Compassion and Neighborly Love
One of the most radical things we can do as followers of Jesus is to show compassion and love to our neighbors. When Jesus was asked to identify the greatest commandment, He responded with two inseparable truths—
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39)
These commands are clear yet putting them into practice requires more than just good intentions. They demand action, humility, and a heart that represents Jesus well.
What then does neighborly love look like?
Compassion isn’t just a feeling of pity, it is love that moves. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus not only feeling compassion but acting upon it. When He encountered the hungry, He fed them. When He saw the sick, He healed them. When He found the outcast, He welcomed them. His love was active and intentional.
We often think of compassion in grand gestures such as mission trips, feeding the homeless, or donating to charity. While these are incredible expressions of love, sometimes the greatest acts of compassion are the simplest: checking on a struggling friend, listening to someone who feels unheard, or offering a word of encouragement when someone is feeling discouraged.
Compassion is about seeing people the way Jesus sees them and responding with love.
Jesus’ definition of “neighbor” expands beyond those who live next door or share our beliefs. In Luke 10, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, in which a man is beaten and left for dead. Two religious leaders walk past him, but a Samaritan (a man from a group despised by the Jews) stops to help. He bandages his wounds, carries him to safety, and provides for his care.
This story challenges us to love beyond convenience. Loving our neighbor means loving the people who are different from us, who challenge us, and even those who have wronged us. It’s easy to love those who agree with us, but the call of Christ is to love beyond our comfort.
Is there someone in your life who is difficult to love? A coworker, a family member, or even a stranger you tend to overlook? The love of Christ compels us to go beyond what feels easy or deserved and instead extend grace … as we have received it.
As a church, we have an incredible opportunity to be a light in our community. When people see the way we love each other, they should see Jesus! “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
Loving well means creating a culture of encouragement, generosity, and kindness. It means stepping outside of our comfort zones to engage with those who feel unseen. It means being a place where the hurting can find healing, where the lonely can find belonging, and where the weary can find rest.
Imagine what would happen if we took some big strides forward in working on adding this type of love and compassion in our daily lives. Let’s do it together!
Here are a few practical ways to put them into action this week:
- Pray for open eyes. Ask God to help you see the needs around you. Who in your life needs encouragement, support, or a simple act of kindness?
- Serve without expecting anything in return. Buy a meal for someone in need, help a neighbor with yard work, or write a note of encouragement.
- Listen with empathy. Take time to really hear someone’s struggles without rushing to fix or judge. Sometimes presence is the greatest gift.
- Extend grace. Love isn’t always convenient or easy. When faced with a difficult person, choose patience and kindness instead of frustration.
- Be intentional. Make it a goal to reach out to someone each day with a small act of love—a text, a prayer, or a helping hand.
As we go about our week, let’s remember that compassion and love are at the heart of who we are as Christ-followers. May we be people that loves boldly, serves joyfully, and represents Jesus well in all that we do.