Social Justice: Be a Good Samaritan
“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. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 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. 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.” Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You go, and do likewise.’ ” -Luke 10:30-37
“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” -Proverbs 31:8-9
If you’ve been following iDevo for a while now, you are familiar with the fact that Jesus is going to come back to this earth sometime soon and make everything new (redemption of creation). But here’s the cool thing: Jesus is already using us to show people a glimpse of his coming kingdom and new world.
When we serve people, we play a part in the greater redemption of humankind. This is something far greater than just being a good person and studying the bible. Take the example above - a priest and a Levite (two people who were probably known as good people who studied Scripture) totally ignored a guy in need, but a Samaritan (someone the Jews didn’t like very much back then) helped the guy. And Jesus commends the Samaritan.
If you’re reading your bible, that’s great. But now it’s time to take the next step. Pray about how God wants you to serve others and keep an eye out for people in need.