Today, do Christ-followers have the Godly yearning to love our “enemies” as Christ loved us when we lived ungodly? With our current attitudes, how do we fulfill the great commission which includes our local communities, the city we dwell, the state we live, the country of our nationality, and then the rest of the world community. Will we be able to bring to fruition our calling while expressing haughty looks, separatist views, and derogatory attitudes?
Jesus tells us in the great love verse that His wonderful salvation is available to the “whosoever’s” in this world. John 3:16, “For God so loves the world, He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Who is going to tell these “whosoever’s” about Jesus? If you guessed “you and me”, you are correct. Are you available to do that or have you segmented yourself from “that crowd”?
Jesus had an unbelievable discussion with a Jewish attorney who asked Him, “‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ 27 And the attorney answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ 28 And he said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live’” (Luke 10:26-28). This Biblical passage should be the very heart of a Christ-follower.
As Jesus continued the dialog (Luke 10:29-37), the lawyer asked Him, “Who is my neighbor? 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” Much like the Priest and Levite, I ignore the needs of others in our dark, hurting world and “pass by on the other side”. Is your behavior like mine?
Isn’t the attitude of the Priest and the Levite nauseating? It’s time for us to walk as the good Samaritan did on the side of the road where the hurting and disadvantage reside and be Jesus to them. Let’s stop “passing by on the other side.”
If you have intentionally reached out to care, comfort, and share with a non-Christian, please register a comment on the Barnabas Man site, and I will pray for you. Please do the same for me.
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