Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

July 31
Thursday


GETTING
INVOLVED

READ:
Luke 10:30-37
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The LORD is gracious
and full of compassion.
__Psalm 111:4
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Isn't anybody going to help that poor guy?" Fred exclaimed as he and my husband, Tom, realized what had been causing traffic to creep down the busy five-lane road. A man lay sprawled between the lanes, bicycle on top of him, as vehicles simple drove around him. Fred turned on the warning flashers and blocked traffic with his car. Then both guys jumped out to help the shaken man.

Fred and Tom got involved, as did the Samaritan man in Jesus' story in Luke 10. Like him, they overcame any reluctance they might have had to reach out to a man in distress. The Samaritan also had to overcome racial and cultural prejudice. The people we would have expected to help showed indifference to the injured man's plight.

It's easy to find reasons not to get involved. Busyness, indifference, and fear often top the list. Yet as we seek to follow our Lord faithfully, we will become more aware of opportunities to show the kind of compassion He showed (Matt. 14:14; 15:32; Mark 6:34).

In the parable of the Good samaritan, Jesus commended the man who had acted out of compassion even though it was inconvenient, difficult, and costly to do so. Then, to us He says, "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37). __Cindy Hess Kasper
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``````````````````When we share another's burden````````````````
```````````````````We display God's love and care,```````````````
`````````````````````Offering relief and comfort``````````````````
`````````````When life seems too much to bear. __Sper````````````
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True compassion puts love into action.

**************Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 10:30-37************

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
wounds, 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 yo 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<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Who are the Samaritans mentioned in Jesus' parable? After the fall
of the northern kingdom of Israel, most of the Jews were deported
to Assyria. Other people groups were brought in to repopulate the
cities of Samaria (2 kings 17:22-24), and they married the remaining
Jews still in the land. This new mixed race, the Samaritans,
eventually adopted Judaism, although not fully. Because they were
a corrupted race, the Jews would have no dealings with them (Ezra
4:1-3; Luke 9:2-54; John 4:9). __SIM KAY TEE