The Gospel texts can beckon us to get to know Jesus more intimately by inviting us into the story as it is written. We might be drawn to one of the characters in the passage. Through using our God given imagination and the presence of the Holy Spirit within, we might imagine the scene unfolding from the perspective of this character.
Esther shares a portion of her journal. She entered into the story from the point of view of the person attacked by bandits and left on the side of the road, wounded and alone. For her the story emerged through a poem:
Testing
As written, I loved with all
my passion
my prayer
my muscle
my intelligence.
My neighbors were largely a delight.
And yet on my journey, I was
attacked by bandits-
of fear, grief, abandonment-
left broken-hearted,
cast aside as if half dead.
God of comfort,
soothed my wounds,
took care of me,
treated me kindly.
Healed,
restored,
I rest safely in His presence.
Amen.
May your own narrative, regardless of where you find yourself in this story today, be met with gentleness and kindness. Invite Jesus to keep company with you in whatever condition you see yourself in this day.
Luke 10:25-37 NLT
One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
For Reflection and Prayer:
Was there a word, a phrase, image, or feeling that ‘shimmered’ as you listened? Allow it to land in your heart. Stay with it. Savor it.
Reflect on what you heard. What effect does it have on you? What meaning does it hold for you? What does the Holy Spirit seem to be conveying to you? Talk it over in your prayer. Perhaps you want to draw or color your prayer or journal the conversation.
As the time of prayer comes to a close, share some moments of quiet with Jesus, simply resting safely in his presence.
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