If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. – 1 John 3:17-18

Many passages in the Bible speak against “good men” idly watching on while people suffer, live in sin or find themselves in situations that sway them away from God. Part of our responsibility as Christians is compassion towards other people. Besides a call for us to lead a Holy life, God also calls us to be each other’s keeper; and He holds us accountable to that.

In fact, He sternly tells prophet Ezekiel, “when I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.”- Ezekiel 3:18

Edmund Burked captured the essence of this idea when he said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Time and again, we who profess to be good seem to clearly outnumber those who are evil, yet the latter seem to prevail far too often. The world is in the state it is today because way too many “good men” have sat idly while people suffer and perish.

Jesus told of a traveler who was robbed, beaten and left half dead on his way to Jericho. He describes the robbers as wicked men who did a very wicked thing.

“Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw the man he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him” – Luke 10:31-33

In those days, Priests served as mediators between God and man, and the Levites served in the temple as musicians, gatekeepers, cleaners etc. These are people we perceive should know better, and yet both men passed by without helping the man in need. A Samaritan, an outsider, is the one who had compassion and helped. Of the three men, only one had compassion and was drawn to help. If this remains the case today then as Christians, the odds are against us, and evil will continue to triumph. “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” – Galatians 6:8

Today, I pray that we receive empowerment from the Holy Spirit to be “good men” in deeds and not just words. God help us all, Amen.

Galatians 6:8
Ezekiel 3:18
Luke 10:31-33
1 John 3:17-18