JOHN SHIRK – In the Year to Shine, today’s Vital Step to a Radiant Faith is compassion.
One of the familiar stories that Jesus told is about the Good Samaritan, who saw someone in a desperate situation, and was moved by compassion to help him.
The man was attacked by robbers and was wounded. Other religious leaders saw the same thing as the Samaritan but did nothing about it. When the Samaritan came to the scene, he bandaged the wounds of the injured man, put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he would take care of his needs. He paid for the man’s expenses.
It is not uncommon for the expression of compassion to come at a personal cost to the giver, but it also comes to a great benefit to the person who receives the care. Compassion is the way of love that meets vital needs and reflects the heart of Jesus.
Compassion is a Vital Step to a Radiant Faith that makes a difference in our world.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is helping people in need.
Helping people does not always mean a hand-out. Sometimes, it means a hand-up, helping someone to their feet who is in a state of distress.
The Good Samaritan did that for a man who was beaten after a robbery. Victims of crime often need to go through a healing process. The compassionate outreach from a believer shows the love of Jesus for that person.
James 1:27 talks about the importance of looking after orphans and widows in their distress.
This can happen in practical ways for orphans through mentorship, foster parenting or adoption. This can happen for widows through care-giving, visitation, and checking in on them.
Helping people in need is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – For today’s Life at the Crossroads Moment, loving God with our eyes.
The dominant news story this week has been the historic storm in Texas and Louisiana. Houston has been particularly hard hit. The widespread flooding and devastation is unimaginable.
People will typically respond to storms of this magnitude in different ways. There are the looters-People who steal and vandalize vacant buildings. There are the spectators-those who watch what is going on from a distance. And there are the heroes-the rescue workers, the aid workers, those who contribute financial resources to relieve human suffering. We see those different kinds of people in the story of the Good Samaritan.
A man was on the road to Jericho. He was robbed and beaten up by thieves. There were religious leaders who saw him lying on the side of the road, and walked right by him. They were the spectators. And then there was the Good Samaritan. And he shows us how we can love God with our eyes. “He came to where the man was, and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.” Then he took him to a motel and took care of him. And he took care of this man’s expenses too. This Good Samaritan noticed the need and did something about it.
So, when we see human suffering, whether we are watching this situation unfold on our TV screens in Texas, or a neighbor who is grieving the loss of a loved one, we have a decision to make, as to how we respond. Compassion will prompt us to do something helpful. The Good Samaritan was the example of someone who loved their neighbor as himself. Luke 10 gives us wisdom for turning to God at the crossroads of life.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Trust, today’s Focus on God examines Jesus as a storyteller.
According to Matthew 13:3, Jesus told a large crowd “many things in parables….”
Jesus told stories to tell people what the kingdom of God was like. He used ordinary things in His stories that would have been familiar to the people in His time. Through the use of parables, we have heard about the heart of compassion of the Good Samaritan, and learned about repentance through the Prodigal Son.
The Gospel is a love story about God taking extraordinary measures to win back the loyalty of those who had wandered away from Him. When we unite with Christ, our story is woven into His story for the glory of His name for all eternity.
The story of God’s grace is a reason to trust in God for today and forever.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Connection, today’s Encounter with Jesus examines the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Jesus told this Parable to an expert in the Law who recited the greatest commandments of the Bible to Jesus. One of those commands is to love your neighbor as yourself. The expert in the law asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
That is when Jesus told the story of a man going from Jerusalem to Jericho. He fell into the hands of robbers and was beaten badly. Three men traveled on the same road and noticed the man. The two religious leaders who saw him passed by him on the other side of the road. But a Samaritan man, a foreigner, responded differently. He moved toward the injured man, bandaged his wounds and took care of him.
After telling the story, Jesus asked the expert in the law, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.”
A daily connection with Christ will move us to love our neighbor as ourselves.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
