Light Service Sermons for the Month
Compassion
DATE: April 5, 1998
TEXT: Luke 10:30-37
Light Service Sermons for the Month
Developing the Quality of Character
Compassion
DATE: April 5, 1998
TEXT: Luke 10:30-37
There's a true story about a man who built a home in the mountains of Vermont, an area where it's difficult to get water. He invited an old Vermonter over to divine the source of water on his property with a stick. Sure enough, the old Vermonter found the water. He instructed the man to dig the well and then to pump the water every day.
The man faithfully followed the old Vermonter's instructions. And each day , as he pumped the water, the water level rose. Finally, he decided the well was full enough and he stopped his daily routine of water pumping. A few days later, the well completely dried up. And he had to spend another three thousand dollars to dig a new well.
He later ran into the old Vermonteer and told him the story. And the Vermonter asked, "Did you pump the water every day?" When the man said no, the Vermonter shook his head. "You fool," he said. "An underground river is made up of thousands of little capillaries running underground. As you pump the water you enlarge those capillaries and more water comes. Once you stop, the water backs up, the capillaries close, and the water goes elsewhere."
That story provides us with an excellent picture of how the character quality of compassion works. When we focus only on ourselves, our hearts shrivel up. But as we give compassion away our hearts grow.
Today, as we wrap up our series on developing the qualities of character, we're going to talk about how we can grow big, giving, compassionate hearts. But before we do, let's pray together.
Lord Jesus Christ, you died for all, and in your dying you have granted us a share. Grant that, as long as we may live, we live not for ourselves, but for you, who for our sakes not only died but lived again, that we might share your compassion as well. AMEN.
In our Bible reading for today Jesus tells a story about a man who demonstrated the character quality of compassion. And in that story are some insights that can help us develop the quality in our lives.
Jesus tells the story about a man who was going from Jerusalem to Jericho. Now what the story doesn't tell us, but what the people of that day knew, was that the walk from Jerusalem to Jericho was a treacherous one. The road was bordered by cliffs populated with thieves who enjoyed attacking unsuspecting travelers. And that's exactly what happened to the man in Jesus' story. Robbers attacked him, took everything he had, beat him up and left him to die.
As he lay there dying, a priest happened to walk by. But instead of helping the man the priest crossed over to the other side of the road and moved on.
A temple helper also walked by. He, too, refused to help the man.
Finally, a Samaritan walked by. Now for Jesus' audience, this Samaritan was a significant character. For the Jews, the people Jesus was talking to, absolutely despised the Samaritans. They saw the Samaritans as half-breeds, part Jewish, part another race. They shunned the Samaritans. And when Jesus introduced this character in the story, their blood, no doubt began to boil. But unlike the two Jewish leaders who ignored the needs of the man who had been robbed, this hated, despised Samaritan, moved by compassion, stopped and helped him. He treated the man's wounds, put him on his donkey, brought him to a motel, and paid the entire bill. The Samaritan, unlike the other men in the story, demonstrated the character quality of compassion.
As the story of the Good Samaritan illustrates, compassion is more than simply an emotion. It's more than the feeling of sympathy, though it is that. Compassion, is sympathy in action. It's seeing and doing the needful.
Based on that story I'd like to quickly share with you three keys that can help you develop the character quality of compassion in your life; how you can be a person who sees and does the needful.
1) First of all, as we talk about compassion, it's important to understand that compassion begins in the heart of God.
2000 years ago, as God looked upon the earth, he saw our hurt, brokenness, and lostness and his heart was moved with sympathy. But he did more than simply feel bad for us. Moved with compassion, he did the needful. He entered our world in the person of Jesus so that he could communicate the depths of his love for us, so that he could heal our hurts, bind our wounds, assure us that we're not alone and so energize us with life. He demonstrated in the most dramatic way possible the essence of the compassion by dying on a cross.
When Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, he knew he was literally walking into a lion's den, a den that could, would, end his life. Yet, he did it for our sake out of compassion for a hurting world. As we welcome Jesus into our lives, with Palm branches waving, we not only taste that compassion first hand, we find that he molds our hearts into hearts of compassion.
2) Secondly, as we look at the story of the Good Samaritan we see that compassion treats others with dignity.
The robbers in Jesus' story saw the man as a victim to be exploited and used. The priest and the temple helper saw the wounded man as a problem to be avoided. But the Samaritan, moved with compassion, saw the man, even though he was a Jew and therefore an enemy, as a human being worthy of love and care.
After World War I, the Prince of Wales was invited to visit a military hospital in which there were 36 injured soldiers. The Prince went from bed to bed thanking each soldier for their sacrifices for Great Britain. As he left the ward he said to the official in charge, "You told me there were 36 wounded soldiers. I only counted 29. Where are the other seven?"
The official explained that the other seven were in very bad shape, that they would never leave the hospital, and that it was best to leave them alone. The Prince wouldn't hear of it and entered the ward to encourage them.
Once outside, he said to the official, "There were only six men in there. Where is the last one?" The official said, "Your Majesty, that soldier lies in a little dark room by himself. He is blind, dumb, deaf, and completely paralyzed by his injuries. He is simply waiting to die."
The Prince walked into the room and looked at the man lying helplessly on a bed. It was impossible for the Prince to share with the man a word of sympathy because the man was deaf. He was unable to shake the man's hand because he was paralyzed. He was unable to show him how he felt because the man was blind. But somehow he wanted to let the man know that he was valued. So finally, the Prince leaned over and kissed him on the forehead.
2000 years ago God entered Jerusalem and the world in the person of Jesus to embrace us with his love and to restore our dignity. And as we find our self-worth enhance by him, it sets us free to treat others with dignity and respect.
3) Finally, compassion lays it on the line to meet the needs of others.
Again, the Samaritan didn't simply feel pity for the wounded man, he took care of him. He bound his wounds and then sacrificed some of his resources to ensure that the man would be nursed back to health. He laid it on the line to meet the needs of that man.
Over the years, the family and friends of Faith have gained a reputation for having large, giving hearts. For over the years this family of Faith has been willing to lay it on the line and in a couple of cases gone to extraordinary length so that others might know the love and compassion of Christ in some of their darkest hours.
God invites you to be a person of compassion. 2000 years ago he proved his love for you in the person of Jesus. He proved that a God who will always treat you with dignity. And as you welcome Jesus into your life, you will not only experience that compassion personally, but his love will transform you into a person of compassion.
AMEN