“On one occasion an expert in
the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit
eternal life?” “What
is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
” “You
have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live. But he wanted to justify
himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A
man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers.
They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half
dead. A
priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he
passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place
and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he
traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He
went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the
man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The
next day he took out two denarii 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.’ “Which
of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands
of robbers?” The
expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go
and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37
When
you make a bold claim as we do at FredWes when we proclaim “We love you to LIFE”
you’d better know what you’re doing!
In
answer to a semi-serious question from a self-righteous lawyer Jesus told a compelling
story of what it looks like to love someone to life!
Over
the next few posts I want to unpack five lessons to be learned from the
Samaritan who loved this dying Jew back to life!
The
first thing worthy of notice is so simple you may overlook it but that gets to
the heart of this truth, the Samaritan didn’t
overlook the injured man. So, the first step in loving someone to life is
to see them. Loving starts with a loving look!
A
priest and a Levite passed by this beaten man and both saw him but overlooked
his need. They didn’t see his wounds as worthy of their time or attention.
The
Samaritan looked at him and SAW his need! Loving this badly beaten man to life
began with a loving look. He saw with his heart not just with his eyes.
Have
you ever visited a church and you felt like no one saw you? They may have
stared at you or they may have looked past you but they didn’t really see you.
How
did that feel? You didn’t go back did you?
When
you walk into a Christian fellowship shouldn’t you expect to be noticed, acknowledged
and engaged?
Loving
people to life begins with seeing them! If it’s what you want then shouldn’t it
be what you give to others?
Will
you remember how it felt when you weren’t noticed?
Will
you ask God to help you see people today?
Determine
to look at them not past them.
Acknowledge
them with a smile or a nod.
Loving
people to life begins that simply or it could end that abruptly.
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