Ephesians 4:32-“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said: “We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.” Compassion is the bridge that allows us to see ourselves in each other. In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), we encounter three travelers on this perilous road. Two, a priest and a Levite, see the wounded man but continue on their way. Their reasons might seem valid—religious restrictions, a tight schedule. But their actions reveal a deeper truth: they’ve chosen a comfortable distance from suffering.
Then comes the Samaritan. Unlike the others, he doesn’t just see the man; he is moved with compassion. The word itself is a tapestry woven from two threads: “com” meaning with, and “passion” meaning to suffer. Compassion is to enter into another’s pain, to feel it alongside them.
The Samaritan’s journey, and his own schedule and agenda, becomes less important than the suffering stranger. He takes a detour, a willing disruption in his plans. This detour is a powerful metaphor for compassion. It reminds us that true love often requires us to veer off course, to step outside our agendas and routines.
Here’s a tough question: Have you and I made life choices that keep us at a safe distance from the pain of others? Busyness, social circles, even religious obligations can create a comfortable numbness to the suffering around us. We become experts at “seeing” without truly seeing, missing the vulnerability that connects us all.
The Samaritan “came up to him.” This simple act speaks volumes. Proximity allows him to see the man not just as a victim, but as a whole person—wounded, yes, but deserving of care.Perhaps in that moment, the Samaritan recognizes a reflection of himself. He, too, knows what it means to be ostracized, to be on the margins.
Compassion, at its core, is about this recognition. It’s the spark of empathy that ignites when we see a piece of ourselves in another’s struggle. The brokenness we witness might be theirs today, but it could be ours tomorrow. Compassion, then, is not a “duty” or a “requirement” to get my “Heaven Entrance Card.” Rather, it is the EXPRESSION of Christ living WITHIN you and me! When we are LOOKING for others and how we can encourage, we are seeing the echo of God within each of us!
To whom can you show COMPASSION this week?? Many of you may be thinking of a name right now. Others might be thinking of those people with the cardboard “Need Help” signs that sit on the corner of the Farmer’s Country Market parking lot. Either way…can you INTENTIONALLY PLAN to show compassion this week? Can you LOOK for places to pour out His Love??
THAT is the mark of a Vibrant Church-one that searches for the “left outs” and make them the “welcome invitees!” May that be our calling this week: To HAVE COMPASSION on one another!
Shalom, Don
