The Difficulty of being a 'Good Samaritan' (Part III of III)
Luke 6:32-33 (Jesus speaking), “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you. Even ‘sinners’ do that.”
A number of years ago, two men with a long history of crime and delinquency robbed the YMCA on the Lower East side of New York City. On the way out they saw a man at the Y’s telephone switchboard. They were frightened and concluded that he must be calling the police. They grabbed him and beat him savagely with brass knuckles and a blackjack. Thinking him to be dead, they stuffed the man behind a radiator heater near the swimming pool and left.
When the badly beaten man was finally found, he was rushed to the hospital where for days he lingered between life and death. Eventually he lived, but one eye had been so badly damaged that it could not be saved. Meanwhile, the two young men were caught and brought to trial. Their past criminal records assured that they would get a long sentence.
But the man who had been beaten did an amazing thing. He asked that the two young men be paroled to him. He believed in them, believed that they would change; and he gave them his confidence.
One boy refused to change and soon was caught for another crime. The other boy was receptive to trust and confidence. He went to college, then medical school, and became a surgeon, an eye surgeon.
The way for us to become a caring people is to give our hearts and minds completely to loving and serving our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Holding on to heaven more than holding on to this earthly life will change our attitudes and perspectives from concentrating only on ourselves to an awareness, a sensitivity to the people around us. By having a heavenly focus as we live our lives, to the people around us, we will become more in touch and involved with their joys and sorrows, their successes and failures.
When God is empowering our lives, we become encouragers, looking for the best in others instead of the worst, building up fragile and shaky lives through the gifts and talents God has blessed us with. The difficulty of being a good Samaritan can always be overcome when the passion of our lives is Jesus Christ.
Our Lord’s final words on the subject leave Christians with no choice in the matter. Jesus said, “Go and do likewise,” (Luke 10:37b).
-------------------
Like on Facebook: firstchristianchurchdonnatexas.
-------------------
Chris Voss is a pastor at First Christian Church, 317 S. Main, Donna.