Sometimes we try to let ourselves off the hook from serving by justifying our inaction (either in our own mind or as we talk with other people). In Luke 10, someone tries this with Jesus by asking questions about who exactly they have to serve. In response, Jesus shares a story that you may have heard before. Try to read it slowly and picture what he describes, even if you know it.
Luke 10:30-37 says,
Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
“By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
Questions to consider:
Are there ways that Jesus has called me to serve that I’ve opted out of?
Can you let the simplicity of Jesus’ call to love God and love your neighbor help you refocus?
An action step to take:
Decide that today you will be interruptible to help someone you see who needs kindness and care.
For all the info on 21 Days of Selfless Living, go to wschurch.org/21days.