Heart of stone vs heart of flesh

https://odb.org/2025/03/13/a-new-heart-in-christ

Ezekiel 11:16–20 (NIV): 16 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.’ 17 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’ 18 “They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols. 19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

When I read Ezekial 11 above, the first thing that struck me was that although the LORD scattered His people into exile due to their obstinance, He did not forsake them. In verse 16, He said for a little while, He was a sanctuary to them in the countries they had gone to. It is for a little while because He wants to bring them back to Israel at a later stage. But for them to come back, He needs to give them an undivided heart and a new spirit. He needs to give them a heart of flesh and remove their heart of stone. So that they no longer worship the detestable idols. Presumably, idolatry results in them having a heart of stone.

In spiritual terms, a heart of stone speaks of a cold, hardened, unfeeling, and rebellious heart, resistant to God’s grace and incapable of repentance. It is a heart that fights God’s grace instead of receiving it. It is a heart that resists the work of the Holy Spirit. A heart that refuses to see the goodness of God, in fact even denies His very existence. A heart that only sees the natural and relies on the 5 senses and seems to presume that life starts and ends here on earth. One does what one pleases within the norms and laws of society with no regard to the eternal. It is a heart dead to the spiritual.

But a heart of flesh is alive! It is filled with blood from the body, signifying the work of the Holy Spirit that gives us life beyond what’s natural. In Christian speak, it is a born-again heart, revived to sense the spiritual and the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. It is not restricted to the five senses. We trust and place our hope in the unseen. It is a heart that embraces and operates by faith. It is a heart that is appreciative and thankful for the grace of God, for His goodness. It is a heart that believes in life after death, beyond this earth, a life eternal where we will be judged and will need to account for how we had lived our lives here on earth. A heart of flesh beats to rhythm of the Spirit of God! A heart of flesh seeks and longs for our names to be written in the Book of Life, of having a place in the mansion with many rooms and an inheritance in the new heaven and new earth. A heart that seeks to qualify to be rightful citizens in the new Jerusalem, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb!

Thank you, Lord, for giving us a heart of flesh! May our hearts always remain a heart of flesh! Amen!

Unity in diversity

https://odb.org/2025/03/12/elephant-helpers

1 Corinthians 12:21–26 (NIV): 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

The amazing thing about the baby elephant in Kenya, who was attacked by hyenas and lost two-thirds of its trunk, was his acceptance by the elephants in the sanctuary. After his rescue, Long’uro fitted well into the community at the sanctuary because elephants innately know they need each other to survive. In the wild, predators like lions or hyenas will prey on the babies because they are the weakest, but the adults in the herd will go all out to protect them, and logically so as the infants are the future of the herd. This is especially so when the gestation period for an elephant foetus is 22 months. Every baby that is delivered is precious.

It was very clever of Paul to use the human body to illustrate the need for unity in the body of Christ in spite of its diversity. There were then Jews and Gentiles, free and slaves, Greek and Israelites, poor and rich, ordinary folks like Peter and John and religious scholars like Paul. Anyone who has lost a little part of his body will know that we are never the same after the loss. Even a small toe will affect our balance in walking. It will be tough to play the guitar if we have lost one finger at either hand. A person who lost his vision in one eye can’t drive anymore as the human body needs both eyes to judge distance. We may survive with one kidney, but our lives will be severely impaired. There is a specific function for every part of our human body, whether seen or unseen. If we go for orthodontic treatment when young, the orthodontist will usually extract 4 of our teeth. But as we grow older, losing teeth will drastically lessen our ability to chew, and as much as advancements in dentistry allow tooth implants, it is still dependent on our jawbone density, which reduces as we age.

In any church, even in racially homogeneous ones, there are bound to be different types of worshippers. There will be the older ones and the very old as well as little ones. In the middle, there will be school going youths, followed by college going ones and young working adults. Then there will be young couples, some who may be having children already, and so on. Some couples like my wife and I, our children, have already grown up and graduated from university and are either looking to enter the workforce or are already working. There are worshippers from various economic backgrounds and sectors. There are doctors, engineers, teachers, and those doing business. The challenge is to be united in our pursuit of spirituality and knowledge of God and our Lord Jesus Christ despite our differences. We all want to fulfil God’s plans and purposes for our lives. We want to live out His calling for our lives at the opportune season. We want to be in the centre of His will and be a part of what He is doing in our midst.

It is my prayer for us today that we will be like elephants who innately know that we need one another to survive and succeed in our spiritual walk. That we will help and encourage each other to remain in our lane in the narrow path of righteousness that leads to eternal life despite our differences in background, social status, and financial capabilities. We are a diverse bunch and yet united in spirit and purpose because the Holy Spirit dwelling in each and every one of us. All praise, glory, and honour be unto our Lord Jesus Christ!

Heirs in Christ

https://odb.org/2025/03/11/heirs-of-gods-salvation

Galatians 4:1–7 (NIV): What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

It is interesting that Paul writes in Galatians 4 that as long as an heir is under age, he is no different from a slave in the sense that although he owns the whole estate, he is still subject to guardians and trustees until he reaches the time set by his father. Under Malaysian law, the Age of Majority Act sets 18 as the age of majority. Thus, at 18, a minor becomes a major, or in the English language, the master of a family becomes a mister. However, under the Guardianship of Infants Act, an infant is only considered an adult at 21. While a major can enter into legally binding contracts at 18 and be subject to full criminal sanctions, the guardianship over a minor only ceases at 21. The latter is usually relevant in custody cases, and once a child reaches 21, the child decides on his or her own whether to stay with the father or the mother.

But Paul is ahead of his time when he wrote that the heir is subject to guardians and trustees until he reaches the time set by his father. In a will, the distribution of the estate is determined by the owner, who has passed. It is not uncommon in the last testaments for a testator to specify the age when an estate is to be bequeathed to an heir. Thus, although the law will apply 18 as the age if the will is silent, the testator may specify 30. Or if the estate is to be sold and proceeds held on trust in a foundation, the foundation could pay a lifetime stipend to the heir.

But for adoption in verse 5, Paul uses the Greek word, Huiothesia, a word used to describe the practice of placing a male from outside of the family to become a son to inherit the estate during ancient times. That is how Paul likens our adoption into the family of God through Christ Jesus, and it is very apt as the Jews, the ones first chosen by God, rejected Christ. It is very apt too as we were slaves to the ruler of the world before we knew Christ, like a minor, but the time specified by the Father has now come through the redemptive work of Christ. We are now sons and daughters of God, with Christ crucified and resurrected!

Christ has provided for us as sons and daughters of God an inheritance in heaven, a place in the Kingdom of God, and most crucially, He has written our names in the Book of Life. Every time we are tempted to sin or drift away from God, remember that Christ has redeemed us with His blood. Remember that we are heirs who have reached the age of majority and may no longer be liken to slaves. The time appointed by the Father has come, and we now rightfully own the estate, no longer subject to guardians and trustees. Act and behave like one in all that we do! Amen!

Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem

https://odb.org/2025/03/10/resting-in-christ

Nehemiah 4:1–9 (NIV): 6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

If Moses is known for bringing the Israelites out of Egypt and the introduction of the Mosaic law and Joshua is known for his conquest of Canaan (especially the fall of walls of Jericho), then Nehemiah is known for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem after the return of the Jews from Babylon during the period of the Second Temple. Nehemiah, a high official in the Persian court, sought and was granted permission by King Artaxerxes I to return to Jerusalem as the governor to rebuild not only the walls of Jerusalem but also the Temple. He faced opposition and ridicule from the surrounding enemies of Israel but persevered through. With the people united in strength and vision, they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in fifty-two days, doing masonry work as well as posting armed men to keep guard. They displayed both diligence and bravery, working tirelessly to lay the bricks and stones and yet willing to take up arms to fight if they were attacked by their enemies. They prayed to God at the same time, and perhaps because they stood guard and the LORD protected them, none of their enemies attacked them. Although their resources were divided (stonework and brickwork/armed guards), they finished their work in record time!

Nehemiah teaches us an important lesson in rebuilding our spiritual lives. When we are rebuilding, we need to be vigilant at the same time. With prayer and by committing our spiritual lives to God, we have Him on our side to help us rebuild our spiritual lives. Yet, we must remain vigilant to protect ourselves from the evil one. Practically even as we devote time to pray and dwell in His Word, we mustn’t do anything that may allow room for the enemy to attack or distract us. We must stand strong in the midst of the devil’s vile schemes and temptations.

Nehemiah also speaks of rebuilding our natural lives in the sense that God is able to restore what the locusts have devoured. The Lord will rebuild our lives if we have been devastated by events or circumstances, the same way He sent Nehemiah to do so for Jerusalem. As He did not allow Jerusalem to lay in ruins, He will not allow our ruins to overcome our resolve to rise again both, spiritually and naturally. Our Lord will pick us up and carry us through the storm, and then we will walk again, in the splendour of His love and grace. The LORD our God is the rebuilder of Jerusalem and is the rebuilder of lives! Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life! Amen!

Name lists and the Book of Life

https://odb.org/2025/03/08/the-list-is-life

Numbers 26:4 (NIV): 4 “Take a census of the men twenty years old or more, as the LORD commanded Moses.” These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt:

We needed to wake up at 5.30 a.m. and travel out of the city early yesterday morning to come back to Seremban for the weekend and thus didn’t have time to write and send out yesterday’s morning devotion. But the topic was intriguing, and thus, I am writing about it today.

The bible has places where a list of names appears, like in Numbers 26. In the latter, a census was taken, and those who were delivered by Moses out of Egypt en route to the Promised Land were accounted for one by one. Other lists are found like in Genesis 5, tracing the descendants of Adam or the famous geneology of Jesus in Matthew 1. It is interesting to read name lists if we are history buffs looking for “who is who” in a lineage of kings and emperors or even ordinary people but if we need to memorise the names for exams, then it becomes a nightmare indeed! But usually name lists in the bible are boring to read. They have little meaning to us unless we are in them somehow like a great descendant is amongst the many names, like the memoriam set up for those who fought and died in wars.

Even though name lists may be boring to read, it does reflect one thing – that our God the LORD made the effort throughout generations to remember people who had come and gone. They may be mere human beings, but the LORD remembers each and every single one of them. It goes to show that though we have limited lifespans and life stretches thousands of years, we were never a mere statistic. Each and every one of us has a name and a lifetime of history and memories. We all have millions of moments lived out in life.

This brings us to the ultimate name list that we all seek out for, and that is the names of those written in the Book of Life. Through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross of Calvary, and our faith in Jesus, we have our names written in the Book of Life, and as much as the Devil tries to distract, deceive and draw us away from the narrow path of righteousness that leads to eternal life, we will stand firm to ensure that our names remain written in the Book of Life!

This morning, as we set out to our respective churches to worship God, be thankful that our Lord Jesus Christ has done the work for our names to be written in the Book of Life and that we are now co-heirs with Christ to share in the inheritance of the saints! Amen! Hallelujah! All praises be unto God!

Worry adds nothing

https://odb.org/2025/03/07/life-without-worry

Matthew 6:25-34 NIV – 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

If we have been in the faith for a while, we would know that worry adds nothing to our lives. It is a direct teaching of Jesus as set out in Matthew 6:25-34, and since Jesus is the Son of God and He is God in the flesh, His words are wiser than even the words of Solomon. In fact, worry can sometimes be detrimental to our health, especially our mental health. Experience will show that nothing changes with worry. Will we add an hour to our life by worrying? No. Look at the birds of the air or the flowers that bloom. God takes care of them. In the same way, God will take care of us.

Having said that, we know that we will still worry. We will still worry about the future. What tomorrow will bring? Will our children and their children have a good future? Will they carve a place for themselves in this big wide world? Will they find peace and joy in God? Or will they stray away, distracted by the challenges of life and the bright lights of the world? Will we have enough to retire when we are no longer earning? Will we be doing anything useful for society and God after we retire? In what tangible way can we really serve Him? Missions? Ministry?

The teaching of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 is simple – worry adds nothing, God will take care, so seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these shall be added unto us. Instead of worrying about things and the future, just put God first in all that we do. Pursue the things of God and His righteousness. Dwell deeper into His Word. Serve God more meaningfully. Focus on what really matters in eternity, not just what we can see in the natural. As faith is believing in things unseen. Have a kingdom mindset. Make sure we are always on the narrow path. We can not escape the challenges of this world, but as we give our lives to God, we can be rest assured that He will bring us safely through this world.

Remember Psalm 23? Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Don’t forget and be reminded that the LORD always wants the best for us. Put our trust fully in Him instead of worrying. That will serve us better in the long run, in our run up to eternity.

Not easily angered or offended

https://odb.org/2025/03/06/not-easily-offended

Proverbs 19:11 – Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

I believe one of the toughest emotions for humans to control is anger and offence. This was on display for all the world to see when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently met President Donald Trump at the Oval Office, which ended disastrously. Trump’s reaction was swift as he suspended US military aid to Ukraine the next day or two. There were indications that Vice President JD Vance and Trump baited Zelenskyy. But then a seasoned politician would have sensed that a mile away and should have been alert enough not to take the bait. Instead, he escalated the situation! As much as many do not like Trump, he was right to say that Ukraine has no cards without the US, and good diplomacy is always to ensure that one gets the cards one way or another. Thus, if Zelenskyy had remained humble and followed Proverbs 19:11 by overlooking the wrong (the baiting), he would have come out on top at the Oval Office meeting.

However, as human beings, it is usually exceptional for us to be able to overlook wrongs and not get offended. It is an unfortunate human condition. In fact, the higher we are in the pecking order, the more respect we demand. People at the top have the liberty to pick on anything and blast us if they want to, and usually, any attempt at defending or justifying ourselves will make us look “defensive” as though we were wrong in the first place. Not a question of who is really right or wrong, but who is the more powerful one in the room and our relationship with that person. Some people say we can not have a room full of yesmen, and that’s true, but it requires extreme tact to put a contrary view across a room full of egoistic and powerful people. That is why Proverbs 19:11 is very wise – sensible people control their temper. They don’t get angry easily, especially if it is not their place to get angry.

I find that personally, as I get older, I get grumpier and sometimes easily get offended and upset. Maybe it is part of growing old. Maybe it is because I am more senior in terms of life experience or have achieved more in terms of monetary wealth. It is not a good trait, though, when our bodies have various afflictions. Getting too angry may lead to a stroke or a heart attack! They say, if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen!

Today’s message is a reminder of ancient wisdom taught by the LORD God through Solomon. Just a few words, but it contains a gem of advice! A sensible person indeed is slow to anger and does not easily get offended! Apply it, it will be better for our overall well-being!

Unfathomable God

https://odb.org/2025/03/05/unfathomable-god

Isaiah 40:25–26 (NIV): 25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

It’s a given that as mere humans, although His highest creation, we will not fully understand Him or His creation. Thus, as we look to outer space, there is so much more to be discovered. New galaxies, new planetary or new solar systems. The universe out there is so vast and infinite that it is like we in our neighbourhood compared to the big, big world out there. The different cultures and peoples out there, each locality like our own neighbourhood or town having its distinctive features and history. Different people who had made their mark and passed on, the generations that came before us, and even our forefathers.

I am an ardent fan of history and geography, and we know that as humans, we mostly populate places that are near water sources like rivers, lakes, and sea sides. The latter because that is where the trade routes have been since ancient times. With large rivers, the interior of a nation becomes accessible like the Mekong, Irrawaddy, Yangtze, and the Nile. Thus, dessert places like the Northern Territories in Australia or the tumultuous Indian Ocean, the depths of the oceans, or even Antarctica, are largely unexplored and hold mysteries of God’s creations. Within planet earth itself, there is still much to be discovered, what more the vast universe out there which is totally inaccessible by us with our present day technology. The stars are definitely not gods but another one of the many creations of the one true and living Almighty God, the Great I Am.

Despite the vastness of creation vis-a-vis us as a mere human individual, God the creator of the universe and all things reaches out to us since ancient times. Who can compare with you, O God? You who created the stars and the sky. Yet you know us by name and have a plan for each and every one of us formulated since the foundations of the world. We can not fathom how this is all possible, but you are Jehovah Elohim, the mighty God!

This morning, we would like to thank you for your calling upon our lives. For your plans and purposes for us. For your desire to see us become the best we could be in you. You are infinitely great, and yet you know each and every one of us by name. You know every moment of our lives, every tear we had shed, every struggle we faced, every disappointment we experienced. Everything we have gone through, you know and remember. Our sins, your forgiveness, your redemption. We especially thank you for our future in Christ Jesus, our inheritance of the saints, the treasures we have stored in heaven, and the time we will spend in eternity with you.

We commit the rest of the week to you, O Lord, that you bless us with wisdom and discernment in all that we do, in our tasks at work and in church. Jesus, you are our Lord and Saviour. We put our trust in you. Help us, O Lord, to become the best we could be even for this week and month! Amen!

Jesus, the author of life

https://odb.org/2025/03/04/reading-writing-and-jesus

Acts 3:15–24 (NIV): 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. 17 “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’
24 “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days.

In Acts 3:15-24, Peter preached after healing a man crippled from birth by the power of the Holy Spirit. In that healing encounter, Peter, who was with John, spoke the famous words, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk!” Peter preached that the Jews killed the author of life, and yet God raised Him from the dead. Peter said, “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.” The healing of the man crippled from birth was significant as the instrument of healing was Peter himself and not Jesus Christ our Lord. Likewise, we as ordinary believers are able to call upon the healing power of God for ourselves or for others the same way Peter healed the crippled man. Silver and gold we may not have, but what we have we may give for others to experience the power of God.

But what I like to emphasise this morning is that Jesus is the author of life. He was there at the beginning and created the world with God as He was God and the Logos (Word). He is thus able to shape and transform our lives, not just heal us. He may help us realise our full potential in life and in God. Jesus, as the author of life, is able to transform us from who we are today to someone who will fulfil God’s plans and purposes for our lives, formulated since the foundations of the world. Our destiny in God may be shaped by Christ as the author of life. He is the Alpha and Omega, the author and finisher of our faith. He is the way, the truth, and the life! He is the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Him will live even though they may die.

I like to remind ourselves that as we go through life in the coming days, with the challenges and disappointments that it brings as well as peace, joy, and love God’s grace bestows us, we need to allow Christ the author of life do His magic in our lives. Yield to Him to change and transform us into His image even as we serve Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. May the glory of God shine forth from us that others around us may be blessed and experience the goodness of God! Amen!

The Good Samaritan

https://odb.org/2025/03/03/unexpected-neighbors

Luke 10:27–37 (NIV): 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’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 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 neighbour?” 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 travelled, 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 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 neighbour 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.”

As we were growing up, we would have heard of the phrase “Good Samaritan” and, thus, the encouragement to be a good Samaritan. To be a good Samaritan is really to help someone else in need. Similar to the Boy Scout’s slogan, to do a good turn daily or to do a good deed a day. At that point, I didn’t know that the Good Samaritan actually originated from the bible in a parable taught by Jesus within the context of the commandment to love your neighbour as yourself. Jesus narrated the story of the Good Samaritan to illustrate the point on who your neighbour is and to stress the point that your neighbour could well be a stranger you meet who may have been robbed, beaten, and left on the road to die. If you love your neighbour, you will stop by and help him, and in the parable, the person who helped was a Samaritan, and the Samaritan did not only tended to his wounds but sent him to an inn for him to be cared for and guaranteeing his expenses there with a deposit and a promise to reimburse the inn later.

Pointedly in the parable, a priest and a Levite walked the other way when they saw the wounded man. The reason was that as the man was badly injured and bloodied, he could be close to dying. According to Jewish law, contact with a dead body would have rendered both the priest and the Levite unable to discharge their religious obligations. Jesus indirectly castigated Jewish society’s obsession with the law that they’ll rather leave an injured man to die to preserve their religious customary purity when human life should always take precedence. Either the religious law should provide an exemption, or they should attempt to save the man and be unclean. To add salt to the wound, in the parable, the person who helped was a Samaritan, an enemy of the Jews, or at least someone who is looked down on by them. Samaritans are actually descendants of Northern Jews left behind by the invading Assyrians and who intermarried with the Assyrians. As a religious sect, there are probably only 800-900 of them in the modern world, compared to more than 14 million Jews worldwide.

What’s our application for this parable? I think we tend to help people at our convenience, and it is justifiable since we are taking the trouble to help. In the real world, helping is not an obligation as people mind their own business. Thus, it is entirely voluntary, and we do it out of the goodness of our hearts. But as believers, our Lord has a higher calling for us. We should help even if it is troublesome for us. So long as we are not abeting a crime (for example, like help a criminal conceal his stolen goods), we should help whenever we see a need. How much we should help or how involved we should get? That’s based on the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I don’t think Jesus expects us to do as the Good Samaritan did as He teaches using extremes. But stopping and tending to his wounds is the least we could have done if we had met him on the infamous road from Jerusalem to Jericho.