Today we live in a world in which many have lost the desire to care for others. Some have become so self centered that the only people they will look out for are themselves. This is not what the Lord intended. When we study the Scriptures, it is evident that we are commanded by God to be concerned for others, not only ourselves. Even in the first book of the Old Testament (Genesis), God showed that we all have a responsibility to our fellow man when He asked Cain concerning his brother Abel. In Luke 10:25-37, we read about an incident in which a lawyer stood up and tempted Jesus by asking the Lord, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”: The Lord answered this question as He often answered those posed to him by men trying to tempt Him He answered the question with a question. The Lord asked this lawyer, supposedly an expert in matters of the law, “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” The lawyer actually answered his own question when he responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself” The Lord then proceeded to tell the lawyer that he had answered correctly and to do this and he would live. The lawyer, realizing he had fallen into his own trap and trying to justify himself, asked the Lord, “Who is my neighbor?” It was at this time that the Lord told the parable of the good Samaritan.
In the parable, the Lord told how a man had gone down from Jerusalem to Jericho and had fallen among thieves who had stripped him of all his raiment, wounded him, and left him half-dead. Then the Lord related how a priest had come down that same road by chance, and seeing this wounded man, he passed byon the other side. Likewise, a Levite came by the same road and reacted in much the same way. It was not until a Samaritan came that his poor man received help. When the Samaritan came, he looked at the wounded man and had compassion on him. The Samaritan not only had concern for him, but also bound up his wounds and sat him on his beast and took him to an inn and provided care for him. The following day when the Samaritan was to continue his journey, he took two pence and gave it to the host at the inn and told him to take care of the man and that whatever he spent in excess of the two pence he would pay when he returned. It was then that the Lord told the young lawyer to go and do likewise.
In the parable told by Jesus, we see people with different philosophies regarding their obligations to others. The first philosophy is that of taking what belongs to others at whatever the cost, and it is one followed by many today. The philosophy of the priest and the Levite was that it is wise to not get involved. The problem with this attitude is that none of us will ever have the opportunity to practice what we profess. The Lord desires us to be like the Samaritan, who did believe that we have an obligation to help those who need us. We have a responsibility to care for others and not just ourselves. Paul wrote to the Galatian brethren, “As we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Gal. 6:10). What is our philosophy regarding the care of others? Let us all be as the Lord commanded us to be, and try to care for one another as much as possible.
-Al Macias
0 Comments