Have you ever designed a Christian scorecard for yourself? Maybe not a physical or electronic card or even a scorecard that you have ever shared with anyone; but nonetheless, you have in your mind your preferences and actions that you use to evaluate yourself against others who claim to be Christians.
This concept of a Christian scorecard or evaluating yourself against others is not new. In fact, Jesus faced this type of situation when He came to earth and ministered among people. One day, an expert in religious law approached Jesus seeking affirmation of his religious life. He seemed to want Jesus’ approval for his own religious “scorecard.” This man thought that he was not only good and acceptable before God, but also, that he was exceptional in his knowledge and actions.
One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:25-29
Jesus sees through the man’s religious actions and his self-righteous evaluation. Jesus knows about the “scorecard mentality” people use regarding what pleases God. This man quotes the Great Commandments (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37-40).
Jesus responds “Right!” This man has the knowledge of what God expects of His followers and Jesus affirms his knowledge. But why is this man asking Jesus a question he already knows the answer? Then, the man “wanted to justify his actions” – so he proceeds to ask Jesus a clarifying question. He asks Jesus to clarify the “scorecard” of obedience to the commandment regarding “loving his neighbor as himself.”
Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan to force the man to identify the person in the parable who truly embodies the characteristics of God, the person who truly lives like a follower of God.
Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. Luke 10:30-36
Through the Good Samaritan parable, Jesus offers the man a glimpse into his own heart, but also shows the man his flawed sense of his own religious evaluation. His “religious scorecard” seems not to align nor measure what matters to God.
The man had the knowledge of God. He quoted the commandments correctly. He also had the external religious actions toward God. He followed the commandments. But he did not have the heart of compassion like God has toward people, and neither did the religious people in the parable Jesus shared. Jesus asks the man to examine his heart. Was his heart full of compassion toward others like God’s heart is full of compassion toward people?
Some biblical scholars believe the Good Samaritan in the parable is Jesus, Himself. Jesus embodies God’s characteristics perfectly because Jesus is God. Jesus embodies the heart of compassion toward others that God desires in His followers.
Throughout the gospels, Jesus uses the phrase “he felt compassion” to describe His response when He encountered people in need. In this parable, the Samaritan was on a journey, meaning he was traveling somewhere for a purpose. The Samaritan’s journey was interrupted when he saw the man in need, “he felt compassion” and took action – bandaged and cleaned his wounds with his own resources, provided transportation on his donkey, paid for a room in the inn, took care of the man through the night, left money with the innkeeper for additional nights, and asked for the innkeeper to provide care for the man in his absence.
Jesus looks at you with compassion and is willing to meet you in your time of need. Jesus takes care of everything for you to be reconciled to God. Jesus came to earth for a purpose. Jesus came to do the will of God to reconcile you to Himself (John 6:38-40). Jesus came to seek and save you (Luke 19:10), testify to the truth about God (John 18:37), and give you the abundant life God intended for you to live (John 10:10).
Jesus knows you and your life circumstances. He feels compassion toward you and wants to restore your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Jesus commits to the full work of your transformation, not just help with temporary needs or with an urgent need, but rather to live life with you daily.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus embodies God’s compassion. Compassion seems to be a motivation of Jesus. Whether Jesus is eating with sinners (Matthew 9:9-13), observing the spiritually distressed (Matthew 9:35-36), tending to the physically ill (Matthew 9:35-36; 14:14; 15:30), ministering to the hungry crowds (Matthew 15:32; Mark 8:2), or comforting a grieving widow by bringing her only son to back to life (Luke 7:11-14), He describes His heart of compassion toward each person He helps.
Jesus’ compassion results in His action, not just a deep feeling of sympathy or sorrow for people and their situations. The Good Samaritan feels compassion that moves him to action.
Jesus performs miracles on behalf of the people for which he “felt compassion.” Jesus is moved with compassion and cleanses a leper (Mark 1:41). After days of healing the lame, crippled, blind, and mute, Jesus calls His disciples to Him and said, “I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” (Matthew 15:32)
Compassion motivated Jesus to feed the hungry people. “They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children.” (Matthew 15:37-38)
From God’s perspective, the people who have His compassion for others by acting on their behalf, are demonstrating that they are following and loving Jesus. Compassion is a life characteristic to exhibit, not a box on a religious scorecard.
Jesus welcomes you and the interruptions and imperfections your life, recognizing that each instance is an opportunity for Jesus to show Himself and His compassion to meet your emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. Jesus is the perfect embodiment of God’s compassion.
Jesus instructed the man, the expert in the law, to do God’s commandment – “love your neighbor as yourself.” The conversation could have been over, but the man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus a question that ultimately exposed his heart, his impure motives, and his inaccurate evaluation of himself (i.e., his preferred religious scorecard).
Following and loving Jesus is not a religious scorecard, it is characteristics to embody, namely His compassion. Following and loving Jesus is about embodying His compassion wherever you are journeying from place to place. Most likely, there are people all around you who have or are experiencing unexpected life situations that have left them feeling helpless, alone, and broken.
Do you feel compassion for others like Jesus does? Do you respond with action to help others like Jesus does? Jesus embodies God’s compassion for people in need.
“Loving your neighbor as yourself” seems more clear since Jesus lived God’s compassion as the example. How can you embody God’s compassion and allow His compassion to be your primary motivation for meeting the needs of others?
