When Comfort Costs Too Much

"A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side." 
Luke 10:31 (NIV)

What would you do if helping someone meant risking everything comfortable about your life?

In Luke 10, Jesus tells the story of a priest who travels down the road to Jericho after finishing his temple duties. The priest is heading home to his family when he sees him—a man beaten, stripped naked, lying half-dead on the roadside.

The priest's mind races. If this man is dead and I touch him, I'll be ceremonially defiled. I'll have to return to Jerusalem for a week-long cleansing process. I'll be quarantined from my family with no explanation. What if more robbers are hiding nearby?

It’s one thing to believe in compassion. It's another thing to practice it. When you comfort hurting people, there are going to be times you'll have to get out of your comfort zone. Compassion can be a risky business.

When your coworker is struggling with addiction, you might think, "If I get involved, this could affect my reputation or drain my time." If your neighbor faces a financial crisis, you could say, "Helping them might put my own family at risk." But comfort is found on the wrong side of the road. Compassion is found on the right side of the road.

The next time helping someone requires sacrifice, remember: God has already given you everything you need to love others well. The question isn't whether you can afford to help, it's whether you can afford not to.

Prayer: God, thank You for Your compassion—that cost so very much. When showing compassion feels risky or uncomfortable, remind me that You took the ultimate risk by sending Jesus to die for me. Give me the courage to step out of my comfort zone to serve others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.