Tuesday: Walking in Their Shoes
Read Colossians 3:12, 1 Peter 3:8, and 1 John 3:17. What are these verses saying to us, and how can we reveal this compassion in our lives?
Compassion comes from the Latin word compati,which means “to suffer with.” As we ourselves have suffered, we can also understand the sufferings of others; and, no doubt, just as we often crave compassion and sympathy in our suffering, we should be willing to do the same for others in their need as well.
Image © Gilbert and Arlisle Beers from GoodSalt.com
We saw in an earlier lesson the story of the good Samaritan. As He highlights the example of the Samaritan, Jesus says, “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him” (Luke 10:33, NIV). This pity or compassion drove the Samaritan traveler to act on behalf of the injured victim. The priest and the Levite likely asked themselves, “If I help this man, what will happen to me?” The Samaritan might have asked himself, “If I don’t help this man, what will happen to him?” In this story the Samaritan unselfishly takes the perspective of the victim and takes action. He risked his safety and his wealth for a stranger. In other words, sometimes being a Christian involves risks and can be, potentially, very costly.
Look at the story of the prodigal son from this perspective as well (Luke 15:20-32). What does the prodigal’s father do that makes him vulnerable to criticism and family strife? The compassionate embrace, the robe of belonging, the ring of trust, the sandals of freedom, and the call for celebration reflect the selfless joy of a father who is willing to sacrifice all for the sake of his prodigal son’s restoration. Prodigal means wasteful, reckless, extravagant, and uncontrolled. This kind of behavior certainly describes the path of the son in this story. But stop for a moment and consider that, in response to the return of the prodigal, one could justly claim that the father in this story puts all dignity aside and recklessly bestows everything he has on his disheveled son. In the eyes of the older sibling, the father is wasteful, extravagant, and uncontrolled. The father becomes prodigal at the sight of his repentant son, and his heart of compassion triggers the emptying of all resources necessary to restore him.
This level of sympathy and compassion involves setting self aside, and it can make us vulnerable to whatever comes as we suffer with someone and endeavor to move him or her toward restoration. In short, true compassion and sympathy might come with a cost.
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We should be our brother's keeper no matter how potentially the risk might cost us. The son of man died for the sake of me and you, He paid the price of our sins and yet we continue to wallow in the same sin. May His grace save us and is my earnest prayer that we keep ourselves from sins of the flesh, God be with us in Jesus name, Amen.
The sin that we wallow in is self-interest to the extent that we ignore the plight of others.
'Being a Christian sometimes involves risks'. Brethren let us not forget that there is always a price one must pay for anything precious. Going to heaven is the most precious thing anyone can get. The price to pay is to go through the narrow way that requires sacrificing self for the sake of others and giving up the reasonings or excuses of the world to tread the road where God is leading like in the case of Abram. May our goog Lord help us to delight in His paths everyday and to hear His sweet voice amidst the noises around us. God bless His people.
Do we sacrifice ourselves and work for others so that we can get to heaven? I have a moral issue with the idea that we do anything just so we are fit for heaven.
Consider this: A non-believer works hard and helps others with no thought of any reward, but simply because it is the right thing to do. A Christian works hard and helps others so that they can reap their just rewards and go to heaven. Who is the most moral; the non-believer or the Christian?
Let me ask the question another way: If you as a Christian found out that heaven was a figment of our fertile imaginations, would you stop helping the poor and needy, visiting the sick, spending time with our youth and so on? I suggest that if you answer that you would no longer be doing those things, then you are being Christian for very selfish reasons.
We are repeatedly told that salvation is by grace and not by works. Helping others is something that we should do without expectation of reward; it is the right thing to do.
Hi Maurice!
I totally relate to what you have pointed out here! God is calling us to disinterested acts of kindness and goodness! This is how God Himself is. He does not help us and bless us in order for us to bless Him but because it is in His nature to love, care for and bless. If we are truly in Christ, we will love, care for, help and bless others without expecting or looking for anything in return because we are like Him.
Consider the following regarding Enoch:
Enoch had been troubled in regard to the dead. It had seemed to him that the righteous and the wicked would go to the dust together, and that this would be their end. He could not see the life of the just beyond the grave. {PP 85.6}
However inspite of his ignorance until God enlightened him, Enoch had still lived an upright life by faith! So it should be with us!
Thanks Ashton for that highlight....Jesus told us 'do unto others as you would like them do to you' also 'love your neighbor as you love yourself' Doing good should be part of us because it is good.
The answer is multi faceted. A determination is predicated on the motive. One puts their best foot forward so to speak, in order to make the right impression, what ever that may be. Needs are relative.
This morning God is reminding us that true compassion and empathy can come with a cost . God wants us to get to the point where we make ourselves vulnerable as we reach out to uplift and help restore another . This is the blue print Jesus left us. This is the way he lived his life here on earth . It took him all the way to a cruel death on the cross for me and for you. Today he is calling us to a life of service for others . Lord please give me a ministry . Amen .
So True Maurice! For me the aim is to be like Jesus. He has shown me that His way is best, most fulfilling way to be. To be changed needs a miracle that only Jesus can do for me. Is it risky? Absolutely! Is it worth it in the end? Absolutely!
Heaven isn't our goal but our prize through Christ's righteousness. Praise God!!
Don't be afraid to help those in need. It is our duty to help others and don't worry about the consequences. The Lord will take care of that!
Amen. Better is christians bcoz they Labour for a reward which is not of This planet. Whe have To suffer To get our reward
I find the comment and contribution here really helpful as the shared more light to the study.
When i graduated from the university years back, i couldn't secure any real job for quiet some time. I was unhappy and frustrated but deeply in prayer. After sabbath then, i often go out to clinics and hospitals in the vicinity to minister to the sick through songs. Though it was fun, i realised i was doing that for an uterior motive which i thought was selfish because i needed answers to my prayers so i stopped.
Like many have rightly said here, our service to others shouldn't be for any expectation but rather lets render selfless services in appreciation for what Christ has accomplished on our behalf and not in any attempt to pay him back cos we can't. May God help us.
When we truly come to see..really see what Christ has done for us our souls will be so humbled that serving Him we ask not for any reward. In our sinful character we can help others but with the wrong motive, it's until Christ character is sowed in us that our works will be motivated by nothing but love. For the one who lives in us loved man so much that He died for him. So by default what He loves becomes so dear to us For we love Him and He loved us first.
Comparing the good Samaritan with the daughter of Pharaoh, I discovered some parallels. Both are individuals outside of those designated as God`s people. The one was a Samaritan, the other an Egyptian woman. The former showed compassionate action on the wounded victim, the latter showed compassionate action on the baby crying in the basked (Exodus 2:6). The former payed wages to the innkeeper to take care of the patient (Luke 10:35). The latter payed wages to the mother for nursing the baby until he was ready to be adopted by the daughter of Pharaoh (Exodus 2:9). The good Samaritan took the risk of being attacked himself by robbers lurking in the shadows. The daughter of Pharaoh was running the risk of being criticized for transgressing the death decree issued by Pharaoh (Exodus 1:22).
The Holy Spirit also is working on individuals outside the church, moving hearts to compassinate action. This may remind us of needed heart reformation performed by the same Holy Spirit.
Winfried Stolpmann
Thanks much for the devotion
It is good to have compassiate for others in trouble,no matter how the cost may be let do it with God all things are possible. Amen
Thanks Winfried for your comment. Point taken!
It's not easy to walk in the shoes of someone. To walk in the shoes of someone you really need the holy spirit to strengthen you so that you can walk.
Elvis speaking about need, it was pointed out in another section that those who have enough and more are to supply the needs of others. Do we wrestle with that concept for what ever reason? If so what might that be? Is any logic part of the answer?
One thought from earlier posts about selfless methods of meeting need. How important is that to the recipients of that help. Is that type of help essentially the most gratifying?
I am simple-minded. I find too often no inspiration to be purposefully driven. I fall into the same traps as those I help to escape.
I run an inn. Along comes this foreigner who has a fellow, a kinsman, and this brother is hurt. Turns out I have seen my brother in town, he is an important guy. When he arrived though, he was in bad shape, the foreigner barely got him to my place in his Geo metro (on his donkey). I figured he would stiff me for the bill, but he paid extra. I had this idea about foreigners, didn't want them to stay in my inn with their weird customs, but this guy seemed OK, kind of quiet, but really sincere. His accent was funny though. I took care of the guy for a few days, then his family came down and got him back to his own place. The foreigner checked again afterwards, but I missed him on my day off, that was Saturday. He left his card, a woodworker I think, said his name was Jesus.
Anytime you're in town stop by my inn, it's called the SDA church.