PASSAGE:
Luke 10 [30] In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. [31] A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. [32] So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. [34] He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. [35] The next day he took out two silver coins[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
{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.”
INSIGHT: The Good Samaritan story in Luke 10 is one of the most famaliar stories in the Gospels. You could summarize the story like this:
The robber came along and said to the guy hurting on the side of the road …
What’s yours is mine and I’m going to take it!
Then the priest and Levite cam along and said …
What’s mine is mine and I’m going to keep it!
But then the Good Samaritan came along and said to the hurting guy on the side of the road and said …
What’s mine is yours and I’m going to give it to you!
Through this story, Jesus is telling us that finding real fulfillment and purpose in life comes from having a contributor mindset as opposed to a consumer mindset.
We make a living by what we get … we make a life by what we give! Winston Churchill
PRAYER FOCUS: God, how can I be a contributor today and join you in your work to reconcile people to yourself?
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE FOR TODAY: Who could you be a Good Samaritan to today? Do an ordinary act of kindness for someone in your life today.