Commissioned: Pray First: Unlocking Hearts Through PrayerSample

Love is Action

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of Jesus’s most famous stories. It is ironic that this teaching is so well known…and so seldom obeyed…because that is the point of the story: It is not those who know they ought to love, but those who actually show love who make a difference. The priest and the Levite in the story were religious people; they would have known what the scriptures said about loving their neighbor; yet they did nothing. The Samaritan was a religious outcast, not a Bible scholar. Yet it was the Samaritan who actually loved the person in need. Jesus got right to the point: “Go and do likewise.” Do. Don’t just know about love, think about love, talk about love, theologize about love, philosophize about love, debate about love…etc. Love is something we do.

Likewise, the Apostle Paul, in his instructions to his disciple Titus, is very practical: “Let our people, too, learn to devote themselves to good works to supply urgent needs, so that they may not be unfruitful.” The apostle knew that the best way to show the love of God was to meet someone’s urgent need. He knew that if Christians do not learn this simple truth, our words about Christ will be unfruitful.

When the priest and the Levite in Jesus’s parable encountered a man in need, they “passed by on the other side.” The condition of our hearts determines what we see when we look at those around us. Do we see those around us as threats to our personal time, or to our money, or to our safety? Or do we see them as persons deeply loved by God? Do we see the needs of those around us as opportunities to show God’s love?

Stop, think and pray:

Let’s think about the needs of those around us, especially the five people we have chosen for Prayer-Care-Share. Are there any pressing needs that we can respond to? Let’s ask for the compassion to see with God’s eyes and the creativity to respond in meaningful ways. Then, let’s “go and do” what is needed.

"Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the overwhelming love you shower upon us. Guide us to actively express your love through our actions, so that others may see your goodness reflected in our daily lives. Open our eyes to the needs around us, and give us the courage to reach out with kindness, compassion, and generosity. Amen."