“Listen, my son, to your
father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They
will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.” Proverbs
1:8-9
Last
Sunday I taught Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan as a visual illustration
of what it looks like to love people to life!
I
encourage you to read it again this week! Chapters 9 and 10 of Luke’s Gospel
are very inspiring!
In
Jesus’ story, there are five outstanding traits that stood out in the Good
Samaritan’s loving response to the badly beaten man on the Road from Jerusalem
to Jericho.
First,
he saw the needy man!
What
distinguished this Samaritan was that he saw with his heart not just with his
eyes! The priest and the levite noticed the needy man but felt no compassion
for him and passed him by.
Second,
he stopped for the needy man!
While
the two religious leaders crossed the road and walked past the suffering man,
the despised Samaritan stopped to lend assistance.
Third,
he served the needy man!
While
the “professional servants” hurried by the scene of the crime, the Samaritan
stopped and attended to his needs!
Fourth,
he sacrificed for the needy man!
While
the priest and the levite were too busy to be bothered with the needy man, the
Samaritan generously met the needs out of his own pocket!
He
sacrificed his time by stopping to help. He risked his safety by stopping to
help the man. And then he paid two days wages to cover the immediate care for
the injuries and then promised to cover and additional expenses!
Fifth,
he stayed involved with the need man!
Not
only did the Samaritan interrupt this trip to help the needy man but he
promised to do the same on his return trip! He didn’t settle for meeting the
urgent immediate needs of this man, but was committed to his complete healing
and long-term health!
What
a clear and compelling picture of how to love people to life!
And
remember, after telling this powerful parable Jesus said, “You go and do
likewise!”
Reflecting
back on this story and thinking about my Mother’s Day message it dawned on me,
“The way this Samaritan loved is EXACTLY how mothers love!
Mothers
see!
Long
before HD television and all the high tech visual devises, my mom had MOM
VISION! See saw needs before we knew we had them! She didn’t miss a thing! She
has eyes in the back of her head but she saw with her heart!
We
honor our Magnificent Moms for the way they see our needs – with eyes AND
hearts of love!
Mothers
stop!
Dads
always seem to be too busy, Moms never are! They make you feel very important
because they stop what they are doing to attend to your need!
We
honor our Magnificent Moms because they see our needs and they stop to meet
them!
Moms
Serve!
Mom’s
meet needs like no one else. There few hurts that can’t be healed by a Mother’s
kiss or a problems that can’t be solved by a Mother’s hug!
We
honor our Magnificent Moms for the way they see our needs, stop to meet them
and serve us.
Moms
Sacrifice!
It
is practically redundant to say “Mom” and “sacrifice” in the same sentence.
Sacrifice is what they do! It is their default position! It is easier for a Mom
to sacrifice than not to! If you had to count all the sacrifices your Mom has
made for you there may not be enough zeroes!
Moms
Stay Involved!
Mom
has always been keenly interested and involved in my life – when I was 6 days
old, 6 years old, 16 years old and even in my 60’s, it doesn’t change! The same
is true of your Mom! And if you are a Mom it is true of you as well!
Moms
are worthy of our honor because of their magnificent love! They love according
to the pattern Jesus illustrated in His story of the Good Samaritan! I can’t
wait until Sunday to shower our Magnificent Moms with praise!