I am sure that you have experienced the same thing as me. You are in a store shopping and you pass by someone and say, "Hello," or, "Excuse me," something like that. They respond in like manner, smile and continue on their way. You pay for what you have gotten, go out and get into your car, and meet this same person in their car, only now things are different. You are in their way, you cut them off, you made a strange look at them. Many different things, but instead of the kind persons you both were, you are now each others enemy's and will stop at nothing to get even with the other.
" 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." Luke 10:33-34.
There was a man on his way to Jericho that was mugged, beaten and left to die by the side of the road. A priest, or man of God, came by and when he saw the man, he walked around him on the other side of the road. Next came a Levite, a keeper of the holy things, and he too, when he saw the beaten man, walked around him on the other side of the road. What a pity that two of the ministry, leaders of love and kindness, did not so much as check to see if the man might still be alive. It took one of the rejected people, a Samaritan, to stop and offer the beaten man kindness and love.
Too many times we forget what it is to be kind. Mostly, we are kind to those we know or associate with such as friends and co-workers. But what of people we know nothing about? Often we make judgments based on what they are wearing, or how they carry themselves. We fail to realize that those around us are loved as much by God as we are. How do we know what kind of trials and sorrows they might be experiencing if we never take the time or initiative to extend kindness and love towards them. In our passage, it was a Samaritan that extended kindness to the man. If we were to investigate history we would find that in Israel, the Samaritans we looked upon as the scum of the earth. Jews, traveling between the north and south would go hundreds of miles out of their way to avoid going through Samaria, which was usually the fastest way. It is ironic that a minister, and a temple keeper completely ignored the beaten man. Sadly, this is symbolic of how the church today looks upon others that are outside of the church.
Friends, I have often wondered if Jesus would be accepted into our churches today, if He were here now? After all, He hung out with prostitutes, homosexuals, murderers, rapists, drug and alcohol abusers. Are not those the people that some of us used to be? How is it that we fail to extend kindness or love to those we were once like? Does being saved and belonging to a certain church make us somehow better than them? I know many of us will answer no, but the reality is that this is how many of us Christians treat those around us. We act as though they are infected with some disease and to "be" with them, or to extend kindness would somehow cause our death.
God loves all of us! Even those that do not know Him, He loves! He has asked us to go and show Him to the world in hope that they would come to Him for life. If we all would just learn to be kinder, gentler, nicer, think of how many lives would be saved, changed, and how love would actually conquer all! The Samaritan went out of his way to extend kindness and hospitality to the injured man. Our story doesn't tell us what happened to him, but I can only assume that because of who it was that helped him, his life was changed. The next time you are experiencing hostility or frustration with somebody around you, ask God to show them to you through His eyes! You never know what God will reveal to you about that person. Remember: Never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes!
May God Richly Bless You Today!
" 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." Luke 10:33-34.
There was a man on his way to Jericho that was mugged, beaten and left to die by the side of the road. A priest, or man of God, came by and when he saw the man, he walked around him on the other side of the road. Next came a Levite, a keeper of the holy things, and he too, when he saw the beaten man, walked around him on the other side of the road. What a pity that two of the ministry, leaders of love and kindness, did not so much as check to see if the man might still be alive. It took one of the rejected people, a Samaritan, to stop and offer the beaten man kindness and love.
Too many times we forget what it is to be kind. Mostly, we are kind to those we know or associate with such as friends and co-workers. But what of people we know nothing about? Often we make judgments based on what they are wearing, or how they carry themselves. We fail to realize that those around us are loved as much by God as we are. How do we know what kind of trials and sorrows they might be experiencing if we never take the time or initiative to extend kindness and love towards them. In our passage, it was a Samaritan that extended kindness to the man. If we were to investigate history we would find that in Israel, the Samaritans we looked upon as the scum of the earth. Jews, traveling between the north and south would go hundreds of miles out of their way to avoid going through Samaria, which was usually the fastest way. It is ironic that a minister, and a temple keeper completely ignored the beaten man. Sadly, this is symbolic of how the church today looks upon others that are outside of the church.
Friends, I have often wondered if Jesus would be accepted into our churches today, if He were here now? After all, He hung out with prostitutes, homosexuals, murderers, rapists, drug and alcohol abusers. Are not those the people that some of us used to be? How is it that we fail to extend kindness or love to those we were once like? Does being saved and belonging to a certain church make us somehow better than them? I know many of us will answer no, but the reality is that this is how many of us Christians treat those around us. We act as though they are infected with some disease and to "be" with them, or to extend kindness would somehow cause our death.
God loves all of us! Even those that do not know Him, He loves! He has asked us to go and show Him to the world in hope that they would come to Him for life. If we all would just learn to be kinder, gentler, nicer, think of how many lives would be saved, changed, and how love would actually conquer all! The Samaritan went out of his way to extend kindness and hospitality to the injured man. Our story doesn't tell us what happened to him, but I can only assume that because of who it was that helped him, his life was changed. The next time you are experiencing hostility or frustration with somebody around you, ask God to show them to you through His eyes! You never know what God will reveal to you about that person. Remember: Never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes!
May God Richly Bless You Today!
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