Be a Good Samaritan

“And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?’ And he answered, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ And He said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.’ But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’

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. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.” Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?’ And he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” Luke 10:25-37

It is easy to identify someone else as the uninvolved priest or Levite in the parable o the Good Samaritan, but take a close and honest look at yourself. What do you see? Do you turn your head, so you don’t have to see? Do you ignore the plea for help? Are you insensitive to the plight of those who are unfortunate?

You have only one life to live. You cannot go back at a later date and live the way you knew you ought to. This is it. What you do with your time, what you focus on, how you expend your energy, where you place the emphasis of your life - it is all being lived out right now.

It has been said that the most sympathetic people are those who themselves have suffered. They know what it’s like to hurt. And yet God through us offers so much more than mere sympathy; He offers the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit Whom He calls “The Comforter.”

As the minutes tick by today, look around you. No matter where you are, chances are you will be able to identify a person who is hurting and needs help. Will you walk by? Will you see them only as an inconvenience to your plans? Will you go out of your way to avoid the hurting, or will you go out of your way to help them? As a Christian, you are an extension of God’s life.

Think about it -
Love your neighbor. Love your enemy. Often they are the same person.