Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
One day in a land far away, a man traveled on a journey. His route led him through hostile and remote countryside filled with murders and thieves. Looking ahead in the distance, he sees what looks like a bundle of clothing. He also spots two travelers; each, in turn, walked past the bundle without slowing down. As he drew closer, he discovered not a pile of clothing but a badly beaten and bleeding man. He stopped and helped out of compassion and care at great danger to himself.
In telling the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus teaches us two lessons. The first is how we should act. We are all beneficiaries of God's compassion and comfort. In return, we are to treat others with that same kindness. The other lesson is in the person who administered the care, the Samaritan. While he seemed to be an unlikely candidate, of an ethnicity despised by some, it was he who remembered God's love and responded in kind. Christ calls us to be that unlikely source, certainly to show compassion and care to those we know, but also to respond as quickly to the stranger.
Father God, we thank you for your compassion and comfort. Please help us show that same love to all our sisters and brothers who are in trouble. We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
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