In Luke 10:30-37(KJV) Jesus speaks in a parable. The scripture says, "And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among thieves? Then Jesus says in verse 37 to "Go, and do thou likewise."
The above scripture tells us that this man had been robbed, stripped of his clothes, and beaten near death. When the priest came along and saw the man, not only did he fail to help him, he crossed over to the other side away from him to avoid him altogether. Then a Levite comes along, looks at the man, and does the exact same thing that the priest did. He crosses to the other side of the road, and proceeds on his way. Now you know these guys knew this man needed help he was laying there naked and wounded to the point that he was near death, yet they both kept walking.
Finally, a Samaritan man comes walking by, sees the man needs help, and approaches him to render aid. The above scripture tells us that the Samaritan man had compassion on him. Compassion is a Christ like trait. The Samaritan bandaged the man's wounds, put him on his own horse or donkey, and led him into the next town while he walked beside him. He brought him to an inn, took care of him over night, and then made certain the innkeeper would tend to the man's needs the next morning prior to leaving him. He gave the innkeeper money to take care of whatever the man needed, and a promise to pay him back for anything over he might spend, when he came back through the town.
The Samaritan man in the above parable went above and beyond in helping this poor injured man. In short he reacted in a manner in which all people should, doing so without hesitation. In today's world, however, the number of people who see someone in need and behave the way the priest and the Levite did seems to be growing. I have seen videos, news clips, and heard personal stories where a human being was injured and in need of help and passersby did nothing to help them. It is important for me to add that in at least one of these stories some who kept walking knew the injured individual personally, and even called them their friend. Many people today upon seeing someone in need of help do one of two things, they either keep walking, or they video the person and put it on social media for all to see, then they walk away. I'm left to wonder if these people temporarily lose their minds and forget that their video devices are also phones which can and should be used to dial 911 in order to get help for the injured. It's sad really. We live in a world where many seem to have allowed their hearts to become hardened, and their consciences seared.
People can also be in pain emotionally, and they too can use our help. It isn't just the physically wounded that need help, but those in emotional pain as well. It is usually obvious when someone is sad, depressed, or struggling with an emotional issue. We can see it in their behavior, what they write on social network sites, hear it in their tone of voice, and we can see it in their eyes. As Christians, we need to pay attention to others, look in their eyes when they talk to us, truly listen to what they are saying, and the tone in which they are saying it. We need to notice changes in their behavior that may indicated they are feeling down, and could use encouraging. The unfortunate thing is many people are so wrapped up in themselves that they rarely notice anyone else who may be struggling with an issue. The Bible tells us that the second greatest commandment is to love one another as we love ourselves. How is it possible to obey this commandment and ignore those around us that are suffering?
I urge you to pay attention to those around you, and to love one another as God's commandment dictates. If you see someone physically injured don't keep walking, call for help. If you see someone who needs to be encouraged and lifted up emotionally, don't ignore them, encourage them and lift them up. We have all needed love, encouragement, help and support of one kind or another at times in our lives, so who are we when someone else needs us to keep walking?
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
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