But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Luke 10:33-35
“Uncharted territory. Each of us is often so busy and preoccupied with our own-charted agendas that we can easily miss the opportunity God presents to make a difference in someone’s life. A kind work, a simple gesture, an investment of time, attention, compassion, generosity. The opportunities are all around us every day. We live and work in a world of people who need to see that God cares and makes a difference. You and I may be the only glimpse of Jesus some people will ever see.”
Denny and Leesa Bellesi in The Kingdom Assignment: What Will You Do With the Talents God has Given You? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001) 86.
In what new territory might God want you to move? The beauty of the Good Samaritan story is the simplicity of it. He “saw” a person in need and “had compassion” on him. Are we to blind to see, and too busy and self-absorbed to have compassion on those in need around us?
Each of us can chart a new course right where we are. We must determine what in our normal pace of life that we walk by, that we miss, because we are just focused on our own agendas. God cares as much about how we treat people on the journey as He does the destination we are headed and what we do there.
This is very hard because we realize the little things are really the big things. It’s stuff like giving a person our undivided attention or greeting by name and with gratitude a person who serves us. We can be so focused on what we are doing or planning to do that we miss what God has for us, right in front of us. In so doing, we ourselves become the Levite or the priest in the Good Samaritan story (Luke 10:25-37).
Today I will speak at a “Put Your House in Order” Governance Forum sponsored by CCTA and ATS speaking on themes from The Council: A Biblical Perspective on Board Governance (forthcoming this month). Pray for God to give the group eyes to see and receptive hearts to apply what they learn, because the content will likely push listeners into uncharted territory.