And When He Saw Him, He Had Compassion

As one looks at Houston on Friday, September 1, 2017, it is a remarkably different condition compared to the previous Friday. Since Hurricane Harvey came our way trillions of gallons of water have fallen upon Houston and areas east of Houston.

We see on our televisions the vast destruction of flooded homes and people suffering in despair as they cope with the loss of all they own.

Clearly, Houston is down. What is heartening is that people in the community and surrounding communities have risen to the occasion to help those who are down at this time. The attitude of sacrifice and service is heartening to all of us.

At the same time, we have the opposite example of taking advantage of the situation for personal gain or to kick those who are down. As you think of those involved in looting or running scams, those involved in these actions have come to have a predatory nature. They see people forced from their homes by the flooding as an opportunity to take advantage of their plight. Instead of seeing their neighbor in a downtrodden condition and in need of help, they see them as easy prey.


Not only do we see some looting taking place, but we also have those who make truly insensitive statements. One such statement was made on the cover of the French magazine, Charlie Hebdo. The cover reads “God Exists! He Drowned All the Neo-Nazis of Texas.” The words accompany an
illustration showing swastika flags and arms raised in a Nazi salute -- all submerged in water, the New York Post reports. Instead of compassionate words, those at the magazine have chosen to kick those who are down.

While we see looting and scamming and harsh words, we also see people who are putting on display that they care for their fellow men and women. They are serving, sacrificing, and giving because they saw their neighbor in need.

Christ explained for us the model we are to follow in Luke 10:30-36. In this teaching about who constitutes a neighbor, Christ begins his story with the heartless thieves assaulting a traveler and leaving him wounded along the road. We then have a priest and a Levite who see the wounded man and ignore his plight. It is the Samaritan who sees the helpless condition of the injured man and intervenes to help.

We know this as the story of the Good Samaritan and it is an example for us. What was the motivation of the Samaritan? The answer is found in Luke 10:33, “But a certain Samaritan,
as he journeyed, came where he was. w”

This is a quality that we must develop as we grow to the maturity of Jesus Christ. It was a fundamental quality displayed by Jesus Christ throughout his ministry, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

The tragedy that has unfolded with Hurricane Harvey is not over. The needs of those who have suffered loss will be around for a while. As Good Samaritans, when we see a need in our community, we have the opportunity to show compassion to those in need. Our helping those in need can be a group effort by the local congregation, but it can also be individual displays of compassion and service to those in our community.

A good Sabbath to everyone,

Gary Smith