My wife and I managed a marriage mentoring ministry in our local church for years. Our objective was to help vitalize the marriages of couples who were conflicted. Many of these couples doubted if their marriage would survive. One of our chores as a coordinating couple in this ministry was to recruit mentor couples. This was difficult. Why? Most everyone responded, “There is too much drama mentoring troubled marriages.” We discovered folks wanted to be involved in ministries that were convenient and comfortable without too much drama.
An amazing passage comes to my mind. Luke 10 30 Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 36 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37 And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”
Here’s the plot. A man walking “from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell among robbers” who “stripped him and beat him, and went away” leaving him in a horrible condition physically, “half dead.” A reader of this passage would hope that someone will help this poor man. However, it proved to be too much drama for most folks. The first two men who walked down the same road were religious leaders recognized as high profile, “godly” men. One was a priest (fulltime minister) and the other was a Levite whose job would have been performing a non-priestly serving ministry in the church. What did they do to help this poor, injured man? Not only did they do nothing but “when (each of them) saw him, (they) passed by on the other side.” They not only did not want to get involved, they did not even want to get close making sure their hands did not get dirty…entirely too much drama.
However, a man, considered inferior and irreparable by the aforementioned religious leaders, of all things “a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion.” Let me get this straight you may say. The so-called religious folks passed him by in a huffy, judgmental manner even moving to the other side of the road. Then, a man considered a sinner “felt compassion and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’” Man, did he serve the injured man: bandaged his wounds pouring costly oil (ointment) and wine (antiseptic) on him, put him up on his “beast” while he walked (this was not around the block but most likely miles), took him to an inn and asked them to take care of him and then committed to pay any additional cost that may be incurred the next time he passed by. The latter revealed that he was a trustworthy man.
Then, Jesus asked a rhetorical question, “’who was the neighbor to the man?’ And he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” Jesus clearly stated, for us to act like this good Samaritan.
Be careful when you find yourself thinking, this is “too much drama.” This may be when Jesus is saying to you, “Go, and do the same.”
Barnabas Man 