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. Luke 10:31
One certain way to miss opportunities to show love to the people around us is to live self-centered lives. You see, when we have our eyes fixed on our struggles, schedules, and agendas, we may completely miss opportunities to love people well. After all, when we are solely focused on our own lives, it’s nearly impossible to look out for and anticipate other people's needs. Because of this, selflessness is key in loving the people around us well.
To illustrate the importance of looking out for the needs of others, Jesus told a story in Luke 10. In this story, a Jewish man was robbed and left on the road for dead. Jesus explains that a priest walked by as the man was lying on the road. Now, priests would have been considered high in status. Priests had dedicated their lives to God, and this priest was no exception. Therefore, one would have expected the priest to be the hero in this story, but he walked by instead of helping this man. Next, a temple assistant walked by this man. Now the temple assistant had also dedicated his life to God and his religion, but he, like the priest, walked right past this man without helping. Both of these men were deeply religious and had given their lives to serving God, but they missed an opportunity to care for someone in need right in front of them.
We cannot know why these two religious men walked by the man on the side of the road. We can guess maybe they were busy, or maybe they did not want to be inconvenienced. What we can take from this story is a reminder to each of us to pause and look around and truly see the needs around us. When we see needs, this story reminds us to look beyond ourselves to see the needs of others and help when we are able. May we be people who see people who are hurting and offer help and hope in the name of Jesus.
Our call today is to take our eyes off of ourselves. Have you been self-focused lately, setting your eyes on your schedule, needs, and timeline? It’s time today to live differently. Make a point today to keep your eyes open to pay attention to other people's needs around you. Ask God to open your eyes so that you see others and the struggles they are facing. Then, as needs and struggles arise, make a point to help the people who you can.
Luke 10:30-32 (NLT)
Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down 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.
“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. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
©2024 Sagebrush Church
