Compassion

5 min read

19 The Israelites replied: “We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.”

20 Again they answered: “You may not pass through.”

Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. 21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.

Numbers 20:19-21

Two things lacking in this world are compassion and trust. It is difficult to exercise trust in fellow human beings when there is so much corruption, deception, and crime in this world. And yet, even in such a world, we are called to offer compassion.

There have been several homeless men who have come through our doors. If homeless people come and ask for assistance, I will offer water and snacks if I have any. I will offer whatever help I can, but I will never give them money.

My policy has always been to refer them to organizations that provide assistance to the homeless. I have referred people to New Challenge, as well as to the homeless shelters in Torrance and Long Beach.

Two brothers in particular would return to the church regularly and seek specific help. I have given multiple rides to one homeless brother—to his old neighborhood, to the train station in Long Beach, to the rescue mission in Long Beach, even to a welfare agency in downtown LA. He was my age. I haven’t seen him since COVID.

And then there was another homeless brother who even attended our church for a while. He would offer his service, but oftentimes the service he offered was more disruptive than helpful. I have not heard from him in many years, either.

I do not mention those two brothers to suggest that I am so compassionate. TBH, I was happy to refer those brothers to a homeless shelter, and even provide them with water and snacks if I had any. But as they kept coming around, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread and annoyance. I couldn’t help but feel that they were taking advantage of me and gobbling up MY precious time. And so I would feel resentment.

Even so, I tried to help those brothers out of obedience to Christ—not to suggest that I am any more obedient than anyone else.

But I do fear the Lord. Because I fear the Lord, my default position whenever anyone comes to the church for help (homeless or not) is to provide help if I am able. Even if I don’t feel like it. Even if I feel that they are taking advantage of me.

There is no end to the needs of the needy. We will always have the poor with us. But even someone like Elon Musk or Billy Graham has much more in common with a homeless person than with Jesus Christ.

And so, whenever a homeless person comes to me, I try to remember: there but by the grace of God go I.

Father, Your grace, mercy, and compassion have no limit. Your heart goes out to those who have the least. And yet my heart is inclined toward the good-looking, the strong, the wealthy. Forgive me for lacking compassion toward the ugly, the weak, and the poor. And thank You for Your compassion toward me. In Jesus’s name. Amen.