Luke 10:25-37 ESV The Good Samaritan
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to Him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 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.” (the lawyer quoted this from Deuteronomy 6:5)
“But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him 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 oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to anion and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, “Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him “You go, and do likewise.”
Jesus spoke this in response to a lawyer who asked Him what he must do to inherit eternal life.
There are situations that are incredibly difficult to know how to respond to.
Over a decade ago as I was traveling with my daughter in law from my home in Santa Ana to the city of Tegucigalpa, we had one of these situations. The road we traveled is a major connector from the south coast of Honduras to the capital city of Tegucigalpa in the center of the country.
We were just coming into Loarque, the first part of the city. The roads were very busy. Narrow because of construction on the right as they stabilized the shoulder above the river below. There was no pulling over. Semi’s loaded with lumber leaving the city and very large trucks overloaded with banana’s from the North Coast all headed south. Semi’s were loaded, carrying their cargo to the port on the Pacific to the South. Buses filled to capacity and beyond as people hung out the back door, pickup trucks full of people riding in the back and cars passing, putting everyone’s lives in danger. The left side of the highway rose as a sheer cliff to the community above.
Simultaneously my daughter in law and I both gasped. I was trying to watch the road and everything going on. But something was amiss on the left side of the highway. Something caught my eye. My brain had to struggle to make me understand what I was seeing.
It was a woman on the very narrow shoulder. Dressed only in panties and a shirt, she was stumbling to get to her feet. She badly needed help. I could not stop! We didn’t know if she fell from the cliff above or was thrown from a vehicle.
I was very familiar with the road and knew that within a quarter of a mile there was a police post. I made it there and pulled over and told the officer to go help her. They had already received reports and were headed to her.
I’ve gone over that scene a hundred times in my mind. My daughter in law and I have never forgotten that woman.
The questions still come to me. Why didn’t I stop dead in the road among all that chaos and help her? There were a hundred reasons why we could not have safely reached her. Yet, I still don’t know all the answers to my questions.
I did what I knew to do – get help to her.
Our hearts were broken.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 ESV Moses delivers the message of God to the Israelites
“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way and when you lie down, and when you rise.
It’s where Jesus’ message began. Heart first, followed by soul, strength, mind and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Loving ourselves is a key to unlocking the message Jesus gave that day that lives on today in our world.
The Samaritan had to get down off his high horse, donkey or camel, whatever he was riding that day and cross into the ditch. There wasn’t a lot of traffic blocking his way but there were a lot of cultural barriers he had to cross.
Until we can get down off our high horse, meet the person and look at them and see the same God that created us, in them, our hearts are not ready to cross those barriers. But maybe we need to look closer at our own relationship with God. What barriers do we put up to keep Him at arm’s length.
I ask God to show me what is in me that keeps those barriers alive. It is critical that we keep our connection to God strong. With that connection, we can depend on the Spirit within us to guide us and we will respond with His love.
Most of us will never come across anyone lying in a ditch. But most certainly, we will be in a situation daily to respond with the kindness and compassion like the good Samaritan did. Maybe it isn’t about the act as much as it is about our hearts being so in tune with God that we allow Him to guide our instinct as we serve. We are always ready.
I want to see with my heart, know with my head and do with my hands.
Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God
Thank You Lord for loving us and giving us Your word.
I want to serve as if this is my last day on earth and I see the world through a whole new set of eyes and everything looks brighter and clearer as if i just got a new prescription and everyone I see causes my heart to beat with love in a new, Jesus kind of love.
I no longer want to feel that stress when I open my mouth and words come tumbling out because I know that my heart is full of Jesus’ love and I want the world to know Him like I do. I pray I won’t listen to the ones who want to vilify me because they don’t agree or hear the ones who validate me. I focus on listening for the Holy Spirit guiding me as I pray for wisdom and I pray for peace in God’s love I choose to receive.
“Lord, come close. Heal our land and our world. Protect us from fear and fill us with Your peace, the peace that passes all understanding. We want to keep our eyes on You Lord and know You are near. Give us the courage to be bold for You! We love You, Lord. Thank You for sending Jesus to bring forgiveness for our sins. We pray, Lord, that the world will see You in new ways and know You and we can all walk home to eternity with You – together. Amen”