Episode 68

TODAY’S READING:

30 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. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 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. 35 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.

Luke 10:30-35

 

On Wednesday’s I normally have a guest prayer warrior with me, but I had a devotional on my heart that I had to share with you. Next week we will have a great guest with us. 

 

Today I wanted to continue the thought love must be sincere. 

 

But I wanted us to read one of my favorite teachings from Jesus himself. 

 

In life, it’s easy to become numb to the pain our brothers and sisters experience every day. Let’s once again blame this on the self-serving society we live in, but I think this parable and his teachings can still be applicable today. I love how He gives us three different examples of the kind of person you can be. 

 

The Priest and the Levite: Both of these men, one with religious authority and the other a Jewish man, paid no attention to the injured man on the side of the road. Neither of them showed this man any mercy. They walked by him and would have honestly left him there to die. 

 

We read that and immediately know that was a wrong move on their part, but how many times do we walk right past someone in need of help. How many times do we dismiss people when they are trying to tell us something. How many times do we simply ignore those who are suffering. 2020 taught us there are voices that go unheard every single day.  

 

Now Jesus gives us another example. 

 

The Samaritan: This man walked by and went the extra mile to see that the hurt man was taken care of. Samaritans hated the Jewish people and vise versa, yet here he was serving this man. Helping him, treating him, making sure he was okay, and beyond that, offering to pay the innkeeper as well. 

 

I pray we make it an effort to be like the Samaritan. I pray we look at people who are different from us, and we serve them. We listen to them. Follow people on Instagram that are of different skin colors and from different cultures. Immerse yourself in all of God’s people. Step out of your comfort zone and become a person that doesn’t just blindly walk people who are in pain. Serve them, just as Jesus would. Serve your family. Serve your friends. Serve your clients. Serve your students. Serve those around you. Like I said yesterday, Love must be sincere. 

 

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we ask you to bless us. We are officially midway through the week. We pray we open our eyes and we don’t walk around our brothers and sisters who are hurting. Jesus points us in the direction of those we can serve. Guide us, remind us, and show us how to love others. Show us what it truly means to be a good Samaritan. May we volunteer more, may we become more present, may we listen more, may we extend ourselves to serve the people around us. It is in your Holy name that we pray, Amen!