Tenderness of Heart Displayed by the Good Samaritan
“Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. “And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. “Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. “But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.”
(Luke 10:30-34)
Preface
This ministry endeavors to educate believers with the full council of God and to encourage them to read the Scriptures so that they can understand the beliefs of their faith. It also presents an understanding of the sanctification process which governs and directs the spiritual growth of the Christian. Maturity in the faith requires a balance between biblical knowledge and spiritual character. The believer grows by acquiring knowledge of God’s Word, and he also grows by acquiring Christ’s character. A Christian may concentrate on biblical knowledge and neglect the nature of the heart, resulting in a coldness and detached character. On the other hand, a Christian may concentrate on emotions and feelings while neglecting knowledge, resulting in a sincere and thoughtful person who is like a child, immature in the teachings of the faith, and vulnerable to deception by false teachers. This instruction seeks to bring balance to the knowledge of the mind, by presenting knowledge of the heart. Scripture is filled with verses pertaining to the tenderness of heart and the benefits it provides for believers. The Scriptures have been examined for the wisdom concerning the tenderness of heart and the results are provided here for the readers instruction and guidance. The world grows darker as hatred, violence, cruelty, and lawlessness reign, so there is a great need for Christians to act as a haven for the distraught through their love and compassion from the tenderness of their hearts–just as the acts of the Good Samaritan provided a haven for the robbery victim. It is also through the possession of a tenderness of heart that a believer can truly find peace of mind–which is the peace of Christ.
Tenderness of Heart
In this teaching, the quality of a tenderness of heart will be explained, and why it is important in the Christian life. The teaching will then describe the method of obtaining a tenderness of heart through the spiritual growth process. The instruction will conclude with the application of maintaining this tenderness of heart in the real world where you are surrounded by large numbers of people who are rude, vile, and hostile. Cultivating a tenderness of heart is a great accomplishment that is part of the process toward maturity in the faith, and once it is obtained it must then be nurtured and preserved in this wicked and unbelieving world.
So, what do we mean by a tenderness of heart? Here is a basic definition which will be then followed with a biblical understanding. “A tenderness of heart refers to a temperament that is displayed by gentleness, compassion, kindness, mercy, and a heart that is sympathetic to the feelings and shortcomings of others. Possession of a tenderness of heart creates humility, meekness, and patience which increases the capacity to love and forgive those who may provoke them to anger. A tenderness of heart is the sum total of all of those qualities and virtues that make a person loving, gentle, and Christlike in their treatment of others regardless of their status as friend or enemy.”
Beyond this basic understanding of a tenderness of heart there is a greater significance and meaning in biblical terms. The parable of the Good Samaritan is a good biblical example of a person who is tenderhearted. This is a teaching of Jesus in response to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” The victim of a robbery who was badly beaten and left on the ground to die was passed and ignored by two separate members of the religious community, but a Samaritan stopped and cared for the injured man. An important aspect of the parable is that the Samaritans were despised by the Jewish community and considered outcasts. Despite his status, the Samaritan displayed kindness, compassion, and mercy to a complete stranger and went out of his way to provide care. Jesus’ point is that the Samaritan possessed qualities of righteousness that proceed from a tender heart, while the religious persons displayed the hardened hearts of the ungodly. The greater model of someone possessing a tenderness of heart is Jesus Himself. The image of Jesus’ character as revealed in the gospels is a perfect example of tenderheartedness–To possess a tenderness of heart is to possess the heart of Jesus.
The parable of the Good Samaritan showed the contrast between a person who out of the tenderness of his heart fulfilled the commandment to love his neighbor, while the other two religious persons who had been trained in the law failed to do so because they lacked the tender heart needed to truly love their neighbors. We can go a little deeper in this instruction by considering another teaching of Jesus that builds on the lesson of the parable. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught that a good tree produces good fruit, while a bad tree produces bad fruit. In the same way a good person produces good fruit because they flow out of the good treasure of his heart, while the opposite is true for the evil person where evil fruit is produced from the evil treasure of his heart.
“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart,” (Luke 6:45).
Connecting these two teachings, the “Parable of the Good Samaritan,” and the “good treasure of the heart;” the common link is a tenderness of heart. A tenderness of heart inspired the Samaritan to show mercy and compassion, and a tenderness of heart is the good treasure of the heart. The Christian who possesses a tenderness of heart will produce good fruit which shows his/her love for their neighbor. The good fruits produced by a tenderness of heart are evidence of true saving faith.
The Virtues of Godliness
There are numerous verses in Scripture which display the qualities and virtues that defined the heart of Jesus. These biblical teachings give Christians a guide as to the virtues of God that bring a tenderness of heart. These qualities are what distinguishes a heart of stone from a heart of flesh. Those with hearts of stone have their hearts turned inward displaying their love of self, while those with hearts of flesh have their hearts turned upward displaying their love of God. It is only through the regenerating work of the Spirit that the heart of stone is turned into a heart of flesh, (Ezek. 11:19). Only with a love for God are believers able to manifest the virtues of God which bring a tenderness of heart–which is like a lamp that attracts those who are lost in darkness and are seeking rescue from wickedness. We begin with the teaching of Paul in Colossians 3:12.
Love is the Element Which Binds These Virtues Together
“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful,” (Col. 3:14-15).
The virtues that bring a tenderness of heart are bound together by love, which is the fountain from which they all flow. In chapter 13 of 1st Corinthians, Paul gives his great lecture on the priority of love as the greatest of all gifts and attributes. It is love that defines God, and it is the attribute that directs all of His other attributes. Since believers are in Christ, and Christ is in them, (John 15:4-5), they possess the love of God which directs them to love as God loves. It is this love which binds all of the virtues and qualities together to form a tenderness of heart that imitates the tenderness of heart of Christ. As we form this tenderness of heart, it is love that is the most precious gift that we receive from God so that we can reflect His love and glory.
A Tenderness of Heart is the Product of the Spiritual Growth Process
Sanctification is a process which takes the believer from a spiritual newborn to a mature believer. The path of spiritual growth involves the transformation of the mind through the word of God, and the transformation of the character toward Christlikeness by the work of the Holy Spirit. During this process, as the believer progresses from one level to another, the condition of their heart also progresses as they obtain a greater level of tenderness of heart. Spiritual growth is a journey with daily struggles to overcome sin and replace it with righteousness, and the transformation process is slow because it involves gathering wisdom, knowledge, humility, faith, obedience, and patience. It is a journey on a path toward spiritual maturity which is led by the Spirit, and is dependent on the union with Christ. The believer is a work in progress, and he/she must acknowledge this as they submit to the work of the Spirit as the agent of their transformation. The sanctification process is intended to make a person holy as God is holy, and to bring them to righteousness. The path to righteousness is demanding because it has many setbacks as believers struggle with sin habits and deeply rooted sin which can be difficult to remove.
Believers proceed with the spiritual growth process because it is God’s will for their life and there is no greater blessing than serving Christ with all of their heart, soul, and mind, (Matt. 22:37). We can endure the hatred and hostility of the wicked because a tenderness of heart brings a noticeable presence of self-confidence by being united to Christ. It also allows the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful,” (Col. 3:15). The peace of Christ brings a sense of well-being, tranquility, and harmony which is the fruit of the tenderness of heart.
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