Go and do the same….Luke 10:37 (HCSB)
Win the Lost at any Cost
Luke 10:37 (HCSB)
God’s love for all peoples of this world was demonstrated by Jesus as He walked on earth among the people. Jesus’ desire to highlight the value of the Samaritans (gentiles) was revealed in biblical accounts.
In Luke 10 we are introduced to an incident where a traveller was attacked by robbers. We are reminded of the fact that the devil comes to steal. The victim was wounded and left in a critical state. That’s what the enemy does: kill and destroy. The entire scene causes me to move from a physical attack to a spiritual attack.
It’s amazing how Jesus develops the account by showing who showed compassion to the victim. It wasn’t a priest, certainly not a Levite. They both just ignored or looked and offered no help. Help was given by a non-Jew, a Samaritan. I wonder if this was one of the men who Jesus preached to in Sychar. This Samaritan bound up his wounds, poured in oil and wine (this was used in those days to heal wounds), put him on his donkey, and took him to an inn. The Bible records that the Samaritan remained with the wounded until the next day. Before leaving the inn, he left money to pay for expenses that may be incurred. The healing ministry had started and taken to a point where the Samaritan could have left.
Compassion has no boundaries. This is one sure method of evangelism, especially, to non-christians; concern and prayer for their sick go a long way. Jesus was emphasising the fact that ethnicity/race and human victimisation should not be named among us. A quick move to minister and rehabilitate is necessary. Why the priest and the Levite did not do what the Samaritan did is not known but never let us fail to minister to the physically and spiritually wounded. Prayer is as necessary as the tangible necessities of life.
Before leaving the inn, the Samaritan said to the Inn Keeper, “Take care of him and whatever you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.” – (v35). These words sound like those that would come from Jesus. God is no man’s debtor. Whatever you do and give to those in need, you have done it unto the Lord. He will surely repay you. He has blessings in store that we cannot imagine for those who obey – Ephesians 3:20.
Read: Luke 10: 25-37; Matthew 25:30; 1 Corinthians 2:9
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 42:7-11; Luke 12:1-34; Deuteronomy 9; Deuteronomy 10
