But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? – 1 John 3:17
Yesterday, I caught a classic episode of the western Gunsmoke titled “Chesterland.” In it, Matt Dillon’s well-meaning deputy, Chester Goode, falls head over heels in love and sets out to become a farmer. What makes the episode so entertaining—besides Chester’s hilarious, futile attempts to till barren land and rebuild a dilapidated shack—is a visit from a neighbor offering assistance. However, this man’s objective isn’t to help, but to watch and criticize.
There’s a difference between seeing a need and offering help and constructive criticism, and watching and doing nothing but criticize. This type of contrasting behavior is recorded in the Bible. The first is Jesus’ description of unbiased kindness in the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37, when the man saw a need and rendered help. The second is what Nehemiah and his helpers experienced while rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls from spectators who did nothing more than mock and criticize them (Nehemiah 4:1-3).
Interestingly, one of the most positively referenced figures in the Bible is the Good Samaritan, whose character perfectly aligned with Jesus’ nature. However, the spectators Nehemiah encountered weren’t granted that same respect—proving that sitting on the sidelines ultimately doesn’t pay off.