November 30, 2009
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"Lord, please send a brother or sister to help me." (The Good Samaritan parable redux)
Act I.Robbed, bruised, beaten down and broken, I'm lying on the side of the road. I'm in pain, moaning and groaning...
"Lord, please send a brother or sister to help me."
A Christian walks by.
I look with hope.
My hope is met with a stern voice, "Oh, sorry, I see you've been beaten. You're one of those Calvinists*, aren't you? Well, well. Hmm...Though we're both Christians, we're both in the same family – the family of God – so I know that technically you're a sister of mine. But, well, um...I can't really help you."
Act II.Robbed, bruised, beaten down and broken, I'm lying on the side of the road. I'm in pain moaning and groaning...
"Lord, please send a brother or sister to help me."
An atheist walks by.
I look with doubt.
My doubt is met with a gentle voice, "Oh, sorry, I see you've been beaten. You're one of those Christians, aren't you? Well, well. Hmm...Though I'm not a a Christian, we're both in the same family – the human family – so I know that technically you're a sister of mine. Here, take my hand...Oh, and by the way, could you tell me why that other Christian left you lying here?"
Which of these ... do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?
He said, The one who showed him mercy. And Jesus said to him, You go, and do likewise.*Please feel free to substitute "Arminians" for Calvinists – or use your imagination, e.g.- substitute a denomination, a nonessential practice, etc., etc.If I didn't have the dream that Jesus' words were to be obeyed, that we really are to love one another, and that He gives us the power to do so, then I wouldn't be so distressed at the current reality...
Related posts:
- ALL God's people singing, "He reigns" (Letter 28 on assurance & joy)
- we are a wilderness and a desolation today (lack of love in the Church | Isaiah 64:10-11)
- Behold, how good and pleasant it is when we dwell in unity!
- I can't keep walking on eggshells here (more on Revelife, Calvinism, the Body of Christ and self)
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Comments (23)
You have no idea how thankful I am to have some kind of communication with you, Karen. Thank you for not giving up on your dream.
Hi
I have listened to 'hateful' sermons for years. First, the churches I attended had plenty of negative things to say about Catholics, then Pentecostals, then other religions. If we tried to do something nice, we were accused of being in a 'works' salvation. I don't hear too much of that, but I guess the denominational squabbling is still going on. In actuality, there are not that many Christians or Athirst that help strangers in need. My friends tell me not to give money to the street beggars because they will spend it on booze. On the other hand what I spend on Direct TV could feed a village in Africa.
It does bum you out when you think of it. I feel like I am crawling out of my own whole, but the Happy Church is seems to be getting through to me--finally.
Guess what??? MIL insisted on cooking breakfast this morning!! lol
frank
In the world today, whether you are a Christian or a Aethist, one lives for themselves. I find that most people would just leave the one who is beaten, bruised and broken to tend to themselves. That is the world we live in.
Here, I hardly find Christians around.
I think most of us have been on every side of that parable: We've been hurt, we've been ingnored - and we've all probably hurt someone, and ignored someone who was hurting.
Message me if there is anything I can do, and never forget that God knows what is going on, and wants to meet the needs that people cannot meet.
...that is "ignored"
This scenario is played out often in our society today. Sometimes it is the other way around...not all Christians would want to determine the theological stance of the hurting person, but with some, that is the first question they would ask.
No matter what else people might think of Mother Theresa, I doubt if she EVER passed by a hurting person...would that we all could have that kind of love...
Then there's the instance of Jesus sharing a meal with a Pharisee at the Pharisee's home. A woman enters the scene, weeping and wiping Jesus' feet with her tears--and the Pharisee has the audacity to come down hard on the repentant woman--HELLO!??!!
@cerwindoris - Perfect. Beautiful.
And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:47-48)
Shucks, part of my comment (to Frank @ANVRSADDAY) was cut out by the Xanga monster! Anyways Frank, your comment was very insightful. We're wealthy, yet we go around crying poor! If we judge someone else's use of that which we give them, how much more will we be judged for our misuse of what we've been given?
can i rec this again? lol. it was so good =)
I enjoyed your twist on the good Samaritan story. If only we could predict who would be the most likely person to stop and help us, but even though I want the Christian to be the one to stop, some days it seems so random. I guess what this tells me is that I need to be one of the Christians who does help others, regardless of their religious or other orientation. In my years living in NY I always gave money to panhandlers. I figured it was impossible for me to say whether the money was going for alcohol or food, nor was it up to me to judge. That sounded a bit "holier than thou," and I really am sorry for that, but like the other person who commented on this said, I so often heard about how the money I gave away would just be spent on alcohol. I really I got sick of it as I looked at these humans in such despair. Anyway, I am glad that this post reminded me that whatever others do I am responsible for my own actions. I need to show that I not only love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, I also love my neighbor as myself (Mark 12:30-31.) Thank you for your post (as always). Kelly
@poetically_truthful - Shannon, thank you. God is keeping the dream alive in me! God bless you, dear sister.
@alwefak - Hi! Thanks for stopping by. Numbers 6:24-26.
@ANVRSADDAY - Frank, it's tough b/c there are definitely Scriptural truths we must speak and point out to people but we must do it in love and humility. That's was Jesus was; my prayer is to be able to have that balance of grace & truth that He had.
You're right, along with @Mal_P in that we're all selfish, we're all born into sin, w/ that sin nature. The Bible is very clear about that. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. From early on we see that a young child's first impulse is my/mine. That's why the world is so in need of Christ and the Gospel. We need Christ's selfless Spirit to come into our lives so we might be able to be selfless like He was.
@cerwindoris - Thanks so much, sister for your wonderful words.
I like how you pointed out that we've been on all sides of the parable. For sure.
Amen that God does know all our needs and is ready and able to meet them all. This past week He clearly reminded me He was my portion (Numbers 18:20). He always provides His own w/ all we need to sustain our souls.
@quest4god@revelife - Yes, it's played out in many ways over and over. God has continued to catch me in it...I'm so needing more of Him and less of me. And agree w/ you about Mother Teresa...
@WLCALUM - Yes, that's another wonderful example...HELLO indeed! Needing His grace to be humble...
@AOK4WAY - Very insightful and convicting remarks...Thanks for sharing them.
@YouTOme - No, you can't rec it again.
But thanks!
@kjlindgren - Yes, there are a LOT of people in despair. We feel helpless and overwhelmed at that. We can ask God to help us to give us ears to hear His promptings to obey where He's calling us to bring a bit of His light to those in despair. We can't help everyone but our one light, our one candle, can make a real difference to someone who's going through a dark time.
I need to show that I not only love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, I also love my neighbor as myself (Mark 12:30-31.)
Amen. Love for neighbor is proof of our love for Christ...I continue to fall short...He must continue to grow my love for Him so it will overflow in love to my neighbor.
Hi Karen -thank you - always - for your care and wisdom - felt like my comment belonged here moreso than on(your) last friday's post or my Thurs.- i do routinely see my blessings -just --if i don't whine somewhere --that is --get to voice it to another - i may "SPALODE! ...my local IRL brethern are too few and far between... everybody's bizzy..
there are times when 'wherefore art thou, simon' is my mantra...:-<
@pamilvr - You're welcome, Frank. Thank you!
Though the Lord is always ready to hear us, there are those times we need IRL friends. That Hebrews 10:23-25 ministry is something that's really lacking in much of the Church at large today. Keep taking your requests to the Lord and keep fixing your eyes on Him and setting Him before you, that way we you won't end up in perpetual whining. Psalm 16, Psalm 73.
I walked yesterday and did some whining to the Lord (not for long). As soon as we speak honestly to Him from the heart, He will show us where we ought to be, bring a verse to mind/a passage/a principle something, or else He will bring something to us from a friend, a book, a song lyric, nature, etc. Jesus is our Good Shepherd and our Father does want to give us good gifts. He won't leave us without the bread we need to encourage and sustain us for the journey. Yes, it may not always taste good to us initially (particularly His rebukes/discipline/His sword cutting), but it is always just what we need. May He give us grace to chew on it and digest it as we ought, for His (HE) is the only bread which satisfies!
Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart." May He give us whole hearts to seek after Him, to pant, to thirst and hunger after Him (e.g.- Psalms 42, 43, 84).
(We've all been like Simon. The greater problem comes when we can't see it or aren't able to admit it.)
Numbers 6:24-26.
Karen