Relationships
«So, he went to him and bandaged his wounds pouring on Oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him» (Luke 10:34).
One of the most fascinating and significant stories in the Bible is that of the Good Samaritan. On day, Jesus confirmed that the words memorized by His professional legal opponent were accurate, «You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself» (Luke 10:27). Right away, the speaker asked the Master: «And who is my neighbor? «Jesus answered with the story of the Good Samaritan.
The story was not an imaginary episode. Ellen G. White tells us it was about a real event, and that the priest and the Levite from the story were among those who were listening to the words of Jesus (77ye Desire of Ages, ch. 54, p. 497—503).
Here is the story in brief: a traveler was walking from Jerusalem to Jericho and some robbers attacked him, stripping him of everything he had and leaving him half dead. A priest saw the victim from a distance and avoided passing closely. Then a Levite passed by, came close to the victim, and kept going. Lastly, a Samaritan (member of a discriminated social group) saw him and bandaged his wounds, set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn to take better care of him and, the next morning, gave money to the innkeeper for his care. Thus, Jesus showed who among the three men was the real neighbor and insisted that the hearers do likewise (v. 37).
The story presents three philosophies. The first one is the robber’s philosophy: «What is yours is mine and I’m going to take it away from you.» It is the rule of the people that go through life trying to make the most out of it at the expense of others. The second one is the priest and Levite’s philosophy: «What is mine is mine and I’m going to keep it.» It is the rule of those who are trying to ignore the needs of others and bypass those suffering altogether. Finally, there is the Samaritan’s philosophy: «What is mine is yours too and I share it with you.
«Who do you identify yourself with? The gospel ur es us to be like the Samaritan, the supportive neighbor, committed to serving, ready to help, ready to make sacrifices and to support others. «Go and do likewise.» Do not hesitate to believe this is the way to enjoy the best interpersonal relationships that could ever exist in this imperfect world.
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Taken from: Daily Devotions for Junior 2020
“A Cheerful Heart Is Good Medicine”
From: Julian Melgoza-Laura Fidanza
Colaboradores:Ricardo Vela & Emmanuel Tapia
