We are all familiar with this story ------ sometimes too familiar. The Bible never calls him good—but we have labeled
the story the good Samaritan. I would make the case that there
really was nothing that good about him. All he really did was meet
the minimum requirements for obtaining eternal life—and that is
loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. The reason we like to call
him “good” is because of what he does. It seems as if he does
something that is beyond the call of duty—and we think that we
could never do the same. This Samaritan essentially helps someone
that hates him. And maybe hate is too strong of a word. Here are
some less strong synonyms: despise, look down upon, abhor, have
contempt toward, curse, scorn, loathe—however you cut the
mustard—it's bad. And this Samaritan helps the beat up
person—regardless. This Samaritan embodied hope for the one who
had been beat up and left for dead.
Jesus tells the lawyer ------ and us ------ in Luke 10.37: “Go and do likewise.” Go love our neighbors. Go and embody
the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. Go and be the hands and feet
of Jesus to a lost and dying world.
What are ways that God is calling you to embody hope to the community?
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