Seeing With Compassion

Seeing with Compassion

Luke 10:33-34, NLT

Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.

Setting the Scene

Everyone listening to Jesus would have expected the priest or Temple assistant to come to the aid of the hurt and helpless man. But in Jesus’ story, they kept moving. The next person to come along was the last person the listeners would have expected to help a wounded Jew—a “despised Samaritan.” Jews and Samaritans hated each other (see Week 7). So when Jesus introduced this Samaritan man into the story, the Jewish listeners would not have expected him to help a Jewish man. In fact, if Jesus had stopped after “then a despised Samaritan came along” and asked the audience what they thought happened next, none of their answers would have been positive. But when this Samaritan saw the man at the roadside, “he felt compassion for him.” The Samaritan bandaged the man’s wounds, perhaps with strips of cloth from his own clothing, and “took him to an inn, where he took care of him.”

The priest, Temple assistant, and Samaritan all “saw” the man by the side of the road, but they responded much differently. The Samaritan saw with compassion. Apparently, this Samaritan understood the meaning of helping someone in need, regardless of differences and issues, including racial tensions, and despite the inconvenience and interruption to his personal schedule.

Getting Personal

When has someone been a “good Samaritan” to you?

When have you misread someone’s attitude or actions, only to discover later that the person was actually hurting?

What excuses have you used for not helping someone in need?

The term Good Samaritan is used to describe a person who helps a stranger in trouble. Many factors can keep us from acts of kindness: busyness; unpreparedness or inadequacy to help; fear for our own safety; preoccupation with our own problems. But the root cause for our inaction is the failure to see with compassion. God expects his people to see others as he sees them—as his valued creations for whom Christ died. When we look past our schedules, issues, and prejudices and see real people with real needs, we will stop, reach out, and bandage their wounds.

Talking to God

Anticipate opportunities to meet the needs of others by asking God today to equip you with eyes that see with compassion, and words and deeds that bring a healing touch.