Short Stories

---

The Good Samaritan's Path to Spiritual Gifts

Part I: The Gift of Prophecy

There once was a man named Joe who regularly attended church at the temple in Jerusalem. He liked being there, for he knew that the safest place to be was in the house of the Lord. But after a while he began to envy his friends who didn’t attend church. He suspected that they were having more fun than he was. On Sundays they had baseball games, soccer matches, tennis, swimming, and all sorts of parties instead of church. Some would stop in for a lukewarm moment of worship in the morning, go home, eat lunch, then sit down in front of the television and glue their eyes to the afternoon football game. But the real ‘fun’ they liked to have was in Jericho (also known as ‘sin city’).

When his best prophet friend Stan found out that Joe was about to sneak off to Jericho for a week of heavy partying, he warned him as best he could. He said, “Thus saith the Lord: Joe, I kind-a sort-a have a really, really bad feeling about this. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go to Jericho, ‘cause you could get in real trouble. I’m not quite sure, but I seem to remember something about how the guy that rebuilt that city paid a really heavy price.”

Joe gave Stan a swift kick in the shin. "Aren't you one to talk, Mister 'Holier Than Thou,'" he replied, "knowing what town you're from and the way you used to live! Acting so high and mighty, like you're better than me. What a stick-in-the-mud Pharisee you are, telling the doctor here not to mingle with sinners!”

“But Joe…” began Stan.

“Don’t tell me what to do!” screamed Joe, giving Stan another kick. This kick really hurt. Stan felt like kicking him back, but he didn’t have have the strength. He had already used every ounce of courage he had just to share the prophetic word with his friend. And so he bid Joe farewell, groaning, “God’ll get you for that,” then limped home to strengthen his weak knees.

Sadly, the sight of his poor injured friend aroused no compassion in the heart-hardened Joe. Disregarding the prophecy, he took off in a flash for Jericho before anyone could stop him. Taking with him a bundle of money and a sack full of good intentions, he justified his actions by saying, “I’m going there as a witness, to show all my unsaved friends that Christians really can have fun.”

As he was moseying along the road, Joe happened to notice something that looked like a burning bush. At first he thought he might go over to investigate this unusual sight, but he was a man on a mission (he didn’t know what), and nothing would tempt him to leave his plans. So he threw caution to the wind and kept on going.

Off in the distance he saw what looked like a reed swaying back and forth. This sight actually peeked his curiosity, but when he came closer he discovered it was really a scruffy looking man wearing camel’s hair and yelling something that sounded like "Repent!"

Not the sort of message that Joe cared to hear at the moment.

“I’ve had enough of these religious fanatics telling me how to live my life,” he muttered. "Besides, I remember reading something about how that guy likes to raid wild bees’ nests. What if he sends a bunch of hornets my way?" Joe shivered. Deep inside, he knew he should listen to the wild-looking man. Nevertheless, he continued along the wide, well traveled path.

He figured that because it was so well traveled it had to be safe. But just as he turned a corner, someone jumped out from behind a rock and yelled “Boo!” Before he knew it, Joe found himself surrounded by a team of shirtless men wearing boxer shorts and big gloves. They punched him in the head, took all his stuff, then tossed him on the ground like a used punching bag.

There he lay on the side of the road, his head throbbing, his feet swollen, his stomach growling, and every part of his body aching and bleeding. In too much pain to think, he fell into a fitful sleep. Visions of Balaam’s donkey filled his head. And he played the role of Balaam.

There was this humble donkey who had never done Balaam any harm, trying to stop the crazed prophet from getting himself killed. She saw what would happen to Balaam if he didn’t turn from the path he was on, and tried to communicate the vision to him. But Balaam was too hard headed to get the message. So he persecuted this beloved animal by beating her each time she tried to warn him of the danger ahead. But once they were on the narrow path (the one that leads to life), God opened the donkey’s mouth and gave her a word of wisdom which finally opened Balaam’s eyes to the truth.

"I wish I had a donkey like that," said Joe to himself. “Stan tried to warn me, but I didn’t listen to him even though I knew in my heart he was right. I thought I needed some sort of neon sign from God to tell me not to go to Jericho, but I see now that, like Balaam, I was just looking for an excuse to do what I wanted. Now it's too late for me. I have despised God’s spiritual gift of prophecy and kicked the only donkey I had, which was my good friend Stan. Oh that some prophet would get a word from God and come out here to save me. But who? Who will come to my rescue?”

As if in answer to his cry, a priest came walking along the road. He stopped for a moment, but then when he saw who it was, abruptly continued on his way.

“I always knew that Joe would get himself in a heap of trouble,” said the priest. “We try to warn ‘em, but they never listen. It’s his own fault.” Sadly, the priest’s caustic comments left Joe feeling more beaten up than he already was.

Before long a Levite came walking along.

"Thank God,” sighed Joe. “Surely this brave soul will take pity on me.”

But the Levite walked right on past, muttering something about, “I’ve got no time to clean up that mess. It’s not my fault that guy’s lying in the gutter. I’ve got to prepare the sanctuary for that special missions presentation on Sunday, and I’m five minutes late!”

And so Joe was once again left lying there all alone.

Then the word of the Lord came to a man from Samaria.

“Go down this road,” he said.

“But Lord,” argued the man, “this road leads to Jericho, home of the Jericho Robbers. You know they love to play games with guys like me. I don’t stand a chance against them.”

Again the prophetic voice came. “Go down this road, and hurry.”

So the good Samaritan obeyed the voice and hurried his donkey down the road as fast as she could go. As he traveled, he kept his eyes open for anyone who might jump out from behind a rock and yell “Boo!” When he saw Joe lying on the side of the road, his heart immediately went out to him.

He dismounted from his donkey. Then he went over to tend to the man's wounds, pouring on oil and wine.

Smooth and soothing.

Joe’s aching bones began to stir. He looked at the good Samaritan through blurred eyes. Something about the man looked oddly familiar. Surely he had seen him before. Was it at the supermarket? The bowling alley? The movie theater? The pigsty?

No, it wasn’t the supermarket. And he was pretty sure it wasn’t the bowling alley. He didn't look like the type of person who went to many movies - at least not the type Joe liked to watch. And he seemed too clean and kosher to hang around pigs. Joe knew he’d seem him before. But where?

The good Samaritan lifted Joe and laid him upon the donkey. He did it very gingerly, as if he was almost afraid that Joe would break.

Joe recognized that over-cautious touch.

“The kicked donkey!”

“Huh?”

The good Samaritan’s voice was unmistakable.

“Stan?”

“Joe? Joe, is that you? You’re so beat up, I almost didn't recognize you!”

“Yes, it’s me,” moaned Joe. “I - I never expected to see you come by this way. This path leads to Jericho.”

“It’s okay,” said Stan. “I’m here now and you're all right.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t leave me there on the side of the road to die after the way I treated you,” said Joe.

“Why would you think that?”

“After the hard time I gave you, I thought I'd never see you again.”

“Forget it,” said Stan. “I’m just glad you’re okay. Everything’s going to be all right now.”

“I hope you can forgive me,” said Joe. “I know I don’t deserve it.” He couldn’t get over the fact that Stan would come to his rescue after the way he had treated him.

“Let’s not talk about it,” said Stan, his voice escalating in response to the load of guilt that continued to weigh his friend down. He seemed eager to put the past behind him. "Forgiveness is what it’s all about. I will not have you dredging up the past. So get over it!”

“Is that what the Lord saith?” asked Joe as Stan mounted the donkey. Stan’s newfound boldness astonished him.

“Of course that’s what the Lord saith,” replied Stan. “Now be quiet and try to sleep. It's a good two hours from here to the hospital.”

And so the two of them rode on together, the persecuted prophet and the repentant sinner.

After all, what is the purpose of prophecy if not first to warn, and then to heal?

The following are just a few of the many scriptures that give further insight into the gift of prophecy and the wisdom that comes from above:

Genesis 20:7; Numbers 11:25-29, 12:6-8; Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18:22;
I Samuel chapter 3, I Samuel 9:9; Proverbs chapter 2; Jeremiah 33:3;
Amos 3:7; Romans 12:6; I Corinthians 12:1-10; I Corinthians chapter 14;
I Thessalonians 5:20; II Peter 1:16-21; II Peter 2:1-3; James 3:14-18; Revelation 19:10

To find out more about Balaam‘s donkey, check out Numbers 22:20-31.

You can find out more about the wild-looking preacher Joe saw by the side of the road by reading Matthew chapter 3; Mark 1:1-9; Luke chapters 1 and 3; and John chapter 1.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE