Thursday, November 22, 2012 -- Gracious Living (3)

Jesus told the story of a Samaritan who helped a Jewish person who had been robbed, beaten and left half dead.  The Samaritan bandaged the Jewish person’s wounds and put him on his donkey and brought him to an inn where he took care of him.  The next day when the Samaritan had to leave he gave the innkeeper money to take care of the victim and was prepared, upon his return, to pay any extra costs that might be incurred in looking after the victim.

Just bandaging the victim’s wounds and sending him on his way would have been kind but taking him to the inn and personally covering the cost of the victim’s recovery was extravagant grace being poured out by one person on another. This story would have been shocking to a Jewish audience because Jews had no dealings with Samaritans and the two persons involved were considered by society to be enemies.

The Samaritan represents all of us and how we should live graciously with one another, bearing each other’s burdens, regardless of our differences.  When asked who was the victim’s neighbour in this story the crowd replied that it was the one who showed mercy on him.  The crowd was then told by Jesus to go and do likewise.


When Jesus was asked which commandment was the most important of the commandments of Moses he answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.   And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40 NLT)

What does gracious living in recovery look like for me? Have I allowed the generosity of God’s care for me to flow over into my relationship with others?  As God has been kind and forgiving with me, have I, in turn, been that way with others?  As God has chosen to forget all the wrongs I’ve done, am I now choosing to do the same with my family and friends?  As God made Himself available to bless me today with grace and tenderness, am I doing the same for everyone I meet?  How have my attitude, my reactions, and my behaviour towards others changed because of my receiving God’s unconditional love?