Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

January 22
Friday


NEIGHBORLY
LOVE

READ:
Luke 10:29-37
____________________________________________________________

You shall love the LORD
your God...and your
neighbor as yourself.
__Luke 10:27
____________________________________________________________

It would have been simpler just to buy a new hair dryer. But determined to save a buck, I decided to fix it myself. In order to loosen the screw that was buried deep in the handle, I took out the ultimate handyman's helper-my pocket knife. As I put pressure on the knife to turn the screw, the blade folded back--on my finger.

I learned a lesson that day: I love myself. And I am urgent about meeting my needs. There was no thought of, "Well, I don't really have time to stop the bleeding now, I'll get to it later." Also, there was a tenderness about how the need was met. I instructed my first-aid team (my wife and kids) to wash my finger gently and then to put the bandage on in a way that would avoid having the hairs on my finger pulled up when it was removed. My thoughts, words, and actions were driven by my love for myself.

To love "your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27) requires the same urgent kind of love. It's a love that notices the need of another person and won't rest until it's been met. It's a gentle, tender love that thinks and acts carefully, It's the sacrificial and compassionate love that a nameless Samaritan had for a fallen traveler. It' the kind of love God wants to share with your neighbors through you. __Joe Stowell
_____________________________________________________________

````````````````Lord, help me see the heartfelt needs``````````````
`````````````````````Of those within my care,````````````````````
```````````And grant that through my words and deeds`````````````
````````````Your love with them I'll share. __D. De Haan````````````
_____________________________________________________________

You cannot touch your neighbor's heart
with anything less than your own.

**********Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 10:29-37****************

29 But he, wanting to justify
himself, said to Jesus, "And
who is my neighbor?"

30 Then Jesus answered and
said: "A certain man went
down from Jerusalem to
Jericho, and fell among
thieves, who stripped him of
his clothing, wounded him,
and departed, leaving him
half dead. 31 Now by chance
a certain priest came down
that road. And when he saw
him, he passed by on the
other side. 32 Likewise a
Levite, when he arrived at
the place, came and looked,
and passed by on the other
side. 33 But a certain
Samaritan, as he journeyed,
came where he was. And
when he saw him, he had
compassion. 34 So he went to
him and bandaged his
wound, pouring on oil and
wine; and he set him on his
own animal, brought him
to an inn,
and took care of him.

35 On the next day, when he
departed, he took out two
denarii, gave them to the
innkeeper, and said to him,
'Take care of him; and
whatever more you spend,
when I come again, I will
repay you.' 36 So which of
these three do you think was
neighbor to him who fell
among the thieves?"

37 And he said, "He who
showed mercy on him."

Then Jesus said to him,
"Go and do likewise."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The Samaritans (mentioned in verse 33) were a mixed Jewish race
(2 Kings 17:22-24) who adapted Judaism into their religious
practices (2 kings 17:30-34). They were despised by the Jews as
half-breeds and were referred to as foreigners (Luke 17:18). The
mutual animosity became evident when the Samaritans opposed
the rebuilding of the temple after the Babylonian exile (536 BC; Ezra
4:1-10; Neh. 4:1-2), and continued some 500 years into the time of
Jesus (Luke 9:52-55; John 4:9). __SIM KAY TEE