I was reading the Parable of the Good Samaritan recently. I was struck by how it’s not just a lesson on who our neighbour is; it’s also a lesson on how to be compassionate.
The first two who came upon the beaten man walked on the other side of the roadway. The Samaritan, on the other hand, “had compassion on him”.
Compassion wasn’t feeling sorry for him. Compassion wasn’t not walking on the other side. Compassion was binding his wounds, setting him on your own beast, bringing him to an inn, and taking care of him.
Compassion was more than just not doing what the others had done; it was doing more.
Prior to the parable, the lawyer had asked Jesus who his neighbour was because Jesus had told him to love his neighbour as himself.
After the parable, Jesus asked the lawyer who in the story was neighbour to the beaten man.
See, the lawyer had it wrong. He was trying to limit whom he loves. Jesus turned that around.
The parable isn’t about the beaten man; it’s about the Samaritan. It’s not teaching us about who we should help; it’s teaching us about the type of person we should be.
