Lord,
Teach me to love others like you do. I can love the lovable. But there seem to be so few of them around. The boisterous, attention-getting Peters in my life annoy me with their self-glorification, their exaggerated stories of their accomplishments, and their weak willed short lived commitments. Teach me to listen past their bragging vibrato and name-dropping and hear the cry of an insecure heart needing bolstering. Lord, the negative, doubting, gloom ridden Thomases of my life make me cringe. They see life so dismal, they live in their annoyances. Teach me how to help them hold on in faith and see the beautiful in life, Let me learn how to share truths that will give them courage. The Judases in my life anger me with their backbiting, fault-finding, greed and deceit. Give to me a willingness to serve them and draw them back into relationship. Lord, when I am persecuted. I pray. "Father get them." change my prayer to be like Yours, "Father, forgive them.”
I lose respect for the Marys who in weakness return to their former sin. Give me compassion to take its place. Let me not judge so quickly the beggar, assuming he lacks motivation. Instead let generosity well up in my heart for others who do not have as much as I do. As I look into the eyes of the tax collector, the woman at the market, or the stranger who brushes up against me in the crowd, let me see people. Give me a longing to make their lives meaningful.
Teach me to look past myself, to give of my wealth, to expect no gain but care just the same. Live Your love through me so that I can be patient, understanding, and full of sympathy. Transform my heart to love fully, not just in part. And when humanly I evaluate others as undeserving, let Your love be constant and unswerving.
Scripture Reading
Luke 10: 25-37
1. In this passage the wounded man is seen differently by different people. Try and match them up.
To _____________________ he was someone to exploit.
To _____________________ he was a problem to be avoided
To _____________________ he was a “paying" customer
To _____________________ he was worth dying for
a. the Samaritan b. the robbers c. Jesus d. the religious people e. the inn keeper
2. What excuse might be given to justify not helping this man in need?
How many of these reasons stem from selfishness?
Could the Samaritan have used these same reasons had he desired not to help?
Are there conditions under which a real Christian 'Would not help?
3. Did loving cost the Samaritan'?
Time?
Money?
Inconvenience?
Community status?
Material goods?
Effort?
Which is the hardest for me to give someone else?
What point might Jesus be trying to make with the Jews by having the loving hero be a Samaritan, a nationality that the Jewish nation hated?
4. Jesus changed the question from, "Who is my neighbor?" to, “Are you a neighbor?" How would I respond to Jesus' question?
To whom am I a neighbor, and whom do I leave out?
Prayer
Lord, when I look at myself, I see that most of the time I love those that are loveable. I am drawn to the beautiful slender manicured girl with the blonde hair and easily repulsed by the overweight slob in her dirty sweat shirt, unkempt hair and lacking in social graces. I am prone to go out of my way to give my time to the athletic boy who has potential, and ignore the slow child who sits in the bleachers because he has already given up. I am enamored with those who admire me, and avoid those who criticize me. I would be the first to surrender my chair for the kindly senior lady but not the crabby sour old man. I am dazzled by the wealthy and subconsciously grant them first consideration, and feel contempt for the begging poor with their welfare sense of entitlement. I have been looking for the lovable to love in Your name. I have missed what it is that you have called me to do. Transform me to be the neighbor as I treat them with Your love.
Amen
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