The Poor and Needy

 

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:30-37 ESV).

 

Roy Fish, Professor of Evangelism and Missions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, was noted for his creative means of teaching and practicing evangelism. I was one of his students during the time of my study there in the 70’s.  I will never forget some of the assignments we were given. One was to spend an evening in the “entertainment district” of downtown Ft. Worth preaching on a street corner. Believe me when I say that was one of the most challenging times of preaching in my life. It certainly was one of the most educational. Another assignment was to attend one of the larger churches on a particular Sunday morning when Dr. Fish had planned to show up disguised as a homeless beggar sitting on the steps to the entrance of the church just prior to the Sunday service.

 

There were hundreds of people making their way into the church. He walked around, mumbling a greeting. He was dressed in shabby clothes, dirty and disheveled, holding a small paper cup asking for money to buy breakfast. People hurried past him. In fact only three people stopped to engage with him. I’m sure people thought how he might have squandered his life; who knows, he might have been an addict who had ruined his life with drugs or alcohol. The church members “passed by on the other side.”

 

That’s what the priest and Levite in our reading did. Perhaps in a hurry to serve in worship, or tired and needing to get home, the priest and Levite looked the other way. The robbed and beaten man was not their problem, and stopping to help could be dangerous. Of course the real danger is in passing by without helping. It’s much easier to look the other way. Had I not been an observer that day, I wonder what I would have done. What would you do?