This coming Sunday (15/7) we will be hearing the parable of the Good Samaritan. All too often this parable is disconnected from the reason Jesus told it - to point to our inability to live up to the Law of God which demands that if we want to earn eternal life we must 'love the Lord our God with all our all heart and with all our soul and with all our mind. And love our neighbour as ourselves.' (Luke 10:27) The unpredjudiced love and care the Samaritan shows for the injured man in the parable is indeed the standard required of us all, but how often we fail in this! If we want to earn eternal life by our own efforts, despair and hell are all that await us.
Thanks be to God that our Good Samaritan, Jesus Himself, carries us who are beaten to within an inch of our lives by sin, dresses our wounds with His forgiveness, and pays the whole price for our healing. Renewed by His gracious love, we are able to begin to 'go and do likewise', sharing the mercy we have received with others. We can only begin to be good Samaritans, once The Good Samaritan has restored us to life from certain death.
The readings for Sunday are:
Psalm 25:1-10
Deuteronomy 30:9-14 A call to obey God whose word is very near
Colossians 1:1-14 Paul's thanksgiving and prayer
Luke 10:25-37 The parable of the good Samaritan
God's peace be with you,
Pastor Matt
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