The beloved physician Luke wrote how a certain lawyer asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty-one of his book Luke shared how Jesus said, “there came down a certain priest that way” where we read:
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way:
and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
The verse reads, “And by chance there came down a certain priest that way:” Luke began with the words, “and by chance” or “and through an accident or concurrence” “there came down” which means “there descended and passed” “a certain priest that way” or “a particular one who offers sacrifices and in general is busied with sacred rites”. Luke shared how a “priest” passed by the man who had been “stripped, robbed and left for dead”.
The verse continues, “and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.” Luke added the words, “and when” which means “and at the time and moment” “he saw him” or “the priest observed, beheld and noticed the man”, “he passed by” which means “the priest went” “on the other side” or “upon the opposite side of the roadway where the man who was robbed was located”. Luke shared how the priest “observe” the man who was robbed and left for dead and went by him on the opposite side of the roadway.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn more of Jesus' story about a man who was robbed. A “priest” who was a “sacred leader in the synagogue” saw the man and “passed by” or “ignored” him on the other side of the road. Jesus used this story to share with the lawyer who his “neighbor” was, and when a “priest” who should have cared for the man when he saw him did not do so, he became an example of how many people observe others who are hurting. God loves every person, and He wants a relationship with them through His Son Jesus. Those who yield their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord” will learn to have His eyes for serving and helping others. May all who read these words carefully think about the response of this “priest” and ask the Lord to help them not to follow His example.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “a Levite … passed by on the other side”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
No comments:
Post a Comment