Luke 10:30-37
Jesus said: "A man
was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of
robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away,
leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road,
and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a
Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other
side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when
he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds,
pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took
him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver
coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and
when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
Jesus, You are the Perfect Teacher!
Thank you for teaching
me who my neighbors are! They are the people around me who have been
stripped of their dignity. Kicked by random acts of cruelty, punched by
persistent problems, and knocked unconscious by bullies, their spirits
have been left to disgracefully die.
Forgive me for all the times I've:
- Hurt someone and walked away like the robber
- Unkindly passed by someone suffering because of my arrogance like the religious leaders
- Reasoned my lack of love by standing around and talking about it like the experts in the law
- Tried to capitalize on a bad situation like the innkeeper
Teach me to be merciful
like the Samaritan who was the smallest among all of these men, yet had
the biggest heart. Please remove the scales from my eyes and show me an
injured soul today - someone who is different from me in race, creed,
or social background. I will stop and nurse their wounds no matter the
cost. With corrected vision, I will see interruptions as divine
opportunities to show Your love to people in distress. May mercy flow
like a river through me because of Your amazing love. Amen.
Open your eyes and look for someone to share the love of Christ with in a practical way today whether it's convenient or not.
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