The Good Samaritan - Why Change Clothes When You Can CHANGE Roads?
There he was, a man, beaten and bruised, naked, left for dead on the side of the road. Many men walked by, many "good" men in fact, but only one stopped. Only one man took "pity" and came to the aid of the half dead man. The Good Samaritan. And the good Samaritan clothed him and fed him and housed him; he gave the man his life back. (you can read it below)
I've heard the story a million times, it's in the book of Luke, and it's nearly as famous a story as any in all of scripture. But there's a different perspective that I've come to see, a different set of questions Ive felt led to ask, a different view as which to see this passage.
If you're anything like me, you probably have read this story and asked yourself, "how can I be more like the Good Samaritan, and less like the other men, who walked right by the helpless man?" Or maybe you've seen the goodness of a helpful act of a stranger and thought, "Lord, give me that heart!" Maybe, you've felt conviction in this story and pondered with God as to why you feel like you've been much more like the men who kept walking, than the one who stopped.
All of these are good and worthy questions and thoughts from this passage, all of them have a time and place, and it seems that Jesus' desire was to convict those who were with him that day to check their heart posture, and see that even a "Samaritan" could do the good work of God.
But, I've began to ask a few other questions about this story, and they've led me down a different road of thoughts and convictions. Some of which I want to share...
Have you ever asked why the road that man was on was so dangerous? If it was so dangerous for that man, why did he choose to walk down it, knowing the danger that awaited him?
or
How come certain people felt as if they could walk down that road, without fear? What made them different?
or
What would of happened to that helpless man, if the Samaritan had not stopped? And what happened to him after he left the inn?
I'm afraid, if I am honest, that I may come across someone who represents a similar scenario, and my response might be, "you should of never walked down that road", or "maybe, you should make better choices and then you wouldn't need a hand out." I am afraid my response might be, "other people walked down this road and didn't get beat up, maybe you should be more like them."
I'm afraid that I may miss the man, or woman, entirely because I am too focused on assuming the reason they are beaten, half dead, and on the side of the road is because of their own poor choices. What God has been showing me is that I need to ask different questions. Questions that bring life to people rather than death. Questions that bring hope, and healing.
Ok but here is where God has really challenged me:
If my God is truly big, then I believe he asks big things. And in this case I think he's asking me, "Why change just his clothes, when you can change the entire road?"
What have I done for that man if after feeding him and clothing him, I pushed him back out onto the same dangerous road he was before? What if God is calling me, and maybe you, to not just clothe people and feed them, but also to fix and build roads?
I certainly do not know where you are in your life right now, and or, what roads you walk on, but If I could challenge you with what I feel God is challenging me with:
Go, and change roads!
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 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. 36 “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.”
I've heard the story a million times, it's in the book of Luke, and it's nearly as famous a story as any in all of scripture. But there's a different perspective that I've come to see, a different set of questions Ive felt led to ask, a different view as which to see this passage.
If you're anything like me, you probably have read this story and asked yourself, "how can I be more like the Good Samaritan, and less like the other men, who walked right by the helpless man?" Or maybe you've seen the goodness of a helpful act of a stranger and thought, "Lord, give me that heart!" Maybe, you've felt conviction in this story and pondered with God as to why you feel like you've been much more like the men who kept walking, than the one who stopped.
All of these are good and worthy questions and thoughts from this passage, all of them have a time and place, and it seems that Jesus' desire was to convict those who were with him that day to check their heart posture, and see that even a "Samaritan" could do the good work of God.
But, I've began to ask a few other questions about this story, and they've led me down a different road of thoughts and convictions. Some of which I want to share...
____________________________
Have you ever asked why the road that man was on was so dangerous? If it was so dangerous for that man, why did he choose to walk down it, knowing the danger that awaited him?
or
How come certain people felt as if they could walk down that road, without fear? What made them different?
or
What would of happened to that helpless man, if the Samaritan had not stopped? And what happened to him after he left the inn?
I'm afraid, if I am honest, that I may come across someone who represents a similar scenario, and my response might be, "you should of never walked down that road", or "maybe, you should make better choices and then you wouldn't need a hand out." I am afraid my response might be, "other people walked down this road and didn't get beat up, maybe you should be more like them."
I'm afraid that I may miss the man, or woman, entirely because I am too focused on assuming the reason they are beaten, half dead, and on the side of the road is because of their own poor choices. What God has been showing me is that I need to ask different questions. Questions that bring life to people rather than death. Questions that bring hope, and healing.
_____________________________
Ok but here is where God has really challenged me:
If my God is truly big, then I believe he asks big things. And in this case I think he's asking me, "Why change just his clothes, when you can change the entire road?"
What have I done for that man if after feeding him and clothing him, I pushed him back out onto the same dangerous road he was before? What if God is calling me, and maybe you, to not just clothe people and feed them, but also to fix and build roads?
I certainly do not know where you are in your life right now, and or, what roads you walk on, but If I could challenge you with what I feel God is challenging me with:
....
Why just change clothes, when you can CHANGE roads?
Go, and change roads!
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