Seeks Service

Filled With Compassion

9.25.22 [Luke 10:25-37] River of Life (16th Sunday after Pentecost)

(2 Jn. 1:3) Grace, mercy, & peace are yours from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, who is with us now and forevermore in truth and love. Amen.

It’s hard to imagine that a man like David Lee Witherspoon Jr. could be surprised by much of anything. His full-time job was at the Phoenix VA. He also volunteered as the president of a downtown food bank. But on June day, five years ago, David saw something even he thought was strange: a man crawling on his hands & knees across the sun-scorched blacktop near 7th Avenue. Without even pulling his car over to the side of the road, David stopped to see what was going on. He found a man in great distress. Socks on his hands. His bare feet tucked in the bottom hem of his pants to try to shield him from burning his feet any more than he already had. David did what he could. He grabbed a bottle of water and washed the man’s feet. He grabbed a pair of his own shoes from his trunk and gave them to the man. When local news outlets caught wind of what David had done, they hailed him a living, breathing Good Samaritan. Unsurprisingly, David was more modest, describing what he had done as a “simple, kind act.”

Stories like this are heartwarming. We wish the evening news had more of these reports. More Good Samaritans and less samurai sword wielding lunatics, fewer home invasions and fentanyl busts.

But these stories aren’t just heartwarming. They also get the wheels turning in our heads. When we hear these things, we think about whether or not we would have done the same thing.

First, we wonder if we would have even seen the man crawling on the blacktop. Then we hem and haw over whether or not we would have gotten involved. Our minds race with all the possible reasons why a man would crawl on hot blacktop. Not all of those scenarios are safe for us to insert ourselves into. But, if we knew we’d be safe, if we knew we had the resources—just a bottle of water and an extra pair of shoes in the trunk of our car—we would help, right? We would, right?

That’s often the effect of Good Samaritan stories. Our hearts are warmed. Our wheels turn. And we walk away pretty sure—if we had the same opportunity—we would do the same thing. The right thing.

But we miss Jesus’ point if we treat this story like a spiritual film session, breaking down who dropped the ball and who made the right play. The mistakes of the priest and the Levite jump off the page. They both (Lk 10:31-32) saw the man who is nearly dead—but they do nothing. Their sins of omission are glaring and obvious. Who could say either of them (Lk 10:27) loved their neighbor? At the same time, the Samaritan is the hero this half-dead Jewish man desperately needed. We’re glad he stepped up and did something. And we determine that, if we were in that situation, we would do the same.

Our desire feels sincere, but we are easily misled. We’re like movie-goers shouting at the main character Don’t go in there! Or sports fans yelling What are you thinking? It all looks easy & simple from our comfy seats. It’s totally different when you’re thrown into the fire.

6 years ago, I took a class called Community Emergency Response Training. First responders and emergency personnel can’t respond to every issue when disaster strikes. So they took time to train lay people to learn how to respond to a whole array of different disaster scenarios. We spent 8 weeks learning about, preparing for, and discussing how to respond to emergencies. Our final exam was a simulation: an earthquake in the city municipal building. It was our job to triage victims, administer basic first aid, get them out of the building, and deal with frightened family and media members. Even though it was fake—and we knew it—it was still stressful. We all made a ton of mistakes. Each of us walked away knowing we could’ve done better. Even though we wanted to help, it still wasn’t so easy. It seemed simple enough when we were studying, but helping people is messy.

It’s easy to underestimate that reality. The half-dead man on the side of the road was a naked, bloody mess. The Samaritan who came to him got his hands dirty as he (Lk 10:34) bandaged the man’s wounds. He used his own valuable resources: oil & wine, donkey & denarii.

He risked his own life by even going to where the man was. Of course, there was the chance that (Lk 10:30) the robbers were still there and using this man as bait. Ask any nurse and they’ll tell you the patients they try to help often become abusive—especially when they’re suffering. But, the risk was greater for the Samaritan than the priest or the Levite. What would a Jew from Jerusalem think if they saw their fellow-countryman naked and bloodied and some Samaritan over by him? He’d be the first suspect and wouldn’t be assumed to be innocent until proven guilty.

But none of that dissuades him. He put the man on his own donkey and pays his medical bills and promises to return and take care of the balance. Who would do that? That would be like seeing someone on the side of the road, with their car engulfed in flames, you pull them from the wreckage, put them in your car, drive them to the hospital, pay for their care and then replace their car. This Samaritan truly went above and beyond the call of duty. His love for his neighbor put us to shame.

Maybe hearing this story, or David Lee Witherspoon’s, compels us to be more proactive in helping people in need. To be a better neighbor. Even still, we cannot love every neighbor like that. Not just because we don’t have the material resources. We don’t have the mental and emotional fortitude. We don’t have compassion on every hurting stranger we see.

Some of us know this about ourselves. Compassion isn’t your first instinct. But others of us are very tender hearted. Hallmark movies and those Sarah McLachlan commercials leave you a blubbering mess. You have to be talked out of adopting every three legged dog or one-eyed cat. If anyone truly loves their neighbor, it’s you. Not so fast, my friend.

You love the neighbors you see as hurting. Your have pity on those who are suffering and victimized. What about the passers-by who didn’t step up? You disdain them, don’t you? What about those evil perpetrators? You hate them, don’t you? Do you know what (Mt. 5:48) your perfect heavenly Father demands? (Mt. 5:44) Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Who can do that?

Only the One telling this story. There is only One who is as good as the Good Samaritan all the time. There is only One who loves the half-dead man, the Levite, the priest, & the robbers unconditionally.

In order for us to understand and apply this story correctly, we have to come to grips with the context. Jesus did not tell this story to his disciples when they were furious with the Samaritan village for rejecting Jesus or when they were frustrated that so many parents kept bringing their babies to Jesus to have him bless them. He told this story to (Lk. 10:25) an expert in the law who was trying to (Lk. 10:25) test Jesus and (Lk. 10:29) justify himself. (Lk. 10:37) Go and do likewise is not meant to put a smile on his face, but rather bring him to his knees & cry out (Lk 18:13) Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.

Jesus does take pity on ashamed, suffering, (Eph. 2:1) dead-in-their- sins-of-commission-&-omission people like you and me. Jesus is the hated stranger that journeyed from afar and came to where dying sinners were and had compassion on them. Jesus is the One who has dressed our wounds and took care of us. Jesus is the One who has had mercy on sinners who have fallen into the hands of Satan, (Jn. 10:10) the thief who came to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus is the One who didn’t just risk his life, but (Jn. 10:10-11) laid down his life so that we might have life and have it to the full. Jesus is the One who has paid the price for our healing and promises to return and settle up any debts that remain. The Lord your God has loved you, (1 Jn. 3:18) not just with words or speech, but with actions and in truth. (1 Jn. 4:10-12) This is love. God sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for all our sins. Since God has so loved us, let us also love one another. Not in theory. Not under the best of circumstances. Not just when the other person seems like they are going to respond well. Not just when the other person is an innocent victim. Let us have compassion upon sinners who have traveled down dangerous roads all by themselves despite our urging. Let us have compassion upon people who have created their own problems. And compounded them. Let us have compassion upon those the thief has stolen everything, even their very identities. This is how God’s (1 Jn. 4:12) love is made complete in us.

We know well how God saw us, came to us—filled with compassion—and continued to tend to our wounds. We have been healed by Christ’s compassion, but we have also been filled with Christ’s compassion. (1 Jn. 4:19) We love—as he did—because he first loved us.

Christ’s love was not limited to those who were suffering physically. Yes, he healed those who were sick and blind, leprous and mute. But, he also brought healing to those who were sin-sick, too. (Jn. 4) He brought healing to that Samaritan woman who had five husbands and had just given upon doing things God’s way. (Lk. 19:1-10) Jesus brought healing to the hated tax collector, Zacchaeus. Jesus brought relief to those who were (Lk. 8:26-39) demon possessed and (Lk. 7:36-50) forgiveness to those who had ruined their lives & reputations.

Should we, God’s children, settle for anything less? Look around you! There are neighbors who need Christ’s compassion everywhere. Lonely widows, overwhelmed parents, & frightened young people.

There are those whom the devil and this sinful world have robbed and ravaged. There are those who are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually beaten up, naked, and dying. Some have been abused by people they trusted. Others have abused their own bodies because they hate what they see in the mirror. Many are naked, or nearly so, by their own choice. Satan has stolen God’s gift of sexuality and left them with a sham. They’ve become convinced that their sexuality, their gender, or their desires are their only identity. The sinful nature is a thief. Our world is filled with people who are dying alongside the road & don’t know it. They need Christ’s life-changing compassion.

So where do we begin? Start with the simple, kind act of going to them and listening to them. Listen to what they’ve been through. Listen for their pain. Not to exploit them, but to point them to the only One who could really love them as they desire to be loved. Jesus. The One who is filled with compassion and has taken action to seek and save dying sinners like us. His compassion for sinners fills us with compassion so that we might go and do likewise. Amen.