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The New Good Samaritan
Bible Study Posted June 25, 2000
This week's scripture:
Luke 10:27
He answered: “ ‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Before I get into the study, let me tell you a story.
One day a sharp dressed business man was walking on 1st Avenue North in Chicago. He was a Christian man. He was on his way to the Feed My Sheep Mission. He was going to give $500 to help the homeless people. As he crossed 21st Street two guys dressed in black approached him. They were rough looking. The tallest one asked him for a dollar. The Christian man was kind, and pulled out his wallet to give them a dollar. As soon as the two guys in black saw all of the money he had in his wallet, they went into action. One struck him in the face, while the other pushed him down. The shortest one grabbed the Christian man's wallet while the tallest one started kicking the Christian man in the face and side. The only people on the street that saw what was happening hurried away. They didn't want to get involved. Soon the 2 guys in black ran off, leaving the Christian man lying on the sidewalk, propped against a building. His suit was torn and dirty, he was beaten, and barely conscious. He was too weak to call for help. He just lay there moaning.
A few minutes later a preacher of a big church in the city was walking down the street. He was used to seeing drunken bums sitting around and begging for money. He saw the Christian man lying on the sidewalk. Not wanting to have to put up with another bum, he crossed the street and went on his way.
A little while later a woman wearing a fancy dress was walking down the street. She was a deaconess in her church. She was in the choir and known as a great Christian woman. But she thought street people were smelly. She thought it was terrible that they wouldn't go out and get jobs and take a shower. She crossed the street, too. She didn't want to walk by another of those stinky street people.
About 30 minutes later, a punk started walking down the street. He had ear rings in both ears. He even had one in his bottom lip. He was wearing a T-shirt with the sleeves cut off and leather pants. His hair was spiked and was dyed orange on the top. He had tattoos running up both arms. But that torn T-shirt had a cross on the front of it. And the back said “Jesus Saves.” He saw the guy lying on the side walk. In fact, he thought it was a bum, too. But he didn't cross the street. He decided to witness to the bum. When he was close enough to the man, he saw that he wasn't a bum, but an injured man. He ran to a restaurant close by, and asked for a glass of water and some napkins. They wouldn't give them to the punk, so he had to pay for the water and napkins. He ran back to the man and gave him a drink of water and used the napkins to clean his wounds some. The punk brought his car up and put the man in it. He drove him to the General Hospital Emergency room. When he arrived, the nurses told him that they didn't take charity cases. He instructed them to take care of the man and that he would pay the bill.
He did. The man was soon released from the hospital. His injuries were not as bad as they first looked.
The Bible tells us to '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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Which person loved the Lord and their neighbor? The preacher, the woman, or the punk?
The story I just told you wasn't true. Jesus told a story sort of like that. I just changed the places and added a few things to make it more interesting. You can read the story as Jesus told it in Luke 10.
What happened in Luke 10 is that an expert in the Old Testament was trying to trick Jesus. Let's call this expert Bob (I just made that up). Bob asked Jesus , "What do I have to do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus asked, "Bob, what does the Bible say?" Bob answered, “ ‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Jesus told Bob that that sounded right to him. Then Bob tried to trick Jesus again. Bob asked, "Then who is my neighbor?" Then Jesus told him a story like the one I started with, and asked Bob a question. "Bob, who was the good neighbor, the preacher, the woman, or the punk?" Bob had to admit that it was the punk. Then Jesus told Bob to go get ear rings and tattoos, no he didn't. He told Bob to go and be a good neighbor like the punk.
So, you should love the Lord God with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind. And you have to love everyone else as much as yourself. Even the people you don't like. Even people that you are scared of. Even people who like pickles (that one was for me, I can't stand pickles!)
This week's prayer:
Dear Father,
Thank you for being the all powerful loving God. In everything that happens, I want your will to be done. Please help me to be a good neighbor to everyone. Please help me show others the love of Christ.
Thank you for being our healer, provider, comforter, and God.
Amen.
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Story posted June 25, 2000
A Good Neighbor
As our story starts Katie is telling Elder Everett all about her Barbie collection...
"...and I have a Malibu Barbie doll and a Ken doll and a dress up Barbie doll and a Barbie doll Corvette and a Barbie doll Jeep and a Barbie doll kitchen..."
Crazy Larry comes up and interrupts Katie.
"Hi guys!" said Crazy Larry.
Elder Everett greeted Crazy Larry, "Hello young man."
"Hello Crazy Larry." said Katie.
"What are you guys talking about?" asked Crazy Larry.
" I'm not sure. I think she said something about a hairy doll." said the hard of hearing Elder Everett.
Katie corrected him, "Not a 'hairy doll,' Elder Everett. A Barbie doll. Turn up your...
Larry interrupted her, whispering. "No, Katie, don't tell him to turn up his hearing aid. Let's have some fun with him."
Katie whispered back, "I don't know, Crazy Larry, maybe we shouldn't make fun of him."
"What are you two whispering about?" asked Elder Everett.
"Nothing. We were just talking about the whitja dobercono." said Crazy Larry.
"The what?" asked Elder Everett with a puzzled look.
"The frama crono." answered Crazy Larry.
"There must be something wrong with my hearing aid. I’ll turn it up."
Katie jumped in, "Elder Everett, Crazy Larry is ..."
Larry stopped her. "Trying to tell you something very important."
"Well, go right ahead." said Elder Everett.
"The whama froto rella is tearing up." said Crazy Larry, with a smile.
"The what is tearing up?"
"The kala tuma farbo." Crazy Larry answered. "Are you having problems with your hearing aid?"
Katie tried to help again, "Elder Everett, Crazy Larry is..."
Again Crazy Larry stopped her, "Trying to help you! Maybe you need to get that hearing aid checked out."
"I guess I do need to get it checked out." said Elder Everett. "I’ll see you later."
As Elder Everett is walking away, Katie starts talking to Larry.
"Larry, you shouldn't have been making fun of Elder Everett that way."
Larry replied, "Oh, I was just having some fun. Don't be such a goody two shoes."
"No, that was wrong. Elder Everett can't help being a little hard of hearing. He's a good Christian man."
"I didn't hurt anything." said Larry.
Katie told him, "Yes you did! What if he goes to the doctor to get his hearing aid fixed. That could cost a lot of money!"
At this time Katie went running to catch up to Elder Everett. Crazy Larry ran to catch up to them, too.
"Wait, Elder Everett!" Katie yelled when the were close.
"What is it Katie and Larry?"
Larry was the first to speak. "Hey old man. Did you hamet ta cooper dwiddle?"
Elder Everett was puzzled, "What did he say? I'm on my way to the doctor to get a new hearing aid."
Katie finally got the words out, "You don't need a hearing aid, Elder Everett. Larry is just being mean."
"What do you mean?" asked Elder Everett.
Katie answered, "He is just making sounds. He's not really saying words."
"I am too. It's just waber tobo alakma." Larry said, laughing.
"See, he did it again." said Katie.
Elder Everett was shocked, "That's not very nice. Why are you doing that young fella?"
"Just having some fun. It didn't hurt anything."
"It almost did. I can't afford a new hearing aid, and I was about to go get one. Thank you for being a good neighbor, Katie."
Katie replied, "Your welcome, Elder Everett."
Of course, Crazy Larry wasn't impressed. "Aw, you two are boring. I'm leaving."
Crazy Larry went off, and Elder Everett bought Katie an ice cream cone for being such a good neighbor.
How about you? Would you have been a good neighbor? Or would you have had some fun with Elder Everett, too?
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Welcome to the game page!
Just print out the game and play it on paper, or try to do it in your head!
Unscramble the words! All of these words were in this week's Bible Study and Story.
1. gbhroine
2. nkup
3. odog
4. velo
5. egnhttrs
6. aehtr
7. uosl
8. dmni
9. ruolsefy
10.reaihgn dai
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Answers for word game posted June 25, 2000
1. neighbor
2. punk
3. good
4. love
5. strength
6. heart
7. soul
8. mind
9. yourself
10. Hearing aid
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Copyright 2000 by Gene Powell