In the story of the Good Samaritan, we find a man who was willing to help someone he didn’t know, who had fallen prey to thieves. He didn’t seek any praise for his act, and desired no compensation from anyone. A priest, and a Levite had already passed the same man, yet neither of these men sought to help. What these men lacked was compassion, for it was compassion that lead the Samaritan to assist this unfortunate man. The Samaritan didn’t ask why this man had fallen prey to thieves. He didn’t ask what his religious or political beliefs were. He didn’t seek others to do his work for him. What he did, was what we should do when we see anyone in distress. He saw someone in need, and helped. Lk 10:25-37
Today, people use excuses why not to assist someone. They say, “Don’t pick up a hitch hiker, for you might be raped or killed. Don’t help the beggar on the street, because they will get drunk, take drugs, or become lazy.” We don’t even want to help those who desire to work for a meal, or those who knock on our doors asking for a piece of bread, or to get out of the cold. There are many reasons why mankind instruct us not help the unfortunate, but only one reason why Jesus instructed us that we should, compassion.
Where is the compassion of Christians gone? Even when the Samaritan could no longer remain with the unfortunate man, he left his money, and promise of future assistance to be charged to him, and no one else. This was Jesus’ definition of “love thy neighbor”. A neighbor was not someone we had to know, someone we must trust and agree with, someone who deserved the help, or even someone who would ever assist us if we were ever in need. A neighbor was anyone who needed help, for any reason, at any time.
Today we have made it impossible to be a good Good Samaritan. We pass laws that make it a crime to hitch hike, to beg, to be homeless, or to be a vagrant. We live in a society that despises the poor, the needy, and the unfortunate. It has become second nature for us to question why we should help anyone, but ourselves. We have become the Priest and the Levite. We have developed the attitude of those Isaiah spoke of, who said, “Come not near to me, for I am holier that you.” Isa 65:5
We have abdicated our responsibility to help the needy, to organizations, instead of ourselves. Organizations that take as much as 80% or more for large salaries, and most of the time less than 20% to help the needy. To love our neighbor, is a personal commandment given to each individual Christian. Who would dare say that we should hire others to believe for us, or give our money to organizations to repent and be baptized for us, or be a part of clubs that will sing, and pray, and study for us. If we can hire out one commandment, why not all of them? When God tells us to do something, it is we who are commanded to do it. It is we who should see the need, who should feel the compassion, who should act as did the Samaritan. When we help the helpless, we are really helping ourselves because we are obeying God, and showing the world we belong to Him. When the opportunity arises, we should do good unto all men. We should love our neighbor as ourselves. Gal 5:14; Gal 6:10