The Samaritan’s Donkey

A few weeks ago I visited Solid Rock Baptist Church which is the church our oldest daughter and her family attends.  The young man preaching was doing so by the request of the pastor.  His message was based upon Luke’s account of the story Jesus told often referred to as “the Good Samaritan.”  He did a really fine job.  His words prompted me to ponder this story several times throughout the following week.

The young minister was posing an ageless ethical question, “Who is my neighbor?”  Very similar to Cain’s question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The unspoken response of God to Cain was, “Of course.  Why do you need to ask?”  Both questions come from a nasty virus from the same source; Satan’s lies.

By the end of his teaching, I understood the real question; “Who does God say my neighbor is?” My neighbor is anyone who is hurting within reach of my care.  The priest and Levite are not my neighbors, they were self-sufficient; they had no need of me.  They most certainly live in my neighborhood, but they are not my neighbors.

 Jesus asked, “Which of these three proved to be a neighbor?” The reject proved to be his neighbor.  Samaritans were all regarded as “rejects” at that time.  Rejects understand rejects are their neighbors.  (It may be helpful for you to thoughtfully read the Beatitudes in Matthew 5).

Neighbors act.  If a person in the neighborhood does not act, they are not neighbors, just residents in the neighborhood.

Because I am writing about this question, you know I am still pondering the truths here. I had additional insight.  Sometimes I am the bandit, sometimes the victim, sometimes the religious leader, sometimes I’m the Samaritan, and sometimes I am the innkeeper.  What’s new to me is that sometimes I am the Samaritan’s donkey.  I have the assigned privilege to assist a neighbor in helping a neighbor. 

Photo – Mine. Grandkids left the beach but their toys didn’t.