The following transcript was generated using AI from the sermon recording. Some grammatical and transcription erros may be found.
Compassion: A Costly Love
I don't know if you noticed this in the news recently, but a certain public figure called empathy a distraction, a weakness—suggesting that somehow caring for someone else is wrong.
People who agree with this also tend to put caveats on it, saying that we can care about others, but there's a hierarchy—first, our family, then our countrymen, and then, if there’s anything left over, the rest of the world. Our enemies probably wouldn’t even make the list.
But in Jesus Christ, in today’s story, we see a different example of compassion—a love that isn’t just convenient. It’s easy to care for your family most of the time. It’s a little harder, but still manageable, to care for your countrymen. It’s much harder to care for everyone else. Enemies? They’re often left off that list entirely.
The Lawyer’s Question
A lawyer came to Jesus to test him—not in the way the devil tested Jesus in the wilderness, but as if to say, "Let's see what you have to say." He had been listening, and others had too. He wanted Jesus’ answer.
In most gospels, Jesus is the one who declares the two greatest commandments: love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. But in this story, Jesus turns the question back to the lawyer: "You’re an expert in the law—what does it say?"
The lawyer responds, "To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself." He gives the right answer, and Jesus commends him for it.
But the lawyer presses further: "Who is my neighbor?" He’s not asking out of curiosity but seeking precision. If this is the requirement for eternal life, then he needs to know exactly who qualifies as his neighbor.
The Parable of the Samaritan
Jesus responds with a parable—a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho is beaten, robbed, and left for dead. A priest and a Levite, the people you’d expect to help, pass by on the other side. The reasons they might have had—ritual impurity, fear for their safety, a busy schedule—are not unlike the excuses we use today.
"I don't want to give money to a beggar; they might use it for drugs or alcohol."
"If I stop to help, I might be robbed myself."
"I don't have time. I don’t have the energy. I don’t care."
We justify ourselves in many ways.
But then, the Samaritan enters the story. The least expected person—the enemy—stops. He treats the man’s wounds, places him on his own animal, and pays for his care. Two days' wages, with a promise to cover any additional costs.
Jesus asks the lawyer, "Who was the neighbor?"
The lawyer, unable to say "the Samaritan," responds, "The one who showed mercy."
And Jesus commands, "Go and do likewise."
The Cost of Compassion
What we learn from this story is that compassion is costly. It demands time, energy, focus, and often disrupts our plans. But it is not a weakness—it is the defining characteristic of following God and, I would argue, of being truly human.
When we try to rank who deserves love and care, Jesus transforms that list into one broad category: neighbor—and that includes our enemies.
The Story of Martha and Mary
We then jump forward in today's passage to another well-known story: Martha and Mary. Jesus visits their home. Martha does what is expected—preparing food, setting the table, making sure everything is in order. Mary, instead, sits at Jesus’ feet, listening.
Martha, frustrated, asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her. But Jesus responds, "Martha, you are worried and distracted, but your sister has chosen what is most important, and I will not take it from her."
We could read this and say, "Well, Martha still needs to do the work." And that’s true. But Jesus isn’t condemning her work—he’s reminding her not to be so caught up in busyness that she misses what truly matters.
Connecting the Stories
So how do these two stories fit together?
The Samaritan parable tells us to notice those in need and to act, even when it’s costly. The story of Martha and Mary tells us that being present is just as important as doing.
True compassion notices what is happening around us. It sees interruptions not as inconveniences but as holy moments—opportunities to love as God calls us to love.
Jesus calls us to a compassion that disrupts our routines, interrupts our plans, and asks us to pay attention to those in need. Like the Samaritan, we are called to give of our time, resources, and even risk ourselves for the sake of love.
Compassion Is Not a Checklist
We often treat compassion like a checklist—"What must I do to inherit eternal life?" But loving God and loving neighbor is not just something to do. It is a way of life. It is how we participate in God’s work of transformation.
Caring for the sick, the wounded, the forgotten, the enemy—it is not an obligation to fulfill but a calling to embrace.
Challenge for the Week
During this season of Lent, a time to slow down and listen, I challenge you to find one moment this week where God might be tapping you on the shoulder. A moment where your instinctive response is, "I don’t have time for this."
Pause. Reflect. What is God asking of you? What are you saying no to? What are you saying yes to? And is it worth it?
And in that moment, if you recognize it, try to choose the costly, merciful response. Because love will never be convenient. But it will always, always be worth it.
May we all go and do likewise. Amen.