-Strength for Today- "Today, are You Being a Good Samaritan?" - Luke 10:33-37.

      There’re people who’re, emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually hurting today. Many times, it’s due to societal imbalances. In some cases, not even those who are: 

•  Law abiding, and  
•  Faithful religious people, 

  Will look at them with compassion, but will look away, and pretend that they don’t exist. In Luke 10, Jesus tells the story of a hijacked traveler, who's left near- dead on the side of the road. Though our situation might not be life and death hanging in the balance, but the same motivational force can be at work in our hearts. So that rather than stepping into an opportunity to love your neighbor, but due to societal rules, the proper thing would be to avoid them. 

    So, whether it's dodging someone on your job, or ignoring a beggar on a street corner, who is your neighbor, the question is, “Why do we pretend not to see these people?  Seeing other people is risky, especially when they spot us seeing them. We have to understand that sometimes, people are at a point, giving up. And seeing them in their hurting state, brings the potential for involvement and the possibility of responsibility. Because: 

          A. When we genuinely look at our neighbor, and  

          B. When we stand eye-to eye with them, 

      We’ve entered into their world. In his book, “Love Walked Among Us,” Paul Miller writes, "Love begins with looking. We instinctively know that love leads to commitment, so we look away when we see a beggar. We might have to pay if we look too closely and care too deeply." He also writes, "Loving means losing control — losing control of our schedule, our money, and our time. When we love we cease to be the master and become a servant." 

   So, truly seeing our neighbor results in compassion to Jesus in order to overwhelm us to the point of getting involved. Because in that split second it took to avoid your neighbor, you were resisting the Holy Spirit's call to see your neighbor and simply say hello. 

    Today, most of us won't come across a man lying half dead on the side of the road. But all of us will cross paths with broken people who are deeply wounded and hurt. 

Perhaps the starting point to loving your neighbor is simply not avoiding him or her. The next time you're running errands or walking your dog, put away your phone, and be attentive to the presence of God and the people around you. Run the awkward risk of looking people in the eyes and asking how they're doing. Be willing to step in and serve with an open heart, and open hands. May Jesus meet you there! 

Author: Plez Lovelady, Jr., PhD