Devotionals
LUKE 10:25-37.And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, (Open your Bible, and read the rest!)
I heard a message on these scriptures, presented by Pastor Randy Hale. He titled his message,
“Outstretched Arms.”
As I read and re-read these scriptures, I was impressed with the thought of the title that I have given this devotional.
As a person who enjoys her days quite scheduled; this Scripture spoke to me, and I questioned my own actions at times.
It seems as if the lawyer’s questions, prior to the parable, were, perhaps to seek a debate. He was in the custom of proving his points, and thought he would be in good standing. After all, his job was defending people’s rights!
Jesus knew that he really didn’t grasp how far-reaching the commandment was, when he stated,
"love thy neighbor as thyself.” The parable was a way to make the impact clear, without an argument.
Obviously, the thief, in the parable, had no compassion on anyone else, He only thought of selfish gain!
When the priest passed by, the wounded man, and walked on the other side of the road, I can imagine the lawyer thought to himself “well, of course, he had to keep himself undefiled so he could perform his duties”
The Levite, “of course, he probably had an important destination”
But when the Samaritan, who was hated by the Jews, (and the feeling was mutual) actually stopped to help, I’m sure the lawyer took notice of all that this man did, that the “religious” people would not take of their time to do.
Then, when the Samaritan even went a great step farther than just treating the injured man’s wounds, and paid for a room and care for the man, this had to make quite an impression on the lawyer.
Then, when he offered to pay for any additional expenses when he returned that way, I am sure that was a different concept than the lawyer had ever considered, when thinking about who his neighbor was. Then Jesus said to the lawyer, “Go and do thou likewise.” Luke 10:37
This parable makes the commandment very clear! If we want to obey the commands of our Savior, we must allow some glitches in our own plans, and take unexpected time from our schedules, to comfort the lonely, encourage the struggling, visit and pray with the sick, and treat people (Christians or not!) as we would like to be treated.
Being flexible, is more important than the things that we desire to do. We can better lead people to Christ by our love for them than in any other way! We might be surprised some day at the results of our giving others our time. We need to look at what seems to be a situation to avoid, and make it into an opportunity to serve Christ by giving of ourselves. He gave His all for us!
As I reflect on this, the impact is great. The hour and a half that I visited on the telephone with a lonely, elderly lady (a great interruption in my plans) now seems more like an opportunity than a situation to avoid.
May God help us all to put first things first, and not make excuses .We will answer to our Savior someday.
Lord, I don’t want to be a Pharisee priest,
Who cared nothing for others in deep pain;
Or even like the curious Levite,
Who looked on, and acted the very same.
Lord, give me the heart of the Samaritan,
Who in compassion, cares for other’s needs.
Give me Your love for all who are hurting;
Self denial, to perform Your deeds.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
Verna, I really enjoyed this devotion. Your poetry is excellent. You are a great bleesing here! God Bless, Ruth
The poem was like a prayer and one that we all could pray!
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 934 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Verna Mull or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 934 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.