Cultivating a Heart of CompassionSample

Day 1: Embracing Compassion

In Luke 10:25-37, we come to the famous story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus shares this story in response to a lawyer wondering who his neighbor is that Jesus calls him to love. In this story, a Jewish man is attacked. Several religious people see this man suffering but do nothing to help. Finally, a Samaritan comes along and helps the man by taking care of his injuries and providing a place for him to stay.

Every time I read this story, I become so upset by the people who walk by and do nothing to help the wounded man. What makes it worse is that these are religious leaders! These are the people who should have jumped at the opportunity to show the love of God to someone in need. The priest and temple assistant likely knew a lot about God and His Word but missed out on God’s heart. Caring for and loving others matters to God. We can have Bible verses memorized and go to church every week, but if we forget about people in the process, we’ve missed the mark.

Unlike the religious leaders, the Samaritan is moved by compassion and stops to help. In the Bible, compassion is almost always followed by action. Not only did the Samaritan see the problem, but he was moved to help fix the problem. What is most shocking about the Samaritan stopping to help is that the Jews looked down on Samaritans. The Jews hated the Samaritans and the Samaritans hated the Jews. Jews would walk miles out of their way to avoid Samaritan territory. Jesus’ story shows an individual doing something quite counter-cultural.

The Samaritan had all reasons to not stop and help, but rather than viewing the man as a problem to avoid, he saw him as someone in need of love. The Samaritan empathized with the man, choosing to experience his pain and distress. It wasn't that the Samaritan had fewer responsibilities, less urgency, or a stronger obligation to help. The only difference was his compassionate heart. He understood that God’s heart is for people. The first step in loving someone is genuinely allowing yourself to feel what they are feeling.

Ask yourself today, do I see the people around me who are suffering, or am I too caught up in my own needs? Does my heart align with God’s heart for people? Whom can I show compassion to this week?