The Road to Jericho

This Sunday's reading is from Luke 10:25-37 and contains the story of the good Samaritan.

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’

I read that it takes about 8 hours for a person to walk from Jericho to Jerusalem. I don't know what the priest was riding, but the time involved in providing aid and transporting the injured Samaritan and getting him situated may have put the priest's arrival at his final destination close to dusk. Most sermons on this day never think about the time that the priest sacrificed in service of the Samaritan. How many of us miss opportunities to serve the Lord because we feel under the pressure of another thing demanding our precious time? 

How more precious is the time spent caring for another human being?