Diggin' Deep

Luke 10.... about half way down.... the love your neighbor thing... you know the story.  A guy's walking down the road, he gets mugged.. they take his money, his clothes and give him a beatin'.  The guy is broke and hurt through no fault of his own... but just because life is hard sometimes.  

Imagine being left for dead on the roadside... if it isn't sad enough, take a moment and dare to think of how the pain would be intensified to see these 'holy guys' walk right by you.. the ones that say they serve God... they practically trip over your broken life on their way to far more epic 'God stuff'.

Who helps you?... the Samaritan.. the half-breed in the eyes of the holy guys... probably couldn't recite half of the Torah like they can.... wouldn't be allowed anywhere near the synagogue, let alone be asked to expound their Hebrew wisdom like them...pshhh. 

The Samaritan puts aside the awkwardness, the fact that you're a stranger, the risk and fear.  He stops to pray, takes a long breath, then he digs deep... deep into his heart to find compassion for you ... deep into his stuff to wrap your wounds and cover your half-naked body ... deep into his schedule to change his plans to take you to get help...  deep into his pocket to pay for whatever physical help you need.  He doesn't think to exploit your darkest moment or his crowning deed with an Instagram pic or tell all his friends about it.  There will be no change in his social or religious status... the 'holy guys' will probably still think he's a low level wanna-be.  He just feels for your pain.  Maybe he's been beat up before... or perhaps he'd just want someone to do the same if he were in your shoes... or what if he just did it because he figures his Master put you in front of his face for this very purpose....to stoop low and serve others ... like Jesus did.

Every day people fight hard, not to get ahead, but just to get through.  Bad diagnosis.  Loss.  Surprise car bills that drop like atomic bombs on a well-crafted budget and blow it to bits.  An intimate relationship that ends with a "Judas kiss".  Feeling so overwhelmed and alone that you want to quit.  Laying by the Damascus roadside... broke, beat up and half dead.  You know how it feels, because you've been there.. we all have.

We should be good Samaritans....looking for the hurting. Where is 'our Damascus roadside'?  Where does God place the broke, the beat up, the sick, those left laying alone and hurting, that He wants us to dig deep for?.... probably right in front of our very eyes... maybe we even walk right over them as we try to be 'holy guys' on some epic journey to do big 'God stuff'.  Probably right in our face every Sunday and maybe just a few rows behind you.

Pray this week, that God will reveal somebody to us... someone who may look 'together' on the outside, but someone (would we even dare say anyone)  that needs to see His hands and feet here.  Then let's keep our eyes open and get ready move past the awkward, to risk feeling fearful and get ready to dig deep....