Call 911
In an emergency situation, we know to call 911. When we do make such a call, we expect the person on the other end of the line to help us. These people are trained to guide callers through the experience and to get them the necessary help. Consider for a moment what it would be like if when we called 911, we had someone answer who was clueless what advice to give or just did not care. If this was the case, many medical emergencies would end in death. Let this happen just once and we lose our confidence in the system.
In these verses, Jesus responds to the expert's question. In His parable, the response of the religious leaders to the man beaten and left for dead on the side of the road was not at all the expected response for these men. They were men of God. They, of all people should stop and help. The people we most expect to be helpful often are the ones who do not help. There are many excuses or reasons for this but perhaps the most obvious one is that we have become desensitized to needs. What at one time would have spurred us to action no longer has an effect.
Calling 911 can be stressful and overwhelming. We must remain calm and know the location of the emergency and the phone number from which we are calling. We are to answer all questions and follow all directions. Most importantly, we must not hang up. Likewise, we must pay attention to the needs around us and reach out to help. We should never allow our haste to do "religious" or church things stop us from taking time to help others.
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Think It Through
o How have you tried to justify your inaction?
o What needs have you become desensitized to?
o What will it take for you to respond?
Also read 2 Corinthians 9:6-9; 1 Peter 4:7-11.
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