Practical Compassion

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

– John 13:35

As Christ-followers, we're often reminded about the importance of helping our neighbors and showing compassion to strangers. Jesus taught this principle through The Good Samaritan, one of the most familiar stories of the Bible.

It’s in Luke’s gospel that we read about a traveler who was attacked by robbers and left for dead. A priest discovered the wounded man, but he elected to pass him by. Later, a Levite (a member of one of the tribes of Israel) also saw the man lying on the ground, and he too avoided him. But when a Samaritan — a member of a despised ethnic group — happened to come by, he bandaged up the injured stranger, checked him into a motel, and even prepaid the bill! 

The story’s two supposedly "good" people had a chance to help the helpless, but they went out of their way to do nothing. Instead, it was the Samaritan who found God's approval because he showed practical compassion to his neighbor (a stranger).

Although that's a lesson we all should learn and live by, helping neighbors and strangers is often a difficult proposition. We can let selfishness and pride become roadblocks. Moreover, when we avoid getting our hands dirty, we just might turn into one of those self-righteous characters in the story. And let's also consider a related question: How are we showing compassion to our fellow Christ-followers — not strangers — but rather other Believers?

The moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become a member of an enormous family-of-faith spanning race, nationality, gender, and generation. We may be very different, but it's our faith in Christ that bridges the gap. We also share a common, eternal destiny with a loving Father. And he’s at the core of our very words, thoughts, and deeds.

It’s this truth that separates Christ-followers from everyone else on earth. And since the world is watching us and questioning our motives, it’s crucial that we live out our lives accordingly.

How can we do that? It’s by celebrating each other's triumphs, mourning each other's losses, and sacrificing our own selfish interests that we exhibit much more than transformed lives and ongoing spiritual growth. Above all, we must follow Jesus' example — one where “love” is an action-word rather than a feeling — and one lived out each day through a changed heart of compassion.

The Wisdom of Kindness

I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us — yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.

– Isaiah 63:7

When asked by one of the Pharisees — a strict religious sect of Jesus’ day — to name the greatest of God’s laws, Christ’s response astounded his audience with its simplicity and clarity:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment,” Jesus said. “And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

So, in just a few brief phrases, Jesus summarized the core message of the entire Old Testament: That God’s love, translated into beneficial motivations and kindness through our faith in Jesus Christ, is an unstoppable, world-changing force.

This is a difficult concept for many people because they equate the term “love” with that squishy word associated with weddings, chocolates, and Valentine’s Day. But Jesus wasn’t teaching his followers about that often fleeting, awkward emotion. As Christ-followers, God calls us to walk in step with him by putting our love into sincere, tangible action. And this can come in many widely divergent forms: from helping an elderly neighbor get their groceries to revealing God’s light to strangers through a prison ministry. It could also translate into changing a co-worker’s life by showing him or her how Jesus has changed your own. The possibilities and potential are endless.

God’s love and kindness are unfathomable, and he demonstrates that by going to any length to bring you and me into his family. Perhaps the most famous passage in the New Testament, John 3:16 proclaims that God loves the world so much that he gave his only Son (Jesus) so that those who believe in him will have eternal life. God willingly let Jesus suffer and die to pay for all our wrongdoings — past, present, and future. We rightfully deserve death because of how we’ve lived our lives. But God’s love and kindness offer joy and happiness if we’re only willing to accept it. 

The limits of human vocabulary keep us from fully describing the meaning and implications of how God cherishes his children. We can only skim the surface of this vast ocean. But perhaps it’s not so difficult. After all, it takes just three simple words from 1 John to sum it up: God is Love. And it’s when we emulate his examples of love and kindness that we turn our faith into action and transform the world one person at a time.

Training Day

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

– 1 Timothy 4:8

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the most popular attractions in the City of Brotherly Love. And it’s not all because of the facility’s impressive collection of masterpieces. Instead, tourists flock there to reenact the iconic scene from the movie Rocky, where the lead character (played by Sylvester Stallone) sprints up the museum’s 72 steps to complete the training regimen for his world championship boxing match. In January 2015, the Daily Mail website reported that three vacationers decided it was their turn to mimic The Italian Stallion. And once they had scaled the final granite step to reach the summit, they were shocked to run into no other than Sylvester Stallone himself, who was in town filming the latest Rocky sequel!

Filmed in 1976, Rocky is essentially the Old Testament story of David and Goliath — but set in run-down 1970’s Philadelphia. The protagonist (Rocky Balboa) is a washed-up, down-on-his-luck fighter who gets his once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fight the reigning world heavyweight champion (Apollo Creed). The match is merely a publicity stunt concocted by Creed’s handlers, and no one gives Rocky much chance of surviving the bout’s early rounds.

But Rocky take the match — and his chances — seriously. So as he begins his training and reaches milestone after milestone, even his skeptical girlfriend, co-worker, and trainer begin to see that there just might be a glimmer of hope. The movie’s focus on Rocky’s unorthodox workouts is arguably more interesting than the dramatic — but unrealistic — blow-by-blow fight scenes. We see the blue-collar prizefighter exercising in a meat processing plant, strengthening his body by drinking raw eggs, and building his endurance by jogging through the city’s mean streets. The sequence ends as Rocky races up the museum’s steps, raises his arms in victory, and surveys his beloved hometown.

At first glance, Rocky’s lesson seems to be the ability of good to overcome evil. But the less-obvious New Testament message — revealed through the fourth chapter of 1 Timothy — is the considerable value of intense training and discipline. In fact, every Christ-follower is called to develop and use the gifts and talents God gives them to influence their community and the world. An example is our mandate to explain the basis of our faith to anyone who asks. But how can we respond without the discipline to set aside time each day for prayer, Bible reading, and study? This type of practical spiritual training is also a great way for us to grow closer to our Creator by developing the ability to hear his voice. And in turn, it helps us to discern right from wrong when faced with one of those many real-life scenarios that never seem to be black or white.

Meanwhile, watching Rocky Balboa’s long, early morning jogs through the city’s winding streets is a reminder of our need for endurance and perseverance along our spiritual journey. The road we travel as Christ-followers is anything but straight, smooth, and easy. And like the tourists who flock to The Philadelphia Museum of Art, there’s no telling who we’ll meet there along the way.

Giving Back

“But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.”

– Luke 22:26

Over the past several years, many well-known companies have promoted their philanthropy — also known as giving back — to help make the world a better place. For example, Coca-Cola donates at least 1% of its annual operating income toward certain causes and initiatives. Likewise, The Home Depot’s Veteran Housing Grants Program awards grants to nonprofit organizations for the construction or rehabilitation of permanent housing for veterans. And JPMorgan Chase invests millions toward animal welfare, arts and culture, civic activities, community development, education, environment, health and medical research, human and social services, plus international and religious causes. 

Giving back also goes hand-in-hand with being a Christ-follower. Indeed, we’re called to serve as Jesus’ hands and feet on earth while we wait for his return — or at least until that day when he calls us back home. That means we’re to help prepare God’s kingdom by sharing the many gifts and talents he’s given us. And it’s in this way that we become a beacon of hope amidst the utter darkness of today’s so-called enlightened society.

“Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.”

That’s how Jesus expresses this directive through Matthew’s gospel. But what sort of light is he talking about? It’s really that spark or inner power that God grants each Christ-follower for demonstrating his goodness through their words and deeds. For example, we can shine a light and serve by running a much-needed errand for an elderly neighbor. We can help clean up a neglected school or a community park — or even work in a food pantry or visit the residents of an assisted living community. Whether it’s down the street or across the globe, there’s no shortage of opportunities for giving back.

Why is the principle of giving back so important for Christ-followers?

“In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served,” Jesus explains. “He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people.” 

Christ exemplified a service-focused life. So as his modern-day disciples, let’s do the same by turning our faith into action and giving back to the ones he calls the least of these.