"Impossible, outrageous!  I've heard enough."  We have a story from Jesus we call, "The Good Samaritan," and we miss the punch.

 

Who do you hate?  Who do you think to be your greatest enemy?  Then you hear Jesus tell a story about how people like you and me do NOT help an unfortunate victim because we have some lame excuses, but your greatest enemy...this person is good!  When Jesus told his listeners this story, and said it was a Samaritan that was "good," and not us, well, that was outrageous, impossible, and it made you want to get up and walk out of church.

If we don't understand that truth, we don't understand the parable of the Good Samaritan.  "This is the way God is," says Jesus, "and this is how God invites us to be.  Get used to it, if you want to follow me."

 

Joyfully,