good samaritans
A parable
Based on Luke 10:25-37
A religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?”
Jesus answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?”
The scholar said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”
“Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.”
Looking for a loophole, the scholar asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?”
Jesus answered by telling a story:
There was once a woman traveling from New Vienna to The Great American Ballpark. On the way she was attacked by the flu, but not so badly that she couldn't go on. An hour later she was attacked again, this time more viciously. In the middle of the second inning, the flu became relentless, beating her up for many innings to follow, and left her half-dead.
Luckily, many women with fresh pedicures were at the same ballpark, but when they heard her getting sick they angled across to the other side of the bathroom.
Then women with tennis shoes showed up; they also avoided the ailing woman.
Three Samaritans at the ballpark took turns checking on her. When one saw the woman’s condition in the 8th inning, her heart went out to her. She sought the first aid station, where they assessed the woman's ailments. Then they lifted her onto a gurney, led her to Good Samaritan Hospital, and the nurses made her comfortable. In the morning the Samaritan women took her home.
“What do you think?” Jesus asked. “Which of the people became a neighbor to the woman attacked by the flu?”
“The ones who treated her kindly,” the religion scholar responded.
Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
Based on Luke 10:25-37
A religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?”
Jesus answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?”
The scholar said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”
“Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.”
Looking for a loophole, the scholar asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?”
Jesus answered by telling a story:
There was once a woman traveling from New Vienna to The Great American Ballpark. On the way she was attacked by the flu, but not so badly that she couldn't go on. An hour later she was attacked again, this time more viciously. In the middle of the second inning, the flu became relentless, beating her up for many innings to follow, and left her half-dead.
Luckily, many women with fresh pedicures were at the same ballpark, but when they heard her getting sick they angled across to the other side of the bathroom.
Then women with tennis shoes showed up; they also avoided the ailing woman.
Three Samaritans at the ballpark took turns checking on her. When one saw the woman’s condition in the 8th inning, her heart went out to her. She sought the first aid station, where they assessed the woman's ailments. Then they lifted her onto a gurney, led her to Good Samaritan Hospital, and the nurses made her comfortable. In the morning the Samaritan women took her home.
“What do you think?” Jesus asked. “Which of the people became a neighbor to the woman attacked by the flu?”
“The ones who treated her kindly,” the religion scholar responded.
Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
Jesus tells us to be good like the Samaritan, but we also have to be good at letting others be Good Samaritans to us. It would have done the ailing woman no good to refuse the assistance of the kind women, the first aid station attendants, the doctors and nurses at the hospital. Yet sometimes I find it easier to show kindness than to receive it, to offer assistance than to accept it, to be a Good Samaritan rather than allow others to be one to me.
Every day we have the opportunity to be kind to others, but we don't always embrace those opportunities. In turn, every day we also have the opportunity to receive the kindness of others, but we don't always embrace those either.
EMBRACE GOOD SAMARITANS.
At times we will be the "ailing woman", in need of a Good Samaritan to embrace. At times we will see the "ailing woman", and have the opportunity to be a Good Samaritan for her to embrace. Either way, embrace it!
Watching Courageous as I recover from the flu.
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