“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
Luke 10:36
The next time you see someone you haven't seen in a while and ask them, "How's your week been?" chances are they will respond, "Busy!" followed by an explanation as to why. Between family, work, and other activities, life doesn't seem to slow down but only gets more active! In Luke 10:25-37, however, Jesus shares his insight with how we should live in a busy world. A pharisee approaches Jesus and asks him to clarify who exactly was the "neighbor" in "love your neighbor as yourself". Enter the parable of the good Samaritan. This parable is about a group of men and how they reacted to a man who was assaulted by robbers and left for dead. The first man, a priest, saw the ailing man and simply walked by. The second, a Levite, walked by on the other side. However, the Samaritan saw this man’s agony and immediately took action, caring for his wounds and making sure that he would be taken care of. At the heart of this parable is a challenge for us men: do not be so busy that you miss the opportunity to check in with another brother. It can be easy to only view our lives and "walk by" those hurting around us. Jesus invites us to have his kingdom perspective and keep an eye out for others and slow down when necessary. Perhaps it's leaving 10 minutes earlier for work and checking in with a co-worker or texting a few guys around you to make sure they are doing well. Encourage a friend/brother/neighbor, speak life into them, invest into each other, and watch how God will work through your life and theirs.
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
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