Passage of the Day:
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 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’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 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. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 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. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] 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,’ Luke 10:25-35.
Reflection:
While the third and final theological virtue in model translations is love, the King James version of 1 Corinthians 13:13 uses charity. One of best examples of charity in the Bible comes from the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Although this is most likely a fictional story, Jesus places two Jewish leaders in this illustration to prove His point. Charity doesn’t come from holding a leadership position in your local place of worship. Rather, charity is a conscious decision that you make daily with a prayer to guide your steps, “not my will, but may your will be done today,” Galatians 5:25. The priest and Levite were either afraid of becoming ceremonial unclean by touching this wounded individual, were on a time crunch so that neither wanted to get involved or were so self-absorbed like people on their cell phones, each passed by without a concern in the world. The bottom line of the Samaritan’s action in this passage is that charity takes time, and loving others can be messy.
Prayerful Action:
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise,” Luke 10:36-37.
Learning to Love this December as God Loves You:
If your car has ever broken down on the side of a road, you understand what it means to be in need. I recall losing power on an interstate, passed by hundreds of vehicles before a good Samaritan took me to a local towing company before cell phones existed. On the other hand, how many times have I passed someone in a similar situation? Over the years, I have failed to be charitable, following in the footsteps of the priest and Levite. If the Golden Rule states: “do unto others as you want others to do unto you,” Matthew 22:39, may the Holy Spirit convict and inspire all of us to love God and love one another as Christmas Day approaches.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
If you find yourself overwhelmed with another Cyber Monday, may today’s song and parable speak to your heart and soul. Those who are charitable run to those in need like God at the end of the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 