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I WAS, My Brothers Keeper

by Shannon Heiden  
11/26/2008 / Devotionals

I was eyes to the blind.
I was feet to the lame.
I was a father to the needy;
I Took Up The Case Of The Stranger.
Job29:15

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus,

"And who is my neighbor?"

In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came 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 put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
Luke 10:25-37

Beautiful One, Are You Your Brothers Keeper?

Have you ever really wondered what this Christian life is all about? Is it just about our own walk with God, learning, growing and seeking out His purpose in our life? Or is it, taking the newness of the life we have been given freely, and freely, with no strings attached, giving and pouring out onto another?

Could it be possible that as we reach out and help others, we find the very thing we were created for?

Have we stopped to ask the question; "why does God repeat himself throughout all of scripture," and remind us to Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed." Psalm 82:3.

Can we lower the volume in our life for a moment, from all it's busyness and striving and ask the Father why? Can it be that the very salvation we are walking out in this life-isn't for us, but to give out to others? Have we stopped to consider the case of a stranger? Or have we been blinded to the fact that just because we have made it, others will somehow have to find their own way too?

This parable in Luke 10, when you really look at it, one can see that the Priest, the Levite and the man that fell in this parable have all been you and I at one time or another. The question remains, have we ever been the Samaritan?

How many times have we seen or known someone who was beaten down and oppressed and because we just didn't know how to deal with their situation or we didn't want to get involved, we turned our faces and crossed the street and kept walking on by.

Maybe we were frightened, maybe we were just ignorant, or maybe we just didn't care, I think we all can be honest and relate to exactly what the Priest and Levite did.

But for you and I to be like the Samaritan, to be our brothers keeper and to take up the case of the stranger, we need to understand something that the Priest and Levite either couldn't, or didn't want to understand and that is; it takes time out of our lives, it costs us something to be our brothers keeper-ourselves!

To be like the Samaritan and take up the case of a stranger means we might have to sacrifice some things; our time, our resources, we just might have to surrender our high position in life to come down so we can help another up.

Beautiful One, what I find so interesting about this story is that this certain man was walking along his way, he was doing nothing wrong and adversity and evil came upon him, in fact, the Bible says this man fell among thieves. What this tells us is; adversity doesn't just happen to those who ask for it, but to any one of us, at any time, for it rains on the righteous and the wicked.

I am wondering, have you ever been traveling along on your Jericho road, and fell amongst thieves? Have you ever been robbed of your family, your finances, your reputation, of your health, of your marriage, of your job? Do you know what it is to be beaten up by people, circumstances and demonic influences that are out to leave you with such a wound that you're just laying by the side of the road-left for dead?

Do you know what it is to have fallen along your way, whether by your own actions or someone else's and the very people who are within your grasp to help you, just turn their faces and walk on by?

Have you ever been there?

This is exactly what many men, women and children are going through each and every day of their lives.
There are countless broken hearts out there who have fallen by the wayside, some of them had no say in the matter, some did, some were beaten down when they were young, neglected and rejected and now that their older, they just end up repeating the very cycle they despised because no one took the time to interfere with the curse that was over their life.

Just think of how many that don't have loving homes that celebrate their lives, think of how many are told horrible things, what about that man who abuses his wife, is he such a monster, or is he just repeating what he was shown by his father?

Maybe, all it would take is for a Godly man to interrupt the enemy's plan, step in and love, correct, teach and train this grown up man child and show him how to really be a man.

How many single parents are out there, maybe in your church, do we grasp how hard it is to raise children and work 2 jobs? How can a mother who has no family to help ease her load, how can she parent effectively when she is barely existing herself, and how can these children possibly not conform to the patterns of this world when all they know is that life is hard and they go straight to the streets for friendship.

To take up the case of the stranger, we will have to roll up our sleeves and get into their lives and help straighten out those crooked places.
We will actually have to back up our faith with good works....

When I think of what Jesus would do if He were here walking the earth, I can almost bet that He wouldn't be attending our church services, no, I bet Christ would be walking the streets and alleys, visiting the schools, shelters, hospitals and hanging out in the prisons, He would be a friend to sinners, he would be giving people back their worth in life, he would be restoring sight, setting the captives free and proclaiming the year of the Lords favor upon their life. He most definitely would be giving people a garment of praise for their spirit of heaviness. He would be mending the brokenness in all of us.

In short, He would be about His Fathers business and going around and doing good.

But since Christ has left the job in our hands, it is up to us, you and I- the Beautiful Church of Jesus Christ, to reach out and be the very extension of love, mercy, grace and provision.

Beautiful One, God did not call the government to take up the case of the stranger, He called - His Church, the light of the world to be the beacon of hope for others.

You and I cannot reach everyone, but we can reach one! There most assuredly is someone we all have or will encounter that we can come alongside of and bandage up their wounds, we can clean them up, we can pour the oil of gladness over their life, maybe we can take them to an Inn, that we know of that can help them.

It really is that simple, it really is just a matter of treating someone better than maybe we were treated, doing for another that someone did or should of done for us, taking what is in our hand and thanking God for it and watch him multiply it so we may give it out to others...

It is so vital to remember that the Church is not a monument, but a movement, we need to be actively moving; reaching, preaching, teaching, training, loving, helping, nurturing, and giving to the strangers who don't know our Awesome God or who maybe do, but because of the magnitude of their hardships, they think God has forgotten them and their hope is all but destroyed.

But you and I can be the very voice that God whispers their name through!

Beautiful One, we are reminded that while we are trying to fulfill our God given purpose, while we are traveling on our way, we must be sure that we are taking others along with us. We must reach back and out to those who are laying on the road, wounded, beaten down and robbed from the issues of life.

We cannot leave it up to another to do it; for what if they are leaving it up to us?

Whether you have a college degree or you learned the ABC's of the streets, we are all in this life together, none of us escapes life unscathed, we all will know troubles and trials, and we all will know victories and breakthroughs but in the end, God will not ask us what we did with our life; for He will know by how we touched and cared for another's.....

Beautiful One, Just Believe, And Are You Your Brothers Keeper?

Shannon Heiden
[email protected]
changingonelifereachingmany.typepad.com

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