For the second time in six months, the pastor at my church (Harbor Mid-City) preached on the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37). Both times, he quoted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King had visited the Jericho road referred to in the parable. My pastor summarized two of Dr. King's comments regarding the Jericho road. First, instead of asking, "What will happen to me if I stop and help someone," it is critical to ask, "What will happen to the person in need of help if I do not stop to help?" Secondly, Dr. King advocated transforming the Jericho road.
My heart soars thinking about transforming the Jericho road. That's what I want to do. I want to transform the Jericho road. I want to help soothe the pain of others and ease the suffering of others.
It used to break my heart to realize I cannot transform the Jericho road alone. Even with a small army, I will likely not be able to transform the Jericho road. I used to feel so hopeless and paralyzed.
But with Jesus, we can transform the Jericho road. It's already part of God's plan, for "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21: 4). The burden of transforming the Jericho road is not on my shoulders. Jesus has already carried this burden to the cross. I can pray for the transformation of the Jericho road. I can pray for God to work through me and other people to inch by inch transform the road. I can pray to God to show me how I can take small steps toward transforming the Jericho road.
I still don't fully know what to do, but I know the Jericho road will one day be transformed into a peaceful, safe place.
I didn't hear the message but I did think about the Good Samaritan today when I encountered someone hurt on the side of the highway today. It wasn't until I pulled away that it really hit me. Yeah, the parable takes a pretty strong jab at the religious leaders in the parable. But the religious leader also can change characters in the story simply by doing something OBVIOUS.
ReplyDeleteBig head slap moment for me.
I think it goes back to the Jericho Road illustration you have in your post. What good is it if the road is transformed if the religious people are still a bunch of jerks?