Growing Compassion

 

One of the marks of Christian maturity is an increased capacity for compassion.  The longer we follow Jesus, the more compassion we have for people. This compassion even extends to people who are in bad circumstances caused by their own choices.

When I was younger it was easy for me to judge people who were enduring bad circumstances in their lives. 

“After all,” I reasoned; “if they would make better choices they wouldn’t find themselves in that circumstance.” 

Compassion was absent from my heart. 

Over the last several years God has transformed my heart. Rather than blaming people for their difficult circumstances my heart breaks for them. I realize most of the time they are in those circumstances, not because they want a difficult life, but because they don’t know there is a better way to live.

As Matthew put it: they are “confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

I don’t want to diminish the responsibility each of us has for the choices that we make. I do want to point out that the choices we make are hardly ever black and white. Most of the time our choices are the result of a complex mixture of experiences, emotions, and environment. 

The reality is that all of us make decisions based on the information that we have.

1 Peter 1:18 (NLT)

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 

This has been a key verse in understanding the choices people make and one of the reasons I have more compassion for them.

People live the way they were taught to live. The choices that they make sense to them in the light of what they know.

 Imagine how your life would be different if you were raised differently. Things that seem to be “common sense” may not even be known to you. 

Peter tells us that much of the world, instead of inheriting a life of faith in Jesus, they inherited a life given to them by their ancestors, a life that is empty. It is not their fault, it is simply the hand that they were dealt.

On top of inheriting an empty way of life, many people struggle with habits and addictions that are difficult to break free from. Again, it isn’t necessarily their fault. They may want to get out, but they are trapped in a prison of their own creation.

In a real sense people are victims of outside forces. 

When we read the gospels it appears that when Jesus looked at a crowd of people he didn’t see dirty rotten sinners; instead he saw people who were being victimized. Rather than condemning them for their choices and sins, Jesus showed them compassion and understanding. That is not to say that Jesus accepted their sin or acted like it wasn’t a big deal, but it does show that Jesus, the one person who could sit in judgment, chose to extend help to them.

There is a shift in our thinking that we need to make.

With the Bible in our hands it is tempting judge people with God’s truth, rather than to help them out of love. 

Jesus condemned the Pharisees for doing this very thing. They focused on people’s sin and did nothing to help them overcome it. 

This is a danger we need to avoid.

To have a knowledge of God’s will can lead us to believe that taking a stand for God’s truth is the same as doing God’s work. 

In Revelation 2:1-7 Jesus told the church in Ephesus that they were in danger of being shut out of the Kingdom because of their lack of love. The Ephesians were known for standing up for the truth, but somewhere along the line they had lost their love.

We have to be on our guard so that doesn’t happen to us. Truth shouldn’t overshadow our love.

Compassion, which is a form of love, needs to be mixed with truth. It is the mixture of  truth and love which gives us the ability to influence the people in our lives. Our care and compassion opens up people’s hearts to receive the the truth. 

 The example of Jesus is that he led with compassion. Jesus loved people through healing and helping them. Not only did he demonstrate compassion, he always told them the truth. 

Truth is a lot easier to take when you know it comes from a person who cares for you.

Jesus looked at the crowds of people and He saw people who were lost and with no way to find their way home. What these people needed was a person to show them the right direction, not lecture on how terrible it is to be lost.

As we look around us we realize that the number of people who need help are more than we can help by ourselves. What can we do? 

If we are going to show compassion to the world we have to pray. Prayer gives us a  proper perspective on life and the world around us. It also helps us to align our hearts with God’s heart. 

In our prayers we need make a request: workers for the harvest. There is a shortage of leaders who are able to show the lost the way home.

Compassion is not just reserved for our prayer life. Compassion needs to be a key characteristic of our lives. Jesus lived in such a way to show the people around him that he knew the Way they were to travel. 

As Jesus’ followers we have that same responsibility of living our lives in such a way that it demonstrates a better way to live.

To live like Jesus means we need a change of perspective. Instead of seeing the people as dirty rotten sinners we need to see them as lost travelers trying desperately to get home.

Or better yet, a field ready to be harvested and brought home.

Bring in the Harvest, Show Compassion

The longer I follow Jesus the greater my sadness becomes for the world we live in. I am sadden because so many people are unaware that there is a better way to live their lives. Pain and sin dominate their lives and they don't even know that there is a problem. So many people in the world believe that this is just the way life is supposed to be and so they cope the best they know how with the life they have been dealt.

Jesus did not turn a blind eye to the needs of people:

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields." (Matthew 9:35-38; NLT).

No matter how many advances in technology we make people continue to have needs.  These needs have changed little since the time of the New Testament. People still want their lives to have a purpose and to have meaning for their pain. The needs may be a little different, but people are still uncertain where to turn to for help. Casual sex, drug use, and pornography are just some indications that people are in search of some remedy to dull the pain of their hearts.

How should we as followers of Jesus respond to this reality?

It would seem to me that if we are truly interested in following Jesus' example then we first must develop compassion for the lost.  I think that we tend to judge rather than extend mercy.  Many people sin, not because they want to do evil, but because they are addicted to a certain way of life. Peter wrote; "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver" (1 Peter 1:18; NLT).  People living in the world have inherited an empty way of living, and more than being told that they are sinners, they need to see that there is a better way to live.  They need to experience the abundant life Jesus promised His followers.  Rather than treating them as insolent rebels we need to see them as helpless victims of the evil one.

The second thing we must do in order to influence these people is to be active in their lives. In this passage we notice that Jesus took time to heal people of their sicknesses and to teach them God's truth. Quoting God's Law to people who don't accept God's authority does little good. If they don't recognize Him as having authority they certainly won't obey His Law. The way we bring God's truth into the lives of other people is through our relationship with them. We show them that we love them, and over the road of compassion God's truth travels smoothly.

Finally, if we are going to follow Jesus' example of influence we must pray for workers. We can only do so much and influence so many people. In John 17 Jesus prayed for those people, throughout the centuries, who would carry on His work. We too must pray for people to go before us and to come after us so the harvest is always looked after. Through our prayers we make sure that God's compassion and truth still influences people, even though we may not be directly responsible for it.

Donn Leach in What the Bible Says About Jesus wrote:

“Jesus knows that many are ready to repent if only some messenger bring the good news of the kingdom to them (Matt. 9:37, 38). But more messengers are needed. God can supply more messengers if His people will pray.” 

Prayer is one of the most important things we can do as we seek to influence the world and thus bring about change. People are not changed by our wise words or arguments but the power of God. The power of God is best seen in our love for other people.

The first step in all of this is having compassion for the people of the world, seeing them as Jesus saw them. Jesus not only saw people’s sin, but He also saw their need. He knew that their only hope was love and truth not judgment and law. As we seek to influence the world for Jesus we have to ask ourselves the question: What am I offering people? Truth and love or law and judgment?

Daily Thought: Cultivate Compassion

Compassion is the spirit of love that is awakened by the sight of need or wretchedness.  What abundant opportunities there are every day to practice this heavenly virtue, and what need there is for it in a world so full of misery and sin!  Every Christian ought therefore by prayer and practice to cultivate a compassionate heart, as one of the most precious marks of likeness to the blessed Master.

Opportunities for showing compassion are all around us.  There are poor and sick, widows and orphans, distressed and despondent—people who need more than anything the refreshment a compassionate heart can bring.  Pray earnestly for a compassionate heart, always ready to be an instrument of divine compassion.  It was the compassionate sympathy of Jesus that attracted so many to Him on earth.  That same compassionate tenderness will still draw people to you and to your Lord.

Andrew Murray, The Best of Andrew Murray, Cook Communications (2005), p. 49

Daily Thought: A Measure of Spiritual Growth

"The truth is, the more spiritually mature you grow, the more you will find your heart being drawn to people.  You want to reach out to people, especially those neglected by society or far from God." ~ John Ortberg, Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them, p. 59

See the Harvest

 {Matthew 9:36-38; NLT}

He (Jesus) felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn't know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields."

I think one of the indications that I have matured in my faith has been my increased compassion for people. When I was younger it was easy for me to negatively judge people because of the bad circumstances in their lives. After all if they would make better choices they wouldn't find themselves in those positions.

While it is true that each of us is responsible for our own actions I have come to realize that many choices are made because people just don't know any better. They have had bad models for their lives and are unaware where to turn for help. They may want to change but don't know what to do. Many of the sin addictions are the result of people wanting to cope with the circumstances of their lives but not know what is the best course of action.

From reading the gospels it appears that when Jesus looked at a crowd He didn't see dirty rotten sinners but lost travelers. Rather than judging people for the mistakes in their lives Jesus showed compassion. He was the one person who could sit in judgment but He chose to extend help instead.

When you believe you have an understanding of truth it is tempting to judge people based on their bad circumstances. It makes us feel superior as we turn the focus off our struggles to the dark sins of the world. It also give us a sense that we are doing God's work since we are standing up for God's truth.

The example we have from Jesus is to have compassion on the world because they don't know where to turn. They are lost and have no idea how to find their way home. Jesus knew their predicament much better than we do; even though it is has also been the story of our lives.

If we are going to show compassion to the world we have to pray. Prayer helps us gain a proper perspective on life and what is happening around us. It also helps us to align our hearts with God's hearts. Jesus tells us that we are to pray and ask God to send workers to go into the fields ripe for harvest. There is a shortage of leaders able to show the lost the way home.

Compassion is not just reserved for our prayer life, but it is also about how we live. Jesus lived in such a way to show the people around Him that He knew the Way they were to travel. As Jesus' followers we have that same responsibility of living our lives in a way to show people that there is a better way to live.

Ultimately what we need what we need is a change of perspective. Instead of seeing the world as dirty rotten sinners we need to see them as lost travelers trying desperately to get home, or better yet a field ready for harvest.

Offering Truth and Love

{Matthew 9:35-38; NLT}

Jesus traveled through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And wherever he went, he healed people of every sort of disease and illness. He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, ask him to send out more workers for his fields."

While we may have made advances in technology since the time of Jesus the human need remains the same. Not only are people’s need the same, but also the majority of people are still unaware of where to turn to for help. Casual sex, drug use, and pornography are just some indications that people are in search of some how filling the need they have in their hearts.

How should the Church, the community of Jesus’ followers, respond to this reality?

If we are truly following the example of Jesus the first thing we are to do is to have compassion on the “sin-ners” we find all around us. Within the Church we tend to judge before we have compassion. We find some sort of sick satisfaction in telling people that they are sinning. Perhaps it would help to remember that the homosexual, the pornographer, and the drug user are not necessarily evil people, but they are looking for something to fill the need they find in their empty hearts or to heal the spiritual wounds that have been af-flicted on them over the years. While it is true that these people are living outside of God’s will they too are being deceived and manipulated by Satan. No matter how awful their lives may seem to be we have to remember that their lives are being stolen away by Satan and they don’t know where to turn to for help.

Not only did Jesus have compassion for these people, but He also spent time healing them and teaching them in order to help them understand the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness. For us this means we need to be active in the lives of other people. We need to be loving influences in the lives of our family and friends who do not know the love God that is found in Christ Jesus. Please remember that part of what being a follower of Jesus is all about is to engage the lives of other people.

Finally we are to pray for more workers. There are more people who are lost than there are people who saved. Many of us who are saved do very little to help those in need and focus our attention on ourselves and the management of our own sin. It is only through the conviction God’s calling that we begin to move out of our comfort zone and into the places of great need.

Donn Leach in What the Bible Says About Jesus commenting on this passage wrote; "Jesus knows that many are ready to repent if only some messenger bring the good news of the kingdom to them (Matt. 9:37, 38). But more messengers are needed. God can supply more messengers if His people will pray." Prayer is one of the most important things we can do as we seek to change the world. People are not changed by our wise words or logical arguments about the power of God. Rather it is our love for others that reveals to them just how much God loves them.

The first step in all of this is having compassion for the people of the world and seeing people as Jesus saw them. Jesus not only saw people’s sin, but He also saw their need. He knew that their only hope was love and truth not judgment and law. What are we offering to people?

Compassion for Sinners

Originally posted Thursday, March 2, 2006


One of the things I find interesting about Jesus is that he didn’t get angry with people who struggled with sin. In the Gospels we see that Jesus became angry with the "religious leaders." Obviously He was oppo-site with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes because they burden people with law but did little to help them all the while opposing Jesus. Jesus also became angry with the Twelve when they prevented people from Him because they wanted to protect Jesus from the crowds. Rather than getting angry with people struggling with sin Jesus showed compassion and offered them an invitation to follow Him.

An example of this is the Samaritan women Jesus met at the well near the village of Sychar. You can read about this encounter in John 4. Jesus has stopped to rest near this village next to the well and the disciples have gone into town to buy food. While resting at the well a woman comes to draw water. Of course this is unusual because the women came to the well to draw water in the morning and evening, not midday as it was. The well was also the gossip place; it was where the women gathered to talk about everything that was going on. It can be assumed that since the woman came alone at midday that she was not accepted by the other people of the village.

Jesus strikes up a conversation with the woman, which would have been an unheard of event in that cul-ture, and they talk about water. In the course of the conversation Jesus reveals that He knows the woman has been married five times and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. No condemna-tion comes from Jesus’ lips, just the invitation to drink the water He is offering.

The way Jesus related to people struggling with sin has gotten me to think about how we should relate to them. One school of thought is that we need to convict these people of their sin, so we need to open up God’s Law and show them that they are liars, cheaters, thieves, and adulterers. They need to understand their sin before they can repent of it.

I suppose that is one way to handle the situation, but it doesn’t seem to be Jesus’ way. Could it be that people who are entangled with sin understand fully that things are not the way they should be? I would suggest that a person struggling with sin is already experiencing the consequences of sin. He or she doesn’t need to be told that things need to be changed or what they are doing is wrong, their lives are evi-dence of that fact. What they need to hear is that there is hope and that there are people willing to help them change no matter who they are or what they have done.

Sure there is a place for telling the world of God’s law, but more often then not what people need is mercy and compassion. People struggling with sin don’t need lectures on sin or be told that they are sinners, but they need to know that there is hope for their lives and that things can be different. They need to know that they are loved regardless of the circumstances in their lives.
Jude tells us:

Live in such a way that God's love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren't contaminated by their sins (Jude 1:21-23; NLT).

Perhaps we need to quit being so vocal about the sins of the world and start being more compassionate about their circumstances. When we help people rather than judge them we do a better job at communicat-ing God’s love to them. After all, that is what they really need.

Value People

Originally posted Friday December 10, 2004

"Anytime you devalue people, you question God's creation of them." ~ Coach Bill McCartney, founder of Promise Keepers

Samwise Gamgee is the constant companion of Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. Sam chooses to follow his friend and master, Frodo, into the dangers of Mordor. From Sam's behavior we know that there is a lot of good to be found in him: friendship, courage, being prepared, and even simplicity. J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings found Sam to be the Hobbit which he liked the most. In many aspects Sam would be a character worth imitating.

I am afraid that instead of telling you how you should be like Sam, I am going to remind you not to be like him. J.R.R. Tolkien, as he wrote the famous trilogy, would write letters and send manuscripts to his son Christopher who was serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II. In one of these letters Tolkien wrote, 'For myself, I was probably most moved by...and the tragedy of Gollum who at that moment came within a hair of repentance -- but for one rough word from Sam."

Though the scene that Tolkien refers to in the letter doesn't appear in the movie, at least to my recollection, the thought was still there. In the movie version Sam continually calls Gollum names like Stinker and never wanted to trust him. Frodo on the other hand, reached out to the former Ring holder Gollum, and even questioned Sam's treatment of the wretched creature.

I am afraid that we often treat people struggling with sin the same way Sam treated Gollum. Sam could see that Gollum had been corrupted by the power of the Ring and therefore that Gollum couldn't be trusted. Sam also made sure Gollum knew exactly what he thought about him by calling Gollum names. In other words, Sam put labels on Gollum in order to deal with the creature.

When we behave like Sam, we became a hindrance to people who want to repent and change. That is precisely one of the sins Jesus condemned the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day, for doing.

{42} But how terrible it will be for you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you completely forget about justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things.

{46} Yes how terrible it will be for you experts in religious law! For you crush people beneath impossible religious demands, and you never lift a finger to help ease the burden. (Luke 11:42 and 46; NLT)

In Luke 11:37-52 Jesus criticizes the religious leaders of the day. They may have been good religious people, but they never lifted a finger to help those in need, especially those struggling with sin. They were passionate about theology but not compassionate towards people. The Pharisees would name call and blame before they would help. That is exactly what Sam does with Gollum, and sadly that is what we do to people who need our help as well.

Here is the bottom line: When we discover sin in someone else our first reaction should be, needs to be, to reach out to them in love. It doesn't do them any good for us to call them names or even give them new rules to follow, which does nothing to relieve the guilt and shame they have. Let compassion be your guide and always remember the forgiveness and compassion God has given to you through Christ Jesus.

The Good of Inconvenience

Originally posted Thursday, June 24, 2004

“How easy it is to begin to assume that I should be comfortable. How quickly I can start to expect an easy and hassle-free ministry.~ John Piper; A Godward Life

Her name is Kylee. I met her this past week as I spent a few days being a family leader and teacher at First Chance Camp. Kylee was in my family, and at first she was very quiet. By the mid-day on the first full day of camp she has attached herself to me, literally. It was an annoyance that she called me Baldy (I had to shave my head this on Saturday as the result of a hair cutting accident), stole my hat, and hung on me constantly. I was more than a little annoyed when she grabbed my hand on Tuesday night and pulled me to campfire so I could sit by her. I wanted to do what ever I could to get away from her.

On the way back from campfire God used this nine-year-old girl to remind me what is important. She told me that in April her dad was killed in an accident, and that I was her dad now. Talk about having my perspective adjusted. Now I understood why she harassed me (or as she put it, terrorized me). While I was so focused on my comfort, I totally missed the pain in Kylee's life.

We all have to deal with difficult people. There are some people who are so needy the drain the strength out of us. There are other people who for some reason just get on our nerves. There are other people who just can't seem to tell the truth to save their lives. Everyone has ‚"unloveable" people in their lives. People we find impossible to love.

The problem is that the reason we believe they are ‚"unlovable" is the side we have seen, the little we know about them. We can't know everything that has gone on in their lives. Tragedy, abuse, accidents, and family life all have a huge impact in making us the people we are. I would bet there is a reason why the annoying people in your life are annoying.

As we seek to tell people about God's love and minister to people in need, we will not always deal with people whose personality will be compatible with ours. Sooner or later as we follow Jesus we will run into people who make life uncomfortable for us. These people provide us with the ultimate test of love. It is easy to love the people we enjoy, but it is something totally different to love the people who get on our nerves and inconvenience our lives.

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. (Mark 6:31-34; NIV)

Jesus was being inconvenienced. People were coming from all over to take from Jesus. They were sick, lost, and poor. They had nothing to offer. They just wanted Jesus to help them. There were so many people Jesus hadn't even had time to eat. The desire of Jesus was to retreat, to go to a solitary place and rest. That didn't happen. Instead people discovered were He was heading, and met Him there. Jesus offers no rebuke or excuse. Instead He has compassion on them and He takes time to minister to them.

This is our example on how we need to act towards others. Yes we may be tired, we may be uncomfortable, and we maybe inconvenienced, but we should do our best to help the people who come to us for help. We have compassion on them, not because they have something to offer to us, but because they are in need of God's love.

On the last day of camp, Kylee's mom came to pick her up. She explained to me how Kylee's father died and apologized if she had been nuisance. I shook my head and said, “She was no problem.” My perspective had changed. I know longer saw Kylee as an annoyance, but a little girl who needed to be loved. May we all show compassion to those inconvenient people in our lives.

Coercion or Compassion?

To be a follower of Christ means to have compassion for people in need. It should break our hearts to see people oppressed, hungry, sick, and lonely. If we are not moved to compassion by the plight of those in need then we have a huge red flag in regards to our relationship with God. That red flag should cause us to examine whether or not we are really following Jesus.

The debate about compassion and loving our neighbor that the Church faces right now doesn’t center on whether or not we should be actively involved in alleviating human suffering, but whether or not the Church should partner with government to accomplish this task. Let me make this point: Those of us who oppose the government solution do so, not because we are indifferent to the suffering of the poor, but because we believe the government will make the situation worse.

Not only do I believe that government intervention will make things worse, I also believe that it robs people of the choice and the opportunity to actually show compassion in a meaningful way. When the government takes money from me through taxes and uses that money to provide something (food, health care, housing) for someone else, I have not shown one ounce of compassion. In other words I have not fulfilled the commandment to love my neighbor. What has happened is that I have been coerced, through the threat of fines and jail time, to part with some of the money I have earned. This is done through taxes. I have no say in how that money will be used, whether it will be used to make bombs or provide food, I simply comply to the demands of the State or face the penalties.*

When the government takes my money, which I have earned by using the talents and opportunities God has given me, it robs me of the choice of how to use that money. I also believe that it prevents me from choosing to show compassion to those in need. Thus the government becomes an obstacle that I have to overcome in order to show real love and compassion to people.

I know what you are thinking, “Steele, you have plenty of money, the government doesn’t take all of your money. You are free to choose to use that money in a compassionate way.” This is true up to a point. There are also the real costs of living to consider and the debts that need to be paid. The reality is that I only have a limited amount of money that the government can be generous with before I become one of those in need.

Sure it would be nice if everyone could have health care coverage, affordable housing, and food to eat, but that is not going to be the reality in this world of sin that we live in. It also needs to be pointed out that the government produces none of these things. For the government to provide for one group of people it must take from another group of people. Do you really want to tell me that is fair? It is wrong for the government to take from me to give to you, even if you are in great need. It is never right to coerce people to do something, even if that something is a good thing. Coercion doesn’t become right just because the government, or even the Church, does it.

Since the government doesn’t produce anything all it can do is coerce people to give what they have produced and give that to someone else. It is impossible to keep taking from one group of people, sooner or later there comes a breaking point. The government can only take so much before those who are being robbed become the very ones who need help.

If you want to follow the way of coercion that is your choice, but I will promise you that it will not lead to the transformation of society you hope to see. The reason it won't lead to transformation is because it is always wrong to take from one person and give to other. Instead of leading to transformation it will lead to resentment and hostility.

The way of transformation is the way of compassion. It happens as individuals choose to give, and at times sacrifice, the blessings God has given to them in order to help those in need. Compassion transforms the person who gives, and provides the opportunity for the person who receives to be transformed as well.

Jesus taught that at the final judgment it would be our individual acts of compassion that would identify us as being part of His kingdom. Consider what Jesus said about the righteous:

“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25: 37-40; ESV)

Notice that the righteous choose to show individual and simple acts of compassion. We need to remember that at its core the problem of suffering are individual people who are in desperate need, and at the end of the day no amount of money is going to make a difference. That is why the personal component is so important, and no government program or agency can offer real compassion.

It is interesting to note that these people were not out to serve Jesus by serving people, but rather they were simply being themselves. The righteous had been so transformed by the love of God and so given over to following Jesus that showing compassion was actually part of their nature. May I become that type of person. So in the end the righteous served, not because they were coerced but because they were moved by compassion. It is that reality that revealed them as true citizens of the Kingdom.

* I am not against paying taxes. The government is necessary and there are certain functions that it needs perform. I would also point out that when the government can raise our taxes at will then we are under a form of tyranny that our founding fathers never intended us to accept.

Plead for Mercy

The way of Jesus sounds easy. After all the great commandments we are to follow are to love God and to love people, that should be easy. We understand that the world would be a better place if we loved each other, and we understand that our lives would be better if we loved each other, so it is a no-brainer that we should love.

While the way of Jesus sounds easy and we understand that it is the best way to live, we rarely live up to the commandments. To truly love people is far more difficult than it sounds, and we cannot love God without loving the people created in His image. If we are expecting to justify ourselves, then we are out of luck.

Luke 10:25-31 is the account of one of Jesus’ best known parables: the parable of the Good Samaritan. When we look at the entire context of what Jesus taught, I think we will see that Jesus’ point was greater than having compassion on those in need.

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:25- 37; ESV)

The parable itself is pretty straight forward, but remember Jesus told the parable in response to two questions: how do I inherit eternal life? and who is my neighbor? When we look remember these questions we will see that the message of Jesus is larger than having compassion on the needy.

What did the lawyer, the man who was educated in Jewish law, mean when he asked Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Remember the lawyer is trying to test Jesus with this question, so while it may seem like an easy question for us, it was a debated issue in the day of Jesus.

There are two basic elements that make of the lawyers question. The first is whether or not there is resurrection. For those first century Jews who believed in resurrection they did not see eternal life in the same terms that we tend to see it. For them resurrection and eternal life was about vindication for keeping the Law and ruling in God’s Kingdom. Which shows us the second element of the lawyer’s question: how can I keep the entire law? So is it really surprising that the lawyer came up with the same answer that Jesus would later give to a similar question: what is the greatest commandment?

The lawyer, after answering correctly, asks a followup question, “Who is my neighbor?” The first question was to test Jesus, this question was to justify himself. He wanted to be able to tell Jesus that he was loving his neighbor and thus deserved to be vindicated by resurrection when God’s Kingdom came. The problem is that Jesus wouldn’t allow the lawyer to justify himself. Instead, he challenged the lawyers assumptions about God’s love and God’s Kingdom. While there was a debate about who was included by the term neighbor in first century Judaism, none of those debates would have included a Samaritan. Samaritans were outsiders and defilers of Judaism, and thus would never be included in God’s Kingdom. Yet, it is a Samaritan, rather than the Jewish religious elite, who is the hero of the story. He proved to be the neighbor of the man in need.

What does Jesus tell the lawyer to do? The lawyer, if he is going to inherit eternal life, needs to follow the example of the Samaritan: “You go, and do likewise.” Not only does this parable remind us of the great importance of showing compassion to people in need and reminding us of the universal nature of God’s Kingdom, but it also shows us that we are in trouble. The parable made it impossible for the lawyer to justify himself, and it makes it impossible for us to justify ourselves. If the way to inherit eternal life is by loving people, even our enemies, we are in trouble. There are days when we cannot even love those who we are closest to, let alone those people whom we dislike. I believe one of the points Jesus wants us to take away from this parable is that it is impossible for us to inherit eternal life on our own. We cannot shrink the circle of our neighbor small enough to be justified. So if we cannot accomplish this impossible task, what is our hope?

Later on in the book of Luke we run across another parable of Jesus that provides the answer.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14; ESV)

The Pharisee in the parable tried to justify himself through all the things he had done, just like the lawyer to justify himself by showing Jesus all the people he loved, and both failed to realize that no amount of good in a person’s life can overcome the bad. So we meet the tax collector, a man’s whose whole life was filled with bad, and he pleads for God’s mercy. He is the person who is justified, not based on what he did, but based on God’s mercy.

Here is my point: we need to plead for God’s mercy. We cannot justify ourselves because we cannot love like we should and we cannot overcome the bad we have already done in our lives. Our only hope is to fall on our face before Jesus and ask for mercy, which not only includes eternal life, but also transformation. We need to be in prayer asking for God’s mercy so we will be transformed into people who can love the way God created us to love. Instead of seeking to justify ourselves we need to plead for mercy. That is our only hope.

Regardless of the Circumstances

{Psalm 1; NLT}

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

Life is not static. Our circumstances are constantly changing. The reality of this truth seems to be impressed upon me every day as I realize that I am not the person I was ten years ago. My beliefs have matured, my goals have become more focused, and my body does not respond the way it once did.

Another way we notice that life is not static is the changing of the seasons. Right now I am able to witness the transition from winter into spring as flowers begin to bloom, the grass becomes green, and trees fill out with leaves. The four seasons remind us that things are continue to change, and no matter how much we want to hold on to the moment we can’t. Time marches on and change follows in its wake.

As we look at the first prayer/poem/hymn in the collection of Psalms we have in the Bible we notice something very interesting. What we notice is that the person who rejects evil and cherishes God’s Word becomes a fruitful person. They don’t just produce fruit during one season, which is typical of a fruit tree, but in each season. God’s people are constantly fruitful.

I want us to stop and consider this reality for a moment. Any person, when the circumstances of life fall right in place, can be useful and loving. Yet that usefulness lasts only for a season, when life changes that person loses their influence. It was circumstance and chance that allowed them to be helpful to other people.

The person who values God’s Word and has put it into his/her heart puts themselves into a position where they can be useful all the time. They realize what matters is not the right circumstances, put how they respond to those circumstances. It doesn’t matter if they are 12 or 94 because God’s Word shows them how they love people in all situations. It doesn’t matter if they are married or single because God’s Word helps them understand that they have value and are able to make a difference in this world. It doesn’t matter if they are healthy or lying sick in bed because God’s Word convinces them that they have the ability to influence the life of someone else.

For the follower of Christ Jesus what matters is not the “season” of life they are in, but the Word of God that is in their hearts. When we know God’s Word then we are able to make a difference regardless of the circumstances of our lives.

Saturday Links: Eldredge, Moore, Galli

Here are some of the articles/blog posts that I enjoyed this week.

Air Travel and Sanctification - John Eldredge

Half-Pure Religion and the Unpopularity of the Poor - Mark Moore

Making the Local Church a Hero - Mark Galli

Enjoy.

Do You See The Harvest?

{Matthew 9:36-38; ESV}

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

I think one of the ways we can measure our spiritual growth is a more sincere compassion for hurting people. When I was younger it was easy for me to negatively judge people because of the bad circumstances in their lives. “After all,” I reasoned; “if they would make better choices they wouldn’t find themselves in those difficult circumstances.” Compassion was absent from my life. Now my heart breaks when I see people throw their lives away, because I know God has a life that is so much better than the one they are living.

I don’t want to diminish the responsibility each of us has for the choices that we make; I have come to realize that many choices are made because people just don’t know any better. They have had bad models for their lives and are unaware where to turn for help. They may want to change but don’t know what to do. We also need to remember many of the sin addictions people have are the result of their desire to cope with the tragic circumstances of their lives, but now they are in a cycle that they can’t break free from.

When we read the gospels it appears that when Jesus looked at a crowd of people He didn’t see dirty rotten sinners; instead He saw lost traveller. Rather than condemning people for their faults and sins, Jesus showed them compassion and acceptance. Jesus was the one person who could sit in judgment but He chose to extend help instead.
If we believe we have God’s of truth it is tempting to judge people, rather than to help them. That was one of the sins Jesus condemned the Pharisees for. Focusing solely on the truth can make us feel superior, and thus we think we are in the position to judge the lives of those around us. It also give us a sense that we are doing God’s work since we are standing up for God’s truth. Yet, in Revelation 2:1-7 Jesus told the church in Ephesus that they were in danger of being shut out of the Kingdom because they did not love. the Ephesians were known for standing up for the truth, but somewhere along the line they had lost their love.

Compassion, which is a form of love, must be mixed with truth. It is the mixture of the two which has the ability to change the life of the vilest sinner. The example of Jesus is that of compassion and truth. Jesus loved people, where they were at, and yet He always told them the truth. Truth is a lot easier to take when you know it comes from a person who care for you.

Jesus looked at the crowds of people and He saw people who were lost and who had no idea how to find their way home. What these people needed was a person who would show them compassion by pointing them in the right direction.

The legions of people who need help are more than we can help by ourselves, so what can we do? If we are going to show compassion to the world we have to pray. Prayer helps us gain a proper perspective on life and what is happening around us. It also helps us to align our hearts with God’s hearts. On top of that we are to ask God to provided what we need: workers for the harvest. There is a shortage of leaders able to show the lost the way home.

Compassion is not just reserved for our prayer life, but it is also about how we live. Jesus lived in such a way to show the people around Him that He knew the Way they were to travel. As Jesus’ Followers we have that same responsibility of living our lives in a way to show people that there is a better way to live.

Ultimately what we need is a change of perspective. Instead of seeing the people of the world as dirty rotten sinners we need to see them as lost travelers trying desperately to get home, or better yet, a field ready for harvest.

• Point to Ponder: Compassion for people is a sign of spiritual growth.
• Passage to Remember: Matthew 9:36-38
• Prayer to Pray: Lord God, open my eyes to see the harvest and soften my heart to the needs of people...

Show Compassion to Sinners

{Jude 21-23; NLT}

Live in such a way that God's love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren't contaminated by their sins.

One of the things I find interesting about Jesus is that he didn’t get angry with people who struggled with sin. In the Gospels we see that Jesus became angry with the "religious leaders." Obviously He was upset with the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes because they burden people with law but did little to help them all the while opposing Jesus. Jesus also became angry with the Twelve when they prevented children from seeing Him. The people who Jesus became angry with were the people who were to help lead people to God. To the people struggling with sin Jesus showed compassion and offered them an invitation to follow Him.

We see an example of this reality with Jesus encounter with the woman at the well. Jesus and His disciples are traveling through Samaria in order to return to Galilee. The group stops near the village of Sychar to rest. There is a well near the town, a well that was dug by Jacob. It was at the well Jesus rests and the disciples go into the village to buy food.

It was almost noon when a woman came out to the well to draw water. This was odd since the women usually drew water in the cool of the morning and the cool of the evening, they didn’t come out during the day. It was odd because the well was part of the social network for the women, it provided them time to talk and gossip. In other words it would have been obvious to the casual observer that this woman was an outcast among her fellow citizens.

Jesus strikes up a conversation with the woman, which would have been an unheard of event in that culture, and they talk about water. In the course of the conversation Jesus reveals that He knows the woman has been married five times and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. No condemnation comes from Jesus’ lips, just the invitation to drink the water He is offering.

The way Jesus related to people struggling with sin has gotten me to think about how we should relate to them. One school of thought is that we need to convict the hearts of people about their sin, so we need to open up God’s Law and show them that they are liars, cheaters, thieves, and adulterers. They need to understand their sin before they can repent of it.

I suppose that is one way to handle the situation, but it doesn’t seem to be Jesus’ way. Could it be that people who are entangled with sin understand fully that things are not the way they should be? I would suggest that a person struggling with sin is already experiencing the consequences of sin. He or she doesn’t need to be told that things need to be changed or be reminded that what they are doing is wrong, their lives are evidence of that fact. What they need to hear is that there is hope and that there are people willing to help them change no matter who they are or what they have done.

Don’t get me wrong, I know there is a place for telling the world of God’s law, but more often then not what people need is mercy and compassion. People struggling with sin don’t need lectures on sin or be told that they are sinners, but they need to know that there is hope for their lives and that things can be different. They need to know that they are loved regardless of the circumstances in their lives.

Perhaps we need to quit being so vocal about the sins of the world and being more compassionate about their circumstances. When we help people rather than judge them we better communicate God’s love. That is what people really need.

• Point to Ponder: Jesus showed compassion to sinners and so should we.
• Passage to Remember: Jude 21-23
• Prayer to Pray: Lord, thank You for showing compassion and mercy to me. Please help me to see other people, and their sins, through the lens of compassion rather than judgment.

Bringing People to Jesus

One of my favorite stories about Jesus is found in Luke 5:17-26. You know the story. Jesus was teaching one day, and people gathered around him, bringing to Jesus their sick and crippled friends and relatives, so that they could be healed. The place where Jesus was teaching became so crowded that there was no room left in the house. Jesus healed many people and the news that he was there spread quickly around town, and soon a group of friends brought one of their own, a man who was paralyzed. The problem was that because the were late they could not get near Jesus. So what did the do? They climbed onto the roof, removed some of the tiles there, creating a hole, and then four of them lowered their friend down in front of Jesus. And because of the faith of this man’s friends, Jesus forgave his sins and healed him, allowing this former paralytic to get up and walk.

This is an amazing story about Jesus the healer, because we see the two different ways Jesus heals. When we speak about Jesus the Healer we tend to focus on the physical healing that he did: giving speech to the speechless, sight to the blind, healing leprosy, raising the dead to life, and many more. Jesus’ healing went much deeper than that, Jesus has the ability to heal our souls, and that is the first thing he does here, he forgives this man of his sins. When a person’s sins are forgiven, then and only then can he start on the road to recovery and building a strong lasting relationship with God.

The reason this man was healed was because the faith of his friends. The man was powerless to get to Jesus on his own, but his friends, even though there were obstacles, made sure he had an encounter with Jesus.

We all have friends and family who are paralyzed because of the sin in their lives. They are powerless to do anything about it, they are powerless to see Jesus. If these people, whom we claim we love, are going to experience the healing Jesus offers, it is going to take us to show them Jesus. That means we love them, we listen to them, share the gospel with them, and we pray for them.

The paralytic in the Bible would never have known the healing touch of Jesus if his friends hadn’t taken the initiative. Our friends and family living without Jesus will never know the healing Jesus has to offer unless Christians, people like us, take the initiative, and show them Jesus.

Encourage People

Opportunity Knocking: Part 3

Usually when we think opportunity is knocking it is because circumstances have been arranged in such a way to make a certain situation positive. In God’s economy that is often not the case. Opportunity knocks the best on a closed door, and it is in these negative situation that God provides us with our greatest opportunities.

That was certainly the case for the apostle Paul who found himself in a Roman prison. The amazing thing is that Paul didn’t let his chains stop him from using the opportunity God sent his way, in the form of his prison guards. Paul seized the opportunity and reached out to the only people he had contact with. If we are going to step out in faith and make the most of the lives God has blessed us with then we need to reach out to the people around us.

The second action of faith we need to do in order to make the most of our God given opportunities is to ENCOURAGE people.

14 Moreover, because of my imprisonment most of the brothers have been made confident in the Lord to speak God's word more boldly and courageously than ever before. 15 Some are preaching Christ because of their envy and rivalry, while others do so because of their good will. 16 The latter are motivated by love, because they know that I have been appointed for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition and without sincerity, thinking that they will stir up trouble for me during my imprisonment. (Philippians 1:14-17; ISV)

Paul, with his preaching, encouraged people. He probably encouraged some directly through teaching when they came to visit him in prison, and indirectly through reports they received about what Paul was doing in prison.

In a situation like this It would be so easy to get discouraged. Paul being the leader that he was realized that many Christ Followers would be discouraged to know that he was in prison. There was a risk to following Jesus in that place and Paul’s imprisonment made that danger real. So Paul continued to preach in chains and these other Christians who were discouraged discovered hope and encouragement in Paul’s actions. They once again took up the call and started to preach and teach about Jesus. Now some did it out of selfish motives, perhaps with the thought to replace Paul or to get other people to support them so they didn’t have to work so hard. Whatever the reason Jesus was being preached and people were being encouraged.

Depression and discouragement are out of control in this country. People need to have hope and they need to know that their lives have meaning. When we live lives of hope in bleak circumstances we become a beacon of hope to the people around us. When we encourage people with the Good News of forgiveness, mercy, grace, and salvation we offer people a source of hope that will help get them through the tough times.

The hardships of life provide us with the opportunity to encourage people and to offer them hope in the midst of the trials and tragedies of life. We can’t afford to become self-absorbed when the tough times hit, we have to see them for what they are: opportunities. Make the most of your difficulties and encourage someone else.

• Point to Ponder: The hardships of life provide us with the opportunity to encourage people and to offer them hope in the midst of the trials and tragedies of life.
• Passage to Remember: Philippians 1:14-17
• Question to Consider: Who was the last person you encouraged?

Reach Out To People

Opportunity Knocking: Part 2

As we read through the Bible it is obvious that God likes to use the under dog who is up against a no win situation. Usually we think opportunity is knocking when things are looking favorable, but often for the follower of Jesus opportunity knocks when things can’t get any worse.

When the apostle Paul wrote Philippians things were not going well for him. He is in prison in Rome. No longer can he travel the country preaching about Jesus, his mission to take Jesus to the Gentiles has come to an end. Yet from this bleak situation Paul tells us that a victory emerges.

12 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel: 13 The whole imperial guard and everyone else knows that I am in prison for the sake of Christ, 14 and most of the brothers and sisters, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, now more than ever dare to speak the word fearlessly. 15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. 16 The latter do so from love because they know that I am placed here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, because they think they can cause trouble for me in my imprisonment. 18 What is the result? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. (Philippians 1:12-18; NET)

From this situation in Paul’s life we can identify three actions of faith that can help us make the most of the opportunities God sends our way.

The first action is OUTREACH:

12 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel: 13 The whole imperial guard and everyone else knows that I am in prison for the sake of Christ, (Philippians 1:12-13, NET)

The phrase “I want you to know...” can carry the tone of answering a question or that what Paul is about to tell them is the opposite of what they expect (College Press NIV Commentary: Philippians, Colossians, Philemon; p. 34). So in essence Paul could be saying, “What I have to say you will not to believe.” This news is amazing and very unexpected.

What is this amazing news? That being in prison hasn’t hurt Paul’s ability to preach the Gospel. He has been able to reach out and build relationships with the guards and any other visitor he might have.

The result is that the real reason Paul is in person is revealed, the fact that he is in prison for preaching about Jesus, and members of the royal guard are giving their lives to Jesus. It is truly amazing what is happening.

Think for a moment about your situation. I don’t know what is happening with you, but I do know that we can talk ourselves out of reach out with the Gospel, whether by words or deeds, because of our current circumstances. Perhaps we have convinced ourselves that we don’t know enough or that we or too busy or that we don’t want to get hurt. It is easy to convince ourselves that opportunity isn’t knocking at our doors.

The reality of being in prison didn’t stop Paul from reaching out to the people that he could reach. Paul continued to focus on the reason God had called him to preach Jesus, and he did what he could with the situation that he was in and a miracle began to take place.

The first action of faith that we need if we are to impact our families, friends, and community for Jesus is to reach out to people. This isn’t about being “preachy” and tell them that they will burn if they don’t don’t turn. It is about exhibiting love, acceptance, and telling them the truth. It won’t be easy, but if we never take this step of faith then we will never be able to make a difference in the lives of other people. Reaching out to other people with the Good News of Jesus Christ is an act of faith.

• Point to Ponder: Reaching out to other people with the Good News of Jesus Christ is an act of faith.
• Passage to Remember: Philippians 1:12-13
• Question to Consider: How are you reaching out to people?

Forced Compassion

What is the role of government? This is a very important question for us to consider and to answer for the answer will determine who we vote for and what programs the government should be offering. Being a Christian and an American there are two sources which will help us determine what the role of government should be. The first is the Bible. In Romans Paul writes:

1 Every person must be subject to the governing authorities, for no authority exists except by God's permission. The existing authorities have been established by God, 2 so that whoever resists the authorities opposes what God has established, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

3 For the authorities are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to live without being afraid of the authorities? Then do what is right, and you will receive their approval. 4 For they are God's servants working for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to execute wrath on anyone who does wrong. 5 Therefore, it is necessary for you to be subject, not only because of God's wrath but also because of your own conscience.

6 This is also why you pay taxes. For rulers are God's servants faithfully devoting themselves to their work. 7 Pay everyone whatever you owe them—taxes to whom taxes are due, tolls to whom tolls are due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due. (Romans 13:1-7, ISV)

According to Paul the basic role government is to play in our lives is law and order. To protect its citizens from criminals on the inside and enemies on the outside. It is for this most basic service that Paul says we pay taxes.

As an American the Constitution of the United States also plays a role in helping us decide what the role of government should be. In fact that is the purpose of the document, yet it is so surprising that so many people in this country have not a single clue what it says. It defines the role of the federal government, which is very limited. If you haven't read the Constitution of this great republic then you should take the time and read it.

One of the things that worries me are Christians, mainly seen in the emergent church, who believe it is the government's role to force people to be compassionate. In other words they believe the government should take my money and give it to somebody who doesn't have any. This is seen in different welfare type programs. This isn't compassion. It is simply redistributing wealth. The way of Jesus is not forced charity but the personal choice to be compassionate.

The problem with forced compassion is that it doesn't work. It doesn't work in a Christian sense or an economic sense. Let us think about this from an economic sense first. The federal government has no money. The money that the government has it takes from people. This is a proper government function. Taxes are not immoral. So the problem isn't with taxes, but with how much money government takes from us and what that money is intended to be used for.

Each "charitable" government program costs money. Something like universal health care costs us money, it isn't free. The more government programs we have the more taxes that are required of us. The heavier the tax burden the less buying power we have as people. The less buying power we have as individuals the worse the economy becomes and the more people there are who need to have government assistance. The more people on government assistance the more taxes that are needed to fund those programs and the heavier the tax burden becomes. In the end we discover forced charity is no charity at all and cannot be sustained, at least not without a crippling tax burden on hard working people (is it moral to tax people so much that they can hardly afford to live?).

Add up the costs of the new programs people like Senators Obama, Clinton, and McCain want to add to an already bloated system and one has to wonder where the money is going to come from. Especially when we think about the reality that we are already borrowing 3 billion a day from places like China. By borrowing money to pay for compassionate social programs we are leaving the next generation to pay the bill. For the sake of the nation our government cannot afford to be the world's largest charity.

I also have a hard time believing that Jesus would what us to give away our responsibility to be charitable by giving that responsibility to the government. We cannot learn to have compassion and to give generously if we think that is the reason we have government. Compassion is a personal choice and charity is a personal responsibility. Remember Jesus' story about judgment in Matthew 25? What separated the righteous form the unrighteous? They were separated by their willingness to help those in need. Let me be absolutely clear on this: We need to fight for justice, stand up for the weak, and help those in need and we lose something when we give this responsibility to the government.

Let me leave you with an illustration. Imagine I was in downtown Chicago and I saw a homeless man on the street and I said to myself: "That man needs to be helped." But I didn't have any money on me so I wondered what I should do. Then I see you. I go over and beat you up, take your money, and give the man all the money in your wallet and say, "Have a good day and God bless." Have I acted compassionately? Have you acted compassionately? When we expect the government to be the source of charity we in essence give them the right to do just that: steal from people who have money and give that money to people who have none. Compassion doesn't happen when we give government the responsibility to help people, but perhaps we ease our consciences by telling ourselves something is being done.

People in our Hearts

"When people are allowed to go on deposit in our hearts, strong affections and attachments form. When people are not in our hearts, there is no interest or concern. Because Christ has called us into the people business, it is important that we find room for them in our hearts." ~ Gary Carpenter, What the Bible Says about the Heart, p. 41