Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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People of God: Conveyors of God’s love      

Bible Reading:  Luke 10: 25-37

Key verse:  

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Lk 10: 25


DEVOTION

A story that seems to have a very simple meaning – we should love our neighbor no matter who that is. However, if this story is told to teach us to love all people, even Samaritans, then why is the person laying in the ditch not the Samaritan? 
The big question about religion: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” This lawyer, by his very question, reveals a belief that eternal life is all about what we do, not what God does and further to justify himself, he asks - Who is my neighbor, and who is not? 
Who does Jesus want the lawyer or us to identify with? The Samaritan! Or instead, with the man who was beaten and robbed and left for dead on the side of the road. Do we get to choose our neighbor? This man on the side of the road was forced to receive help from the Samaritan, because the Priest and Levite ignored him. When we are desperate enough, we don’t worry about what our neighbor looks like. Maybe it is whoever is willing to help us. We like to think that we are the helper, not the helpless. 
Now, if we are the man in the ditch, this is the worst possible person to help us. We might prefer to die in the ditch rather than be helped by this man. But we don’t have a choice. We are half-dead and there’s no avoiding it. And this brings us to the question: Why isn’t the person lying helpless in the ditch the Samaritan? 
Who is Jesus in this story? If Jesus is anyone in this story, isn’t he the Good Samaritan? Who risks his life doing so? 
The starting question was - how to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells the story of a man who can do absolutely nothing to save himself. In fact, he ends up relying on one whom he could not relate with. He had to be completely desperate in order to accept the help of a Samaritan.
Religion does not offer us eternal life. Religion cannot save us. Only Jesus, the outsider from Nazareth, can do that.
All of us here today are that person in the ditch who is in need of mercy, from the enslavement of sin. And Jesus is the one who alone found us helpless, broken and restored us to life. This story turns out to be as much about being open to God’s mercy, as it is about helping a neighbor in need. Grace received and grace given in turn. It’s always easier to blame the victim than it is to help, but that’s the way it is with human nature.  
The lawyer did get the point, but will not repent of his prejudice; pride and partiality also continue claiming to love God while continuing to hate the Samaritans. How about us? Do we erect fences or look over the fences to see our neighbor.

PRAYER

 Lord Almighty, help us to understand your grace and allow us to impart the same to our neighbor, Amen

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It is hard to be a neighbor than to help a neighbor.

Rev.Moni Mathew ,New York

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