Teaching Point: Being a Good Samaritan

We pass people every day…people pass us by every day. We pass our kids, our husbands, our coworkers, our neighbors, and they pass us. Which “man” are you today? Are you the wounded, needing the care and concern of others, but being overlooked by the other’s busy day? Or are you the one who sees the wounded, being moved with compassion and providing the care they need to recover and move on? I’ve been both many, many times in my life. I’ve been the silent wounded who is in such need of care from others, but can’t verbalize where it hurts or what needs to be done. I’ve also been the “priest” or "Levite" who just doesn’t have the time to stop and help, or doesn’t have the “want to” to help another in need because I might get too involved, too distracted, or too late. I’d like to say I’ve been the Good Samaritan more than any of these other characters…the one who sees the need and immediately provides assistance no matter the cost to myself. But I cannot honestly speak such a thing.

Today, this week, and this coming Sunday, you will meet and greet many people. Some will be the "wounded" in need of great assistance; some will be too busy to notice; and some will see the need and reach out to help with great compassion. I’ve thought a lot of this story these past two days as I have agreed to testify in court in March for a hurting family I don’t know very well. I'm not doing it on behalf of the church, but I can do it as a Good Samaritan. I keep wondering what affect this will have on me, on my testimony. Will I be cross examined, put on the spot, and choke up on the witness stand? I honestly don’t WANT to get involved, but I feel I must. Being a Good Samaritan isn’t taking the easy road. The priest and the Levite ignored the need and took the easy way out so they could go about their scheduled daily business. The Good Samaritan was presented with a difficult, possibly even intimidating situation, and got involved. It cost him time, money, the giving up of his own resources, and great effort.

Let’s all be Good Samaritans this week, this month, this year. We don’t need to go looking for opportunities to help; God will provide them for us.

Luke 10:33, "But as he was traveling along, a Samaritan came across the man. When the Samaritan saw him, he was moved with compassion. "