July 11th - Reflection

Time after Pentecost - Lectionary 15
Luke 10:25-37 (NRSV)
The parable of the merciful Samaritan

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?" He 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." And he said to him, "You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.' Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Reflection
And when he comes back he will pay whatever more will be spent. Not only did the Samaritan pay the innkeeper, he promised to come back and pay whatever else was needed.

Jesus comes into our lives and finds us beaten and left beside the road in our failures and our sin and near death. As many others pass by, Jesus comes to you and me and stops, picks us up, gives us all we need and leaves us in the hands of one another to care for each other. Jesus, promises to come back.

The Samaritan is one who is rejected by the Jewish leaders of the day. The Samaritan is unclean in the Jewish view. However it is the Samaritan that is willing to reach out and touch the likewise unclean man on the side of the road.

When I think of so many of the stories where Jesus is willing to reach out and touch the unclean, or even allow the unclean to reach out and touch him, I can't help but relate the actions of the Samaritan to the actions of Jesus in my own life.

How thankful I am of Jesus' touch in my life. How thankful I am that Jesus reached out to lift me up when I was beside the road. How thankful I am that Jesus leaves me in the loving hands of so many innkeepers of this world.

And in this parable is the call to action to care for one another. To love each other until the return of Jesus once again. We are all left beside the road at one time or another. So let's all care for each other. We are all innkeepers awaiting the return of our Good, our Wonderful, our Awesome, Samaritan and Savior! Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord let your wonderful action flow through me in the caring of another beside the road. --- Amen