” But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,” Luke 10:33
J. R. Miller, one of my favorite writers, told about this unusual prayer and the seriousness of it: “O Lord, advertise your love through us!” was the prayer of an earnest Christian. A young Christian, when asked if she loved Jesus, was moved to tears, saying in her heart, “What a dim light mine must be, if others are not sure that I love Jesus!” A Christian writer has recently said, that the deadliest heresy is to be unloving.
God advertised his love through the good Samaritan. Others needed not to ask him if he loved God. He was not guilty of the deadly heresy of being unloving. He had true compassion. He was not content merely to say a few pitying words. His sympathy took the practical form of doing something. He bound up the man’s wounds—that was help of the best kind. He stopped the bleeding away of the sufferer’s life. He rested not until he had him safe in a warm shelter.
He did not even content himself with getting the man into an inn, then throwing off further responsibility. He might have said, “I have done my share; let some other one look after him now.” But he was in no hurry to get the case off his hands. He took care of the man for a time, and then provided for the continuation of the care as long as it would be needed. The good Samaritan is Christ’s own picture of what Christian love should be in everyone of his disciples.
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
