Key Points
- A 14-year-old in Gilbert, Arizona, stopped to help an elderly woman who appeared confused in dangerous heat.
- His story reminds Christians that loving your neighbor often begins with paying attention.
- The Good Samaritan shows that biblical compassion does not merely notice suffering; it moves toward practical action.
- In an age of hurry, Jesus teaches us to slow down, see the vulnerable, and receive interruptions as opportunities to love.
- Young people can lead by example when they show courage, compassion, honor, and faithfulness.
What Happened in Gilbert, Arizona?
In the heat of Gilbert, Arizona, temperatures soared above 103 degrees. Royal Cuthrun, a 14-year-old boy from the city, was out enjoying a bike ride when he saw something that caught him off guard: an elderly woman wandering around with a shopping bag and purse.
Deciding to approach the woman, Cuthrun could tell that something was off. Later identified as seventy-five-year-old Theresa Morgan, she was searching for her apartment. Choosing to record the entire interaction using his smart glasses, Cuthrun guided the woman into the shade. After talking with her for a few minutes, it was clear Morgan was confused and distressed. According to People magazine, Cuthrun “was able to get the woman to remember her son Jeff’s phone number. The teen waited with Morgan until Jeff arrived. Shortly after, members of Gilbert Fire and Rescue responded to the scene.”
In a world where we’re busy, preoccupied, and easily distracted, rescue officials call Cuthrun’s action an attentive miracle. Due to the location where Morgan was found, it’s suspected that numerous people drove by and saw the woman without stopping. But not Cuthrun.
In the heat of the moment, an ordinary teen chose to pay attention and take action, which ultimately may have saved Morgan’s life. Because what if being a modern-day hero has less to do with what we do and more about what we pay attention to? What if loving our neighbor and those around us doesn’t begin with food pantries and day-services (though those are both important programs), but learning to pay attention well?
How Does Loving Your Neighbor Begin with Learning to See?
In Luke 10:33-37, there’s a familiar passage highlighting the Good Samaritan. The passage reads as follows:
“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (NIV).
What’s profound about this Scripture isn’t just that the Samaritan took care of this stranger in need, but what all the other bypassers failed to do. In just a few verses earlier, we read that several people saw the injured man. Only a Priest and a Levite are mentioned, but you get the picture. This man who had been attacked by robbers was left for dead, and no one cared an ounce. Until someone unlikely entered the scene and chose to respond to what he saw.
This Samaritan was likely busy. On a mission. Had plans for the day. And yet, he was willing to be inconvenienced to fulfill God’s will. The real question here is: Are you?
Like 14-year-old Cuthrun, the Good Samaritan illustrates that compassion isn’t just feeling bad for someone or merely taking notice—biblical compassion moves us to act. It takes little effort to observe; it takes bravery to move.
Why Does Hurry Make Loving Your Neighbor Harder?
In a world of fast food, instant messages, and productivity, one might be tempted to think that our 21st-century world is very different from what it was in Jesus’ time. In some ways, that’s true. Culture has completely transformed how we live and see the world. However, it’s also important to remember that Jesus, His Disciples, and those He interacted with in the Scriptures were also busy!
Modern culture will continue to teach and praise busyness as a form of idolatry, technology as a form of distraction, and avoidance as a means to prioritize ourselves. And yet, if we profess to be Christians and look at how Jesus lived, we receive a much different picture.
Jesus was willing to interrupt His schedule (and let it be interrupted) repeatedly. From blind Bartimaeus to the bleeding woman, the woman at the well, Zacchaeus, children, lepers, and the masses needing healing, Jesus was inconvenienced out of His love for us. Because love slows down. Sometimes the best measure of ministry isn’t doing more but taking a step back and noticing.
How Can Young People Lead with Compassion and Faith?
If you want to make a difference in this world, take a lesson from the Good Samaritan and many teens around you. 1 Timothy 4:12 explains the impact of effective young people in this way:
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (NIV).
Young or old, we must remember that God uses people of all ages, races, and nationalities to serve His people. David, Mary, Josiah, and Timothy, to name a few, modeled courage that challenges us to remember what true obedience, compassion, and faithfulness look like.
Caring for the vulnerable doesn’t just reflect God’s heart, but it reflects what the church as a whole should represent.
Leviticus 19:32 and Philippians 2:3-4 say it this way:
“Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord” (NIV)
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (NIV).
In the days of the Good Samaritan and today, God consistently cares for and prioritizes the elderly, widows, children, poor, strangers, and vulnerable populations. Why should we believe that our call as Christians is anything less?
What Are Practical Ways to Practice Loving Your Neighbor?
You and I might not have the opportunity to rescue an elderly woman from dangerous temperatures, but all of us can serve those who exemplify a need around us. Here are 5 simple ways you can practice loving your neighbor as yourself:
1. Slow down-
Build Sabbath into your daily rhythm. Use your phone less. When you’re out and about, put the technology down and notice the world around you. Pay attention to those you come into contact with and ask yourself what they might need help with.
2. Ask God to See-
It might sound silly, but sometimes we all need smart glasses to truly see what’s right in front of us. When we get distracted or in our own heads, we forget the compassion God asks us to live with. Before leaving your house, ask God to give you eyes that see those who need encouragement or a helping hand today.
3. Show Honor-
No matter the age of those you interact with, make it your focus to show love, honor, and respect. Visit someone, make a phone call, offer to help, and listen when they talk. One of my favorite ways to do this is to listen to my grandma’s stories when she feels up for a visit.
4. Teach-
Beyond living with a spirit of kindness, share it with those around you. Teach young people that kindness is essential and remember to celebrate compassion just as much as achievement.
5. Reframe Interruptions-
If I’m honest, learning to reframe interruptions as divine appointments from the Holy Spirit isn’t easy for me. I like a schedule and calendar I can stick to at all costs. But sometimes, ministry doesn’t show up on your calendar, but on the unexpected days when you take the time to notice.
How Can Christians Slow Down and Notice Their Neighbors?
Though Cuthrun’s story was remarkable, it shouldn’t be out of the ordinary to see people doing good for others. Cuthrun chose to help a woman in need, but he also chose to show love by noticing. In the same way, Christian love reminds us that our actions often begin by choosing to see and responding in love. If we want to be like Jesus, we have to be willing to slow down and notice.
A Prayer For Our Hurried Hearts
Dear Jesus,
We live in a world that praises being busy, and it constantly fights for my attention. Today, would you please steady my hurried heart? Help me not to overlook those around me and to see interruptions as divine appointments given by you. Please make us faithful neighbors to those in need, young and old alike. We love, praise, and thank you, Jesus.
Agape, Amber
Frequently Asked Questions about Loving Your Neighbor and Christian Compassion
- What does loving your neighbor mean for Christians?
Loving your neighbor means seeing the people God places near us and responding with compassion, humility, honor, and practical care. - What does the Good Samaritan teach about compassion?
The Good Samaritan teaches that biblical compassion does not stop at noticing someone’s need; it moves toward action, even when love is inconvenient. - Why is hurry a danger to loving your neighbor?
Hurry can make us distracted, self-focused, and less likely to notice people who need help, encouragement, or protection. - Can young people set an example in Christian love?
Yes. Scripture reminds believers not to look down on someone because they are young, but to recognize examples of faith, love, speech, conduct, and purity. - How can Christians practice loving their neighbors in everyday life?
Christians can practice loving their neighbors by slowing down, asking God for eyes to see, honoring others, teaching kindness, and treating interruptions as opportunities to serve.
For Further Reading
- The Parable of the Good Samaritan: Meaning and Lessons
- How to “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”
- How Can Busyness Become an Idol?
- 7 Ways to Balance Service and Sabbath
- What Did God Mean by “Respect Your Elders”?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Eva-Katalin
