10/08/2020
I do apologize for the delay, here is yesterday's prayer guide
Day 3 (Communal):
"25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 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. 35 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.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”" Luke 10:25-37 ESV
This is a commonly quoted passage in the gospels, but the background setup to why Jesus would use this parable is really what would have reached the people. It's not just that the priest and Levite look bad for going out of their way to not help someone in need, but the fact that the Samaritan of all people was the one to go above and beyond to make sure that the man was comforted. The priest and Levite would have had an obligation to help, but found a "loophole" in this to avoid helping someone that wasn't in their immediate path. The Samaritan that, by the cultural standards, would have had a far more contentious relationship (or lack thereof) with the priest and Levite, but still expressed a greater love for his neighbor in his path. The Samaritan's care for his neighbor would have been seen as a radical love.
When we read through this, how often do we ask ourselves who our neighbor truly is? The gravity that comes with this question is the thing that brings many of us out of our comfort zones. Our comfort of disconnecting from our neighbor's struggles, pains, and problems. A comfort to hold on to our resources (money, time, energy, etc). How often do our actions line up more with the priest and Levite, rather than the Samaritan?
Our prayer with our community is one of God continuing to illuminate the areas that His light needs to touch. To give us the radical faith and love to trust in Him as we love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and mind, and to our neighbors as ourselves.
