I have so many favorite parables but the story of the Good Samaritan has to be one of my favorite favorites.
There are several different interpretations, but the most obvious is the fact that a Samaritan helped a Jew in a time of need. At that time, Samaritans and Jews despised each other, yet the Samaritan put all of that aside and only saw that a fellow human, a neighbor, was in need. The two people who should have helped the man, the two so-called religious men and fellow Jews, avoided him.
There's a lot more to unpack here, and it's a lot more than I can effectively share in a blog post, so when you have time, I encourage you to read the commentary at EnduringWord.com about this.
I want to ask you to put yourself in the place of the passersby. What would you do? Before you answer too quickly, take a look at this video.
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:25-37
What would you do?
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Please join me this week in praying for the strangers that we have opportunities to serve. Pray that the Lord will guide us and that the Holy Spirit will prompt us to do His will in being hospitable. Pray for an open and loving heart so that we can show and spread the light within us to everyone we meet.
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power
#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerse #bible #hospitality #love #neighbor #help #strangers #brotherlylove #WhatWouldYouDo
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