Neighborly Compassion
by Jon Walker

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” Luke 10:25-28 (NLT)
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If you had to boil all of the commandments of God down to no more than a sentence, Jesus confirmed it would read something like this: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and also love your neighbor as yourself.
Once again, we see the connection between our love for God and our love for others. We see the connection between the compassion we receive from God and the compassion we extend to our neighbors.
But the lawyer in this exchange with Jesus pressed in like a prosecutor, drilling for a specific definition of neighbor. Luke writes, “The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (10:29, NLT)
A gentle teacher, with a gentle yoke, Jesus did not answer directly (or even crack any lawyer jokes). He told a story many of us are familiar with, about a man beaten and left for dead on the road to Jericho. First, a priest walked by, and seeing the man, crossed to the other side of the road. Then, an assistant at the Temple who was in charge of purity and tithing walked by, and seeing the injured man, he crossed to the other side of the road.
Finally, a man from a despised race, a Samaritan, walked by and stopped. He treated the man’s injuries and then took him to a nearby inn, paying for his care and lodging until he could get back on his feet.
Who, Jesus asked, was the injured man’s neighbor?
The lawyer responded, “The one who showed him mercy.” “That’s right,” Jesus said, “Now go and do the same.” (based on Luke 10:37, NLT)
Compassion is as compassion does. The ones in need are our neighbors, whom we should love with the same love we have for ourselves.
What does this mean?
· Maintain a teachable heart – When the lawyer faced Jesus, he tried to justify his current behavior, instead of allowing Jesus to teach him the compassionate behavior. In other words, the lawyer was trying to bend the scriptures to match his behavior when he should have been changing his behavior to match the scriptures. Instead of defending a position, ask God to help you become teachable as you learn to receive and give compassion.

· Listen to constructive criticism – “If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject criticism, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. Fear of the Lord teaches a person to be wise; humility precedes honor.” (Proverbs 15:31-33, NLT)

· Relationships over religious rules – In the story of the Good Samaritan, it is the religious people who walk by, and it is the despised Samaritan who helps the injured man. It seems Jesus is less interested in religion – rituals and rules – than he is in compassionate relationships; it is compassion in relationships that reveals the heart of God, not the following of religious rules.

· How would you want to be treated? “Now go and do the same.” (Luke 10:37, NLT)