Our Daily Bread: Called to ServeEsimerkki

Go and Do the Same “Which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” —Luke 10:36–37 We watched the news with horror when we learned about an attack on unsuspecting pedestrians on London’s Westminster Bridge. One friend remarked how a wise person said to look for the helpers in any tragedy. As I watched the coverage with this in mind, I noticed the stories of the bystander who brought lunch to the walking wounded and the security guard who gave cups of tea to the police officers. When considering these “helpers,” I thought about Jesus’s story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus, when grilled by an expert in the religious law on how to inherit eternal life, used this story to illustrate who was the man’s neighbor. Jesus told how a man traveling on a windy mountain road was attacked and harmed. Only a despised Samaritan would stop and help the victim—not the priest or the temple assistant. The Samaritan was the one who cared for his needs as he “soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them” (Luke 10:34). Jesus told the teacher of the law, “Go and do the same” (v. 37). He wanted the learned man to know that simple acts of love and compassion reveal the state of one’s heart. We too can follow Jesus’s command to go and do likewise when we reach out to strangers in need. All we need is a willing and open heart to share the love of Jesus. Lord Jesus Christ, work through me to love my neighbor. Open my eyes to the needs around me, and how I can serve You. Amy Boucher Pye We serve God when we love our neighbors.