the law. He was willing to approach the injured man. But after seeing him, the Levite decided to cross over to the other side. He was unwilling to help the man.
Though the priest and the Levite were workers in the temple they did not understand compassion. They probably read about compassion in the Bible, but they were unwilling to act in a compassionate way. Being a church member, attending church every Sunday, and being able to recite scripture does not mean you are living out what the scripture instructs us to do. The Priest and the Levite are Jesus’ example of what is not compassion.
Luke 10:33-35 NIV
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
The Samaritan was a foreigner, who wore strange clothes and spoke with a different accent. The Samaritans were people from the norther kingdom of Israel when Israel split into two kingdoms after Solomon’s death. The Samaritans worshiped Yahweh but had different festivals and interpretations of the Laws of Moses. Because of these things the Jews despised the Samaritans, and the Samaritans despised the Jews.
In choosing the Samaritan to be the compassionate person to help the injured man, Jesus was separating compassion from religious behavior and culture. The Jews would have been shocked that Jesus considered a hated Samaritan to be more compassionate than a Jew.
Jesus is the greatest example of a Good Samaritan. He left heaven to come to earth as a man. He walked beside people then and still does today. He helps us in our time of need. In ancient Israel Jesus reacted to what he saw happening just as the good Samaritan reacted to seeing the injured man on the road.
Matthew 9:35-36 NIV
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 14:14 NIV
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Mark 8:2 NIV
“I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.
Jesus felt compassion for the spiritually lost, the needy, the hungry, and the sick. He touched lepers, the blind, social pariahs, and the heathen. He taught people, healed people, feed people, and forgave people. One of Jesus’ final acts was to forgive the people who crucified him and then to tell a criminal he would be in paradise with Jesus after death.
Luke 23:32-34 NIV
Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
The Samaritan also had compassion. He performed multiple acts of compassion on the injured man. He touched him. He cleaned his wounds with oil and wine. He put him on a donkey and walked beside him. He took him to an inn and paid for his care. The Samaritan showed compassion to the man in ways that cost time and money. He even put his life in jeopardy by tarrying on the dangerous road. The Samaritan risked suffering the same fate as the injured man.
The Samaritan showed kindness and empathy for the injured man. In the Bible many verses show God’s kindness towards the poor and down trodden, towards the sick and afflicted. God’s kindness is an act of love.
Luke 10:36-37 NIV
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
When Jesus asked the lawyer, who was the man’s neighbor, the answer was obvious. Though the lawyer questioned who was his neighbor in the beginning, Jesus told a story which made it obvious. The person who shows compassion, who acts with kindness and empathy was a neighbor.
Later in the New Testament, Peter tells us what he learned from Jesus on compassion.
1 Peter 3:8-9 NIV
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
We are to be like-minded with people who suffer. Through our suffering we learn what if feels like when other people suffer. We are able to sympathize with others because we have felt something similar. The author believes that compassion is a suffering of the soul, it is anguish and agony in the soul when we see other people suffering.
In compassion, we are to be humble. We consider the needs of the other person above our needs. There is a cost in compassion. The Samaritan put himself at risk to help the injured man. He spent his money on care for the injured man. In showing compassion, we also must be willing to take a risk.
When Jesus said “go and do likewise”. He was giving a command to be people of compassion. The expert in the law wanted to discuss how to inherit eternal life. Jesus told the expert to become a man of compassion, not just a man aware of the law. To become a man who brings the teachings in the Bible into daily life. A man who responds to the world around with compassion, kindness, and empathy. A man who lives out the law towards others with love.
Psalm 86:15 NIV
But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
