Remember the story of the Good Samaritan?
Luke 10:30-35
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
We had a similar situation Monday night near our church. As people (me included) drove kids to youth group, we saw a woman walking along the road crying, with a car and a man nearby trying to get her into the car. I was with my daughter and planned to stop on the way back and see if I could help her, but by the time I came back, the police were there. I'm happy to say my Pastor and his wife stopped and he got out and asked her if she needed help. Just then the police came and assisted her. My Pastor was ready to risk physical harm to help this woman on the side of the road. Now, it helps when you're 6'5" and in great shape from running and cycling.
Let me ask you. If you came across the same situation, would you stop? If not, then the question is, how big is your God? Do you trust him to protect you in risky situations with people you don't know and are in need of Jesus' hands and feet? What if God is calling you to stop? What if stopping is a step in maturity, and something bigger awaits you down the road of life?
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2 comments:
Stopping to help is a tough thing--not because I don't care, but, like you said, it's scary and usually very inconvenient. On our drive back from New Mexico, we passed a lady who was walking along the interstate and it took us fifteen minutes to decide whether or not to turn around and see if we could help her. We finally did turn around, but by that time, she was nowhere to be found. So, another question is: are we actually looking for opportunities, so that when they arrise, our actions don't have to wait for our hearts to catch up? So many times, I am guilty of debating until the need has been met or the chance for ministry has vanished. My prayer is that God will help me to act with his compassion and his power working through me!
Some pretty tough scenarios. I personally have a rule that I will do what I am capable of as long as I am not being ignorant in putting others in jeapardy such as my children or my wife. But then again I can remember a few times when I was younger and opportunity met my father.....I was told to hide on the floorboard while he dealt with it!
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