On Israel

Just a short follow up on the post from yesterday about the parable of the good Samaritan. Today I just have a simple question: What would have happened to the man who was beaten, robbed, and left for dead, if the Samaritan hadn't passed by his way? I'll give you one guess. Did you get it? Okay, here's the answer, and it's not one of great mystery: He would have died. Plain and simple. He would have died. He had already been left for dead, and things would have continued in that direction unto completion if the Samaritan had not stopped and stemmed the tide. Understand that this man who was beaten and robbed was a child of God for that time, being an Israelite. Understand also that there were two prominent men of God who passed him by, being too busy with their own circumstances to stop and help him. Considering that these men were a priest and a Levite, it is quite possible that their own circumstances may very well have had to do with the worship and service of God. In any event they really missed it. And I mean they really missed God. If they were on their way to teach someone about God or to conduct worship of God, then they did it in vain, and I mean big time. Maybe they should have read the law that they claimed to teach, a little bit closer. It is full of instruction to lift up the oppressed and to help the needy. In fact that was and is what the law of God is all about, to re-quote the apostle Paul from yesterday: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2). Here is the point of today's post: There are plenty of folks in the kingdom of God today, not to mention in the world around us, that have been spiritually beaten, robbed, and left for dead. That's just the nature of the world we live in, and being in Christ doesn't exempt us from suffering these kinds of things at times in our lives. Though our strength is to be upheld by the supernatural power and grace of God, we have plenty of opportunity to realize that we ourselves are not supernatural. Regardless of how mature you are in Christ, where you've been spiritually, or how many supernatural experiences you've had; you have or will feel what I'm talking about, and it will be more than once.

So do you want to know what is happening to those who do not have a good Samaritan to intervene when they feel the injuries that this life loves to dish out? Well, they don't necessarily die, but if they do not, they will surely feel like it. However many in fact do die, some spiritually, some physically, and some both. I'll go one further and tell you that there are not many who are strong enough in spirit to not at least die to some extent spiritually and physically from some of the harder wears and tears of this life. Someone will say, "Well those are the ones who built their house on the sand, and that's why their house fell when the wind and rain beat on it." I'm well aware of that parable, but I am also well aware that some who are severely wounded during hardships would not have been as badly effected if someone else around them would have been more mindful of "bearing one another's burdens, and so fulfilling the law of Christ." Some cave in under the weight and burdens of this life simply because there was nobody around them who really knew what it means to "love your neighbor as yourself." There is no heavier burden to bear than to feel that no one really cares when you are heavy laden. Yes, we know that Jesus cares, but I also know that Jesus ordained a body on earth that he designed to take care of one another. Not only so, but that is the main focus and objective that he has in regard to his children. Just a couple of scripture confirmations for you on this: "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" (Philip. 2:4). And this: "That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another" (I Cor. 12:25). And once more for good measure: "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous" (I Pet. 3:8). The list could go on, but I'm certain the point is clear. So if we're going to be zealous, let's be zealous about the things that mean the most to Jesus. If we do this we will always have the horse in front of the cart, and the cart will always get where it needs to go. Not to mention we will save lives and souls in the process, at least some of which will not be able to make it otherwise. Amen.