August 8 Message - Children of Light: Different Names, Same Heart
In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, we are taught that the work of God can be accomplished by unexpected sources. All that is required is a willing spirit and a tender heart.
Call to Worship
Click below. Listen and recite the invocation in Hebrew along with the cantor. Let the words resonate within you and prepare your heart to worship.Opening Hymn
Opening Prayer
Scripture Reading
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Yeshua. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "
28"You have answered correctly," Yeshua replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Yeshua, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Yeshua 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. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He 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. 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Yeshua told him, "Go and do likewise."
Luke 10: 25-37
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God....
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5: 9, 14-16
Message
The story of the Good Samaritan is a parable of contrasts. Yeshua was making a point. An "expert in the Law" had come to Yeshua and asked a question in order to test Yeshua's knowledge. "Experts of the law" during Yeshua's time were usually of the Pharisee sect of Judiasm. They studied scripture and meticulously tried to observe what they read. Because of their rigorous study of scripture, the Pharisees felt sort of smug. They felt their knowledge gave them a superior position in society. Yeshua wanted to let this particular Pharisee know that God has a different set of priorities.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, three people passed by the wounded man. Only one came to his rescue. It was not the Pharisee. As we said, the Pharisee has a great knowledge of God's word. But all that study did not teach the Pharisee how to love. He knew how to follow the law but he did not have a heart to help. The Levite passed on by as well. Levites were the Priestly caste of Yeshua's day. The Levite was born into religious hierarchy. However, his birthright did not give him love and compassion. It was the third man, the Samaritan, who stopped and helped. Samaritans were despised by the Jews of Yeshua's time. Samaritans followed a parallel but different religion from the Jews. Naturally each side, both the Samaritans and the Jews, felt their religion was the "real " true form of worship. The rivalry between the religion of the Jews and the Samaritans fostered a strong distaste for each other.
Yeshua used the example of the Samaritan to explain what is important in God's eyes. "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) God is love. So God looks for a heart that is filled with Love. When a heart is filled with love, it will respond with correct actions. The Samaritan had not devoted himself to the study of the Scripture and he was not born into the best family. Those outward traits are not important to God and they certainly were not important to the hurt and dying man in the story. Only correct actions that come from a correct heart can make a difference. That is what helped the wounded man in the story. The Samaritans actions spoke for themselves. The Samaritan's heart was filled with love and compassion. That love naturally manifested itself in actions of healing, helping and giving.
The parable of the Good Samaritan was Yeshua's way of saying that God's ambassadors in this world are sometimes found in unlikely places. Yeshua was reminding us that the spark of God resides within each of us. Nationality, ethnicity, religious upbringing do not matter. The Spirit calls to each of Her children. All we have to do is listen. The wind of the Spirit will fan the divine spark within and let the flame grow. When the flame grows, the light shines and God is there. You can not deny the light of God. It is easily recognizable. It is truth, love, compassion and goodness. When you see someone displaying these traits, that person is your neighbor. Love him.
Never mind what church he goes to, he is your neighbor. Never mind what he looks like, never mind the color of the skin...never mind all the outward stuff. It is the heart that matters. The light will shine out of that heart in actions and words. Look for the light. Then love the children of light wherever you find them. They are your neighbors. Love and support them as yourselves.
I first learned this lesson many years ago as a young ICU nurse. I was caring for a dying patient. He was an alcoholic and a person of another faith than the one I professed. The dying man asked for a chaplain. I hate to say this, but I felt a little cynical at that time. I thought to myself this guy finally wants to get "right with God" at the last minute. I called the chaplain on call. He was a priest and he came in to administer the anointing of oil for the dying. He seemed half asleep and like he was going through the motions. I thought to myself, "Boy, this is really a joke!" Then suddenly, I felt the presence of God in that ICU room. I was surprised. I looked at the priest. He was the same. Then I looked at the dying man and saw a gentle spirit of love emanating from this bloated, jaundiced alcoholic. He touched my hand and told me, "God loves you...remember what you feel". I knew God was speaking through this man. The lifestyle he had lived, the faith that he practiced didn't matter. He was using his last few moments on this earth to be a messenger of light.
I learned that night to let go of some of my preconceptions and recognize that God can speak through anyone who is willing. Any human being is capable of divinely inspired acts or words. It really is just a matter of our choice. God gave us free will. We have control over that free will all of our lives. The Spirit is always there gently beckoning to our better selves. It is really our just our choice to listen or block Her out. That is what Yeshua meant when he said, "Those who have ears to hear, let him hear." All of us have capacity to both great good or great evil.
God can send love through a murderer or a priest can commit heinous acts. We are reminded of this concept throughout scripture. A man like David who wrote beautiful songs to God, was also a murderer and adulterer. Saul, Abraham, Moses, and Samson were all flawed people who were used for Divine purpose. Shoot, God even spoke through a donkey at one point in scripture (look up the story of Balaam).
But wherever the light of God shines, we should welcome it. It is not our job to judge how pure the vessel. God will sort all that out. We live in a hurt, wounded, dark and dying world. This world desperately need light and love. That is our mission. We are to let God's light and love shine through us and we are to love those who do the same....all the children of light...whoever they are.Discussion of the Message
Closing Prayer
Final Thought
