Go and Do Likewise

Luke 10:37  (NIV)

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Luke chapter 10, verses 25-37 brings us the parable of the Good Samaritan. Here we have a story about a well-to-do legal eagle anxious to make an impression and display his knowledge of the scriptures. But Jesus threw back the challenge and asked him who was the neighbor and the lawyer replied "the one who had mercy on him." And Jesus told him to, "Go and do likewise."

There is a modern version of this story. It concerned a traveling salesman who lived somewhere in the United States. He had had a busy week and was returning to his home town. He stopped his car for a break at a roadside coffee shop. As he sat drinking his coffee he heard a girl quietly crying in the next booth. He didn't want to get involved but he was moved by her obvious distress. The girl was about 17, the same age as his own daughter. Against his better judgment he introduced himself and asked if he could help. The girl whose name was Lisa told him that she was from a broken home and had got into bad company. She was into drugs and had turned to prostitution to pay for them. Moved as he was, he just bought the girl a meal and continued his journey.

Later that evening he shared his experience with his family, how his heart had reached out to her and how he wanted to help her in some way. His family suggested that he return to that town and try to find Lisa again and offer to help. He eventually located her. He discovered that she was but a number of girls in that town in similar circumstances who were being exploited by the pimps and drug pushers. He was so moved by Lisa's plight that he took her home to his family, and that started a ministry to try and get those girls off the streets. Out of that simple beginning over a cup of coffee that man now has three full time workers and has seen scores of girls come off the streets and get their lives back together. Some of those same girls are now part of the team. The ministry became so successful that it earned that man a Presidential citation.

He acted like a good Samaritan. He could have got together with his church fellowship and said, "we need to pray for these girls, they must be set free." If that was all he had done nothing would have happened. We need to pray, but we need to act. We need to pray, not for the situation itself but for the courage and strength to step out in faith and do something about it according to the gifts that God has given us.

There are a million stories out there. There are thousands of girls like Lisa and there are countless examples of injustice, corruption, pornography, abuse, and everywhere there are people needing, searching, and desperately trying to find a new life. We are His hands and feet. When Jesus said 'follow me' He meant it!

Will you follow Jesus today?

Dear Lord, We pray that our eyes would be open to the one in need that is around us. Help us not just walk by but to follow by your example. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Showing Love

Luke 10:37 (NIV)

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Luke chapter 10, verses 25-37 brings us the parable of the Good Samaritan. Here we have a story about a well-to-do legal eagle anxious to make an impression and display his knowledge of the scriptures. But Jesus threw back the challenge and asked him who was the neighbor and the lawyer replied "the one who had mercy on him." And Jesus told him to, "Go and do likewise."

There is a modern version of this story. It concerned a travelling salesman who lived somewhere in the United States. He had had a busy week and was returning to his home town. He stopped his car for a break at a roadside coffee shop. As he sat drinking his coffee he heard a girl quietly crying in the next booth. He didn't want to get involved but he was moved by her obvious distress. The girl was about 17, the same age as his own daughter. Against his better judgment he introduced himself and asked if he could help. The girl whose name was Lisa told him that she was from a broken home and had got into bad company. She was into drugs and had turned to prostitution to pay for them. Moved as he was, he just bought the girl a meal and continued his journey.

Later that evening he shared his experience with his family, how his heart had reached out to her and how he wanted to help her in some way. His family suggested that he return to that town and try to find Lisa again and offer to help. He eventually located her. He discovered that she was but a number of girls in that town in similar circumstances who were being exploited by the pimps and drug pushers. He was so moved by Lisa’s plight that he took her home to his family, and that started a ministry to try and get those girls off the streets. Out of that simple beginning over a cup of coffee that man now has three full time workers and has seen scores of girls come off the streets and get their lives back together. Some of those same girls are now part of the team. The ministry became so successful that it earned that man a Presidential citation.

He acted like a good Samaritan. He could have got together with his church fellowship and said, "we need to pray for these girls, they must be set free." If that was all he had done nothing would have happened. We need to pray, but we need to act. We need to pray, not for the situation itself but for the courage and strength to step out in faith and do something about it according to the gifts that God has given us.

There are a million stories out there. There are thousands of girls like Lisa and there are countless examples of injustice, corruption, pornography, abuse, and everywhere there are people needing, searching, desperately trying to find a new life. We are His hands and feet. When Jesus said ‘follow me’ He meant it!

Dear Lord, help us be Your hands and feet. Keep our eyes open so that we can help those that are in need. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Are You To Busy To Share God's Love?

1 Thessalonians 5:15 (NIV)

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

John Darley and Daniel Batson are two Princeton University psychologists. Some years ago they decided to conduct a study, inspired by the story of the Good Samaritan. They conducted the study at Princeton Theological Seminary.

They met with a group of seminarians and asked each one to prepare a short talk on a given theme. Then they would walk individually to a nearby building to present it. Along the way to the presentation each student would run into a man who was planted in an alley. He would be lying there, moaning & groaning in pain. The question was who would stop to help the man.

Darley and Batson asked half of the seminarians to give their talk on ministry opportunities available for students after graduation. The other half was asked to prepare a short devotional on the story of the Good Samaritan.

Also, the researchers wanted to find out if being in a hurry made any difference to the students. So they told one third of the group that they had plenty of time to get to the building to give their talk so they could take their time. Another third was told that they would just make it in time if they left right now. And the last third was told that they were already late-they'd better get moving immediately!

In other words, the experimenters put a third of their subjects in a "low hurry" situation; a third in a "intermediate hurry" situation; and a third in a "high hurry" situation. So, which ones offered to help the man in pain? It turned out that it made no significant difference whether the student was giving a talk on job opportunities or the Good Samaritan.

What did make a difference was how much of a hurry he was in. Of the "low hurry" subjects, 63% offered help; of the "intermediate hurry" subjects, 45% offered help; and of the "high hurry" students, only 10% offered help.

The experimenters concluded that the study would seem to indicate that bystander apathy is encouraged not only by the crowding in today's world but also by the rush of big-city life as contrasted with the more leisurely pace of smaller towns.

In our "hurry-up world" it is easy to excuse why we don't help others. So let's slow down.

Dear Lord, we ask you today to help us slow down and see the people who really need Your kindness today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Modern Day Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-28 (NIV)

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

At the grocery store checkout counter, a homeless man with a long brown beard and long scraggly hair and wearing a torn corduroy suit was mumbling strangely in an agitated manner in front of me. Ahead of him was an elderly man who had had a recent hip replacement and who was struggling to stay upright by leaning on his shopping cart. He left the store bent at a ninety-degree angle, hugging the cart for dear life.

Outside the grocery store, the elderly man leaned too heavily on his shopping cart, sending it and him crashing to the ground. A woman rushed over to him, but after sizing up the situation, she darted away to her car without offering assistance. A homeless man knelt down beside him speaking to the fallen man in soothing, cooing tones. Someone  pulled the cart back up and reloaded the groceries, two other men approached. Together, the three men hoisted him up and helped him to his car, where they loaded his groceries into the trunk. Much to the surprise of everyone, the homeless man offered to sit in the passenger seat to make sure the elderly man got home safely and to help him get his groceries into his residence.

Some might say that the elderly man took a chance letting a stranger into his car. Some might think something terrible could have happened to him. But since that day, the elderly man has been seen at the grocery store, and he is doing well with his recovery. The homeless man has been seen at the same mall. He rushed to open the door for a woman and said, "Here, let me help you."

As we look at this event, it brings thoughts of the parable of the good Samaritan, whom the Jews despised as a foreigner. Like the Samaritan, the homeless man gave of himself to help the elderly man in his time of need. Although it is possible to vilify a homeless person for being dirty, unkempt, and perhaps smelly, this story is a reminder that even those who have fallen on hard times can be our good neighbors. In this case, as in the parable, the story demonstrates God's mercy and our need to do likewise.

Dear Lord, the parable of the Good Samaritan reminds us of Your unconditional love and mercy. This lesson shows us what You truly seek from us -- our hearts -- from which love and mercy should flow unfettered. Let Your love refresh our hearts so that we, too, can be good neighbors. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Go and Do Likewise

Luke 10:36-37 (New International Version)

   36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”   Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Luke chapter 10, verses 25-37 is the parable of the Good Samaritan. Here we have a story about a well-to-do legal eagle anxious to make an impression and display his knowledge of the scriptures. But Jesus threw back the challenge and asked him who was the neighbor and the lawyer replied "the one who had mercy on him." And Jesus told him to, "Go and do likewise."

Here is a modern version of this story. It concerned a traveling salesman who lived somewhere in the United States. He had had a busy week and was returning to his home town. He stopped his car for a break at a roadside coffee shop. As he sat drinking his coffee he heard a girl quietly crying in the next booth. He didn't want to get involved but he was moved by her obvious distress. The girl was about 17, the same age as his own daughter. Against his better judgment he introduced himself and asked if he could help. The girl whose name was Lisa told him that she was from a broken home and had got into bad company. She was into drugs and had turned to prostitution to pay for them. Moved as he was, he just bought the girl a meal and continued his journey.

Later that evening he shared his experience with his family, how his heart had reached out to her and how he wanted to help her in some way. His family suggested that he return to that town and try to find Lisa again and offer to help. He eventually located her. He discovered that she was but a number of girls in that town in similar circumstances who were being exploited by the pimps and drug pushers. He was so moved by Lisa's plight that he took her home to his family, and that started a ministry to try and get those girls off the streets. Out of that simple beginning over a cup of coffee that man now has three full time workers and has seen scores of girls come off the streets and get their lives back together. Some of those same girls are now part of the team. The ministry became so successful that it earned that man a Presidential citation.

He acted like a Good Samaritan. He could have got together with his church fellowship and said, "We need to pray for these girls, they must be set free." If that was all he had done nothing would have happened. We need to pray, but we need to act. We need to pray, not for the situation itself but for the courage and strength to step out in faith and do something about it according to the gifts that God has given us.

There are a million stories out there. There are thousands of girls like Lisa and there are countless examples of injustice, corruption, pornography, abuse, and everywhere there are people needing, searching, desperately trying to find a new life. We are His hands and feet. When Jesus said 'follow me' He meant it!

Dear Lord we pray that we would learn from the example that You showed us in today’s verse. Help us be willing to help those that need it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.