The Way

We all have a route we travel on a daily basis. A certain road that becomes a part of us, one on which we can drive confidently in the fog, or the snow.  It's path is ingrained in us, every curve, every intersection. I drive a highway like that.  I know where to slow down for the bumps, where the scenery will change, and where to expect slippery spots when it snows.  One day, while driving down that stretch, I passed a car on the shoulder with it's four-ways on.  The man behind the wheel had a large map unfolded on the dash. He was obviously lost. "How odd", I thought to myself, "that someone could be lost here", and then I kept going.

God has reminded me, almost daily since that incident, about the times that I have "driven" by someone who was "lost".  That I knew the "Way", and didn't take time to stop, and show them.  That I had exactly what that person needed to know in that moment, and I told myself I was too busy, or I didn't feel safe. How sad. How incredibly sad.

There is someone in your life who is parked along the side of a dark road today. They have pulled out all of their maps, wiped the anxious sweat from their brows, and they are frantically looking for their way Home. You are the only one who can show them how to get there.

Luke 10: 25-37

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “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?”

27 He 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’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] 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?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”