Caring, Just Do It...

Scripture:
Luke 10:30-37 (NIV)

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by 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, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii 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.”

Devotional:

The story about the Good Samaritan is one of the first stories from the Bible I remember.  It often told to children and adults alike.  What makes it such a popular or powerful story?  Deep down in our hearts I think most of us wants to be able to care of others the way the Samaritan did.  We want to believe that we would do the same.

There is one thing that is for certain.  All of us would want somebody to stop and take care of us the way the Samaritan took care of the man lying on the side of the road.  Each of us wants to be cared for and be loved on. 

So why is it so hard to care for others?  My mom always told us to “treat others the way you want to be treated.”  With that thought in mind you would think it would be easy to care for others.  But the truth is that it can be very difficult to care like the Samaritan did in Jesus’s story.  Because we live in a sinful fallen world, and are fallen ourselves.  Caring like this goes against our sinful human nature.  We tell ourselves that we don’t have time.  We might convince ourselves that we can’t afford to.  Another belief we tell ourselves is that someone else will come along.  We get too busy and don’t have time.  This list could go on for pages as to why we can’t help and care.

Let me go back to an earlier thought.  “Treat others the way you want to be treated.”  If you were that half dead man lying on the road how would you want someone to respond?  Do you want people to just walk by on the other side?  No, you wouldn’t.  So why should you walk on by?  It isn’t always easy but it helps to keep this simple thought in your mind.  “Treat others the way you want to be treated.”  When you are walking down the road just remember it could be you lying there…