Theme of the Week: Reflecting God’s Generosity
Bible Verse: But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.” Luke 10:33-35
Scripture Reading: Luke 10:30-37
The story of the Good Samaritan is probably familiar. In response to a question from a self-righteous law expert, Jesus told of a traveler who was attacked, robbed, and left for dead. In succession, two religious leaders came upon the needy man and passed by without stopping to help.
In contrast, a Samaritan (a group looked down upon and despised by the Jewish people) came along and took pity on him and gave him the help he needed.
Now, let’s be fair right up front, this is a parable and not a true historical account, but there are many things that we can take from this about what is expected of a neighbor. And that, after all, is the point of the parable.
What does the Samaritan have to give? The first thing he gives is his time. He was a fellow traveler. On his way from one place to another on business of his own. When he sees the man, broken and bleeding on the side of the path, he sets aside whatever agenda he may have had. His plans were shelved, his schedule disrupted, so that he could offer succour to the injured man. In the story, part of the point is how far the Samaritan went to take care of this man.
It wasn’t just that the Samaritan diverted his initial plan, he took him to an inn and “took care of him.” That’s a time commitment! A man in as bad of shape as this man seemed to be would not be okay simply because he now laid in a bed as opposed to the road. The Samaritan gave his time—he even made plans to go back to the inn to check on the man and settle accounts.
Let’s face it, meeting the situation in the parable, we’d all (hopefully) help. But how easily do we give up our time. Sure, we can schedule time that we give to different things and people. But what about when it’s an interruption? How willing are we to look at our time as something we have that we can be generous with? There’s a certain number of hours in a day, who do we give them to?
Prayer: God, forgive me for being selfish with my time. Help me to see my time as something that I can be generous with and give to those who may need it. Whether someone needs my physical help, or an ear to listen, help me see opportunities to give away my time.
Reflection: How do you react when your plans are interrupted? How can you give time to someone this week?
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