Feeling For AND Acting Upon…

There’s a huge difference between “feeling compassion” for someone, and acting on those feelings. Here in the story of the Good Samaritan, we get a glimpse of what it’s like to truly love your neighbor. All human beings feel compassion, but how many act on it? Many make excuses to justify their lack of “neighborly duty”. What we really lack is absence of God’s Spirit within us. It’s virtually impossible to be humble, and help our neighbor without expecting something in return, without God’s Spirit helping us along. Loving our neighbor is a God thing. It’s only possible when He’s part of our being, teaching and instructing us with our acceptance of His sovereign reign. Unless He’s touched our heart, we won’t really know who our neighbor really is. And unless we’ve surrendered to His call, we’ll be just another person passing by along the roadside that decides to turn a blind eye to someone in desperate need. God opens our eyes to the most important things in life. Once we receive this precious gift, then we will truly know the meaning of “loving our neighbor”.

30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” Luke 10:30-37