The Good SamaritanSample

"He Had Compassion" Here is a picture of love. Samaritans were marginalized people in society, which could have easily hardened this man’s heart toward others. But the opposite happened: he had compassion for a fellow sufferer. It’s simple yet extravagant. When he could have done the bare minimum for the injured man and still been the hero of the story, he went over and above. He took care of him in the true sense of the words. And it cost him. Our honor and joy as Christians is to love others as Christ loved us—through sacrifice. It costs money, time, energy, and pride, among other things. Sometimes it’s dangerous. Other times it hurts. But when you compare the cost to what you gain in return, the choice is clear. “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). Because of Christ we don’t have to maintain a death grip on everything we care about. The Savior has set us free to serve with our resources and ourselves. It’s a wonderful and mysterious paradox where the more you give away, the more you have. The Samaritan also didn’t go looking for someone in need. The injured man appears right in his path. The key is that he is willing to be inconvenienced and readjust his priorities to help him. Likewise, we don’t have to look far to find hurting people. But we do have to be willing to sacrifice our time and lovingly meet the needs of others. As ambassadors for Christ in this world, few things matter more than this. “For the commandments…are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Romans 13:9). Look for opportunities along your road today to show compassion. Ask God for a soft heart. Give bravely. Let it cost you. Do you really think you will look back and wish you had kept more for yourself?