Daily Reading
Reflection
A teacher of the law asks Jesus an insincere question with an insincere agenda. Jesus responds with the concept of loving God with all your heart, soul and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. When the teacher gets defensive and asks who his neighbor is, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan.
The priest and Levite cross the road to avoid the beaten man. Why? Are they just particularly heartless? Jesus implied that they were more worried about touching a person who was considered ceremonially unclean than with having compassion. In contrast, the Samaritan, an outsider, a person whom they considered to be beneath them, is the one who stops and helps the injured man.
This unusual story not only shows that caring for people is more important than rituals. It also says that our "neighbor" is the foreigner, the outsider, even the person we might consider to be beneath us
In what ways do we avoid reaching out to people who need us in some way? Do we use our customs or categories to shield us from the more difficult task of being available when we're needed?
Father, please fill our hearts with your love and compassion for people. Take away any classifications we put people in that keeps us from extending your love to them.
Daily Worship Resources
Daily Office Readings come from the Book of Common Prayer, a schedule of daily Bible reading that accords with the Church year. These readings are great worship resources for personal, family, or group use. Use it along with your City Church Worship Folder as a resource for readings, prayers, and hymns.
Printable Devotion