In Luke 10:30, we begin reading the account of a man who unfortunately was robbed and left on the side of road. He had been beaten, stripped of his clothes and left for dead. As time went on, a priest passed by, but he would not stop to help. A Levite also passed by, but he too would not stop and help. Thankfully, there was one more traveler who passed by this poor, beaten man. A Samaritan stopped by the side of the road and had compassion for this man. He bandaged his wounds and took him to an inn. The Samaritan not only cared for this man, but upon his departure the next day, he made sure the man would be taken care of and that all his expenses were paid.
In some sense, we have all been the man on the side of the road. We have all been overtaken by sin in our lives. We were lost, alone and in desperate need of help. Jesus Christ came and helped us in our most desperate time of need. He paid the price for all of our sins and provided the way for our eternal healing. As Christians, we have all seen the need to submit to God and obey His will. We recognize that through faith and obedience we can come in contact with the healing Jesus Christ offers to all those who are lost and on the side of the road.
As we Christians continue down that road of life and continue towards our heavenly home, we need to be aware that there are many who need the spiritual healing that can only be found in Jesus Christ. There are many in need of love and compassion. Unfortunately, there are also even many of our brothers and sisters in Christ who have fallen by the wayside. Just like Jesus and the Good Samaritan, we need to be there for those in need. We need to be willing to stop and help even when others are unwilling. A kind word, an act of compassion and true concern for the souls of the world can help lead those around us toward Christ. Let us all strive to truly be the Good Samaritan of our day. Souls depend on it.
