If you'd like to watch, click on Pastor Squatch Musings!

“Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”

Luke 10:36, ESV

Jesus’ parable of the merchant who was robbed on his way to Jerusalem was told to highlight the hypocrisy of the self-righteous. We can’t think too highly of ourselves when we do good work. Jesus doesn’t teach that the two religious leaders never helped people. We don’t know their full circumstances at the time. All we know is they passed by the merchant, and the man who helped him was one whom the religious establishment would have looked down upon. If we are honest, there are times we all may find ourselves more like the religious leaders and other times we will be like the Samaritan man. It is a calling for us to look out for our neighbors and not seek to justify when we fall short. Our calling is to help whomever we can and seek to bring the light of Christ into the lives of others. It’s not a competition to determine who is better and who is worse because, in the light of Christ, we all fail. Our calling is not focused on yesterday, nor are we to set our sights on the future, but we are called to serve the Lord today as we seek to shine out His light to those who do not yet know His love or who are currently struggling. We are to be like our Lord, who, when He saw our struggles, gave Himself for us so we may know His peace.

Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.