Today’s scripture: Luke 10:25-37 (NRSV) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Ben Lamb):
When the lawyer in today’s reading tried to stump Jesus, it turned out to be a very good thing for all who have since read this passage. Jesus used the opportunity to remind everyone who wants “to inherit eternal life” to include the showing of mercy.
But it’s not merely token mercy. “Here’s a few bucks for flood relief effort.” “I’ll be sure to say a prayer and light a candle for you.” “What kind of flowers should their bouquet include?” While these displays of concern might well be honest ones, they aren’t in the same category that Jesus describes. He’s talking about roll-up-your-sleeves-and-jump-in kind of action, even for people you don’t know well — or don’t know at all.
The footnotes in my Bible mentioned that priests and Levites were the top-level religious and lay groups, respectively, of the time, and that they usually distanced themselves from Samaritans and generally looked down upon them. Jesus was a great strategist. He maneuvers the lawyer into having to admit that the “lowly” Samaritan showed more grace than the supposed upper-crust of society. (I like to think that — in addition to understanding the scriptures better — the lawyer became more humble after this encounter with Jesus!)
So what’s all this mean for me? Personally speaking, I need to quit tallying up the potential gain and accolades that I might receive before deciding whether or not to help others, and I need to remember that my role model for helping others is Jesus: the one who did the ultimate act of kindness for me already.
Thought for the day: Holy Spirit, guide my thoughts and actions in dealing with and helping others. May they be in keeping with Jesus’ teachings, and pleasing to God.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.