Passed By on the Other Side

The woman on the phone was crying softly. Sally (not her real name) said she had not eaten in two days and that she had fallen and broken her arm the night before. Her list of woes was long, as it has been in the past when she called. With shame, I admit that I didn’t want to get involved in her troubles. But, the love of Jesus compels me, so I asked Pat, who coordinates the church’s food pantry ministry, to prepare a bag of groceries that I could take to Sally.

When I got to her room; yes, she lives in a single room, my heart was broken by the poverty, loneliness, desperation in that place. A hug, a prayer, and a bag of groceries didn’t begin to meet her need! I left heavy-hearted, wondering what the Body of Christ could or should do for Sally. Without help, she will never be able to climb out of the pit into which she has fallen. Most likely she has made poor decisions along the way that have only made her situation worse. But, can we, should we, just leave her beside the road, beaten up by the Devil and dying, spiritually and physically?

Sally and those who live ‘on the edge’ like her, are often invisible to the rest of us. We choose not to see them, for when we do, we realize that we have a responsibility to care for them. By care, I do not mean, just feed them, either. We must offer love – costly, sacrificial love.

Why? Because that what Jesus teaches us. Take a look.
“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:30-37, NIV)

Believer, the salvation God has given to us is not just for Heaven. We are to be about the business of building the Kingdom, here and now. That means we include the Sally’s of this world. But, we cannot help them if we do not ‘see’ them. The solutions are not simple, easy, or cheap. Success is not guaranteed. But, Jesus sends us to love the least and the lost just as He loved us. Doing so will disturb our middle class serenity, drag us out of our comfort zone, and mess up our lives. And, it will also make us just like Him!
____________

On that day when we will pay for
All the deeds we have done.
Good and bad, they'll all be had
To see by everyone.
And when you're called to stand,
And tell just what you saw in me,
More than anything I know
I want your words to be,

She's got her Father's eyes,
Her Father's eyes,
Eyes that find the good in things
When good is not around.
Eyes that find the source of help
When help just can't be found.
Eyes full of compassion,
Seeing ev'ry pain.
Knowin' what you're goin' through
And feelin' it the same.
Just like my Father's eyes,
My Father's eyes,
My Father's eyes.

Father’s Eyes
Chapman, Gary © 1978 Paragon Music Corporation (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc., 741 Coolsprings Blvd., Franklin TN 37067)
CCLI License No. 810055