The parable of the Good Samaritan is one often told in Sunday Schools and sermons to illustrate compassion and service. The focus is on the Samaritan traveler who ignored the cultural norms of his day and disrupted his journey to help the injured victim. Consider for a moment the two men who passed by the situation, and just couldn’t be inconvenienced. Which of the three are you?
The priest and the Levite both passed by on the other side of the road and did not stop to assist the injured man. You may imagine the justifications they offered themselves for not attending to the victim. Some have suggested that they did not want to become ceremonially unclean.
Perhaps they were thinking, “I don’t have time,” or “I can’t afford it,” or “I don’t want to become entangled in his problems.” As Jesus tells the story, the key to their behavior and decisions is that they did not show compassion or mercy.
With all of the activities of the holiday season, it is important to remember to be merciful. While you may fill a Samaritan’s Purse box for a child in some underprivileged country, or you might drop money in the Salvation Army bucket, that should not be the extent of your holiday compassion. Compassion can simply be kindness, such as an extra smile to a beleaguered store clerk or calling out a thank-you to the parcel delivery person. Perhaps you can offer to pick up the forgotten grocery item for a shut-in neighbor or bake an extra batch of cookies and take them to the nearest police or fire station. Allow yourself to consider being inconvenienced this season, to extend generosity and kindness. Ask God to make you aware of the opportunities He places before you.
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