Jon Walker‘s  Costly Grace is a contemporary and fresh look at Dietrich Bonhoeffer‘s The Cost of Discipleship.

Chapter 21 is called: “Becoming Like Jesus in His Compassion.” If we are to be like Jesus, then we are to serve and love like he did.  God poured the compassion of Jesus into our lives and therefore, we can be compassionate like him.  In the same way that Jesus was moved and filled with compassion towards people, we are to see others as sheep without a shepherd.  Walker writes:

The call of Jesus is not to an isolated ivory tower, where we discuss the meaning of life and try to figure out an intellectual or philosophical approach to to Christian ethics.  Jesus didn’t come to give answers; he is the answer.  He doesn’t talk about love; he shows us his love.  Jesus works up a sweat; he rolls up his sleeves, gets on his knees, and washes our feet with his blood, sweat, and tears.  He waded into the masses, touching them one-by-one.  They could look into his eyes, feel his warmth, smell his breath and hear him whisper, “You are healed.  I am with you know.”

In the same way, we as Christ’s servants, are to be givers rather takers.  As Jesus empties himself and took the form of a servant, we are to imitate him.  This possible through the power of the Holy Spirit living within us.  We can joyfully abandon ourselves to the cause of Jesus.

An example of Fallen Thinking:

My salvation is for my sake, not for the sake of others.

An example of Kingdom Thinking:

I must care about the things Jesus cares about!