The Very First Responder

There are two types of people in this world - those who see a need and do nothing, and those who actually make an effort and do something about it. Why the difference? What makes one person keep walking while the other one stops?

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³²So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two denarii 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.’

³⁶“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” - Luke 10:30-36

That, of course, was Jesus' parable of The Good Samaritan. But why didn't the other two men stop? They were both "religious." Shouldn't THEY have shown mercy? And that was exactly Jesus' point.

Let's fast forward to a present day hypothetical scenario. There is a shooting, or gang members are beating up a cop. Where are the good samaritans now? Everyone is videoing the event, but no one is DOING anything.

The term "first responder" is kind of a misnomer. We give the term to our police, firefighters, and paramedics. But really, the very FIRST responder is the one who called 9-1-1. Right?

"For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." - James 2:26

In the parable, Jesus was showing the  differences in their hearts, not their social or religious position in life. Basically, the condition of the heart is more important than any social or religious standing.

I am a Christian, but if I do nothing with my faith, I myself am nothing. Dead. Just another bad example in this parable we call life.

This past Saturday, my wife noticed a neighbor's "tree branch" had fallen onto the road. When we ventured outside to move it we discovered it was more like half of the tree. I scurried back to the house and got my chainsaw. Soon it was all cut up and moved out of the way, the roadway cleared. Although cars went by as we were working, no one stopped to help the two old folks clearing their roadway for them.

My wife and I didn't really think anything about it. Neither of us filmed ourselves or took selfies together with the fallen tree. We saw a need, we took care of it, and returned to our home.

It's pretty simple, this Christian life we live. It's "Golden Rule" simple. The question is, how will WE respond?

Good Samaritan

It seems like these days there are fewer and fewer examples of what Jesus called "The Good Samaritan". Someone stopping to help someone else. But I saw one on Mackinac Island this past week. I saw the whole thing.

It started off with a mother of four trying to get all her kids on their rented bikes. Where the dad was, I have no idea. She was buckling helmets and putting water bottles in baskets. Her own bike was heavily laden with a diaper bad, purse, her own bicycle helmet, and a map.

She was just about done buckling the last of the kid's helmet when her own bicycle fell over into the street. Her stuff flew everywhere but she kept working on her kids, getting them ready.

Now the Mackinac Island road that runs in front of our B&B is a busy street. There are horse-drawn carriages and bikes flying by all throughout the day. Everyone kept speeding right by, swerving to avoid all of her spilled items.

As I watched from our room, a man slowed and then stopped. He picked up the lady's bike and set it back on the sidewalk. He then went out into the street and picked up all of her stuff. The lady didn't even notice him at first. She was still busy with her kids.

When she finally turned around the man was getting back on his bike to resume his travels. She looked at her bike and then at the man. Then, running towards him, I could read her lips, "Thank you!" as the man rode off.

The world is filled with bad examples. There are plenty of people with bad manners and think more highly of themselves than they do of others. It is refreshing to see an example of Christ-likeness walking the earth from time to time and it restores our faith in . . .

No.

I was going to say it restores our faith in mankind but I don't think that's right. This example reminds us how we ALL should act. It demonstrates how the world would be if we "did unto others as we would like to have done to us."

Everyone should be a good Samaritan. There should be no exceptions. But we do not live in a world where we all believe the same way. There are criminals, terrorists, we are "inventors of every kind of evil" according to Paul in Romans 1.

No, faith in humanity is not something to be desired. Faith in Christ, however, is the only faith that saves and restores. There are millions of people in this world. Many do not believe in The One True God OR Jesus. But, what if they did? Imagine the love and peace that would fill the world!

Paul finishes his letter to the Romans in chapter eight and begins it this way . . .

"8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." - Romans 8:1-6

Good Samaritans Compilation