Daily Devotional for October 29

 

October 29                                                         Luke 10:25-37

Carole's neighbor simply changed her flat tire. No big deal.
He didn't even bother to tell her it was flat. He just changed
it, leaving a note of explanation on her windshield before pull-
ing out of his own driveway.

But Carole was amazed nonetheless, and told others of the act
of kindness. She marveled, not so much at her neighbor's deed,
but at the circumstances under which he had performed it.

Her neighbor discovered the flat as he headed to his car to begin
a long and tragic journey. He was on his way to a city four hun-
dred miles away to make arrangements for the return of the body
of his wife who had died earlier that day in a car accident.

Yes, Carole had reason to marvel. Her neighbor's deed went
beyond what we expect of others. If anyone ever had an ex-
cuse to pass by a person in need, her neighbor surely did. But
like the good Samaritan in today's parable, Carole's neighbor
stopped and helped out. Certainly God was with him as he
turned those lugs. The same God who would be there during
his personal grief.

How easy it is for us to think of reasons to ignore people in
need. We tell ourselves we're too busy, we have our own prob-
lems, or we're not good in those situations. We wonder what
we really know about changing tires. Surely, someone else can
do it better, we say. Surely, a mechanic is close by. And finally,
we ask ourselves, is this person really our responsibility? Our
neighbor?

Like the lawyer in today's passage, we look for loopholes in
Christ's command to love one another. There are none. No
excuses.

The next time such an excuse pops into our heads we should
remember Carole's neighbor. He stopped to help. Because he
fixed Carole's tire, she was able to tell others about God's love.

​

From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.1989