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.

Luke 10:30

“Somebody help me!”

The distress call rang loud in Baba’s ears. He was ready to hang himself on the mango tree that sat on the edge of the cliff.

“Is anybody out there? Please help me,” the distress call boomed louder and reverberated across the valley. Baba found himself strangely concerned. There he stood; ready to leap over the cliff for his final goodbye to a world he thought had been unfair to him. So, what’s another man’s life to him? Yet, he couldn’t get the echo out of his ears. Removing his neck from the noose, he ran in the direction of the person he thought he was going to save.

“Leave him alone, you scoundrel!” Baba shouted; charging at the two men striking the man on the ground. But things were not what they seemed to be. It was a charade, and Baba had been scammed. Stripped, wounded, and left to die in the middle of the road, he had become the victim of a robbery scam. 

Have you ever thought about the identity of the victim in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37)? He could be a Baba who is disillusioned with life. He is desperate. He is wounded in the soul and body. He needs a warm heart to embrace him. Unfortunately, our usual comment is: “Too bad it happened to him,” and simply pass by. We are too busy to lend a hand. Unfortunately, criminals have no respect for age, position, or social status. Neither do accidents or any other thing that oppresses.

The priest and the Levite in the Parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ offered no help to the wounded man (Lk. 10:31-32). Both simply walked away on the other side. But thank God for the Good Samaritan (33-35). He stopped and cared. The identity of the robbery victim did not matter to him. The man needed him, therefore, his own interest could wait.

That’s our challenge as Christians. Every need in another person’s life is an opportunity to reveal God’s heart to them. Our response reveals the effect of God’s grace upon our lives in Christ.

As Paul says, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy” (Titus 3:4-5). It is imperative that we too could share this love and kindness of God with others in need.                                                                                                                         

Where, then, is your heart? Where are your bandages, your oil and wine, and your donkey to carry the desperate and dying of this world to the Inn on Calvary (Lk. 10:34-35)? Are you willing to pay the “extra expense” for the healing of your wounded neighbor in the hospital of Christ?