A Good Samaritan
Bible Reading: Luke 10:25-37
Author: Ms. Rebeca Boyadjian (Montevideo, Uruguay)
Author: Ms. Rebeca Boyadjian (Montevideo, Uruguay)
Friday 26 April 2024 © The Upper Room.
When I was a child I enjoyed spending time in my father’s tailor shop, listening to him tell stories from his childhood while he worked. My father had a happy childhood in Armenia until war broke out in 1915. He was forced to flee his home; he stayed on the move — walking by day, hiding among the trees by night.
One day while he was walking down a road, he saw a group of boys heading his way, intent on harming him because he was Armenian and Christian. My father scrambled into a ditch, raised his arms and cried, “Dear God, save me!” In desperation, he waved down a passing car. The driver stopped, told him to get into the car and asked, “Where are you going?” My father stammered, “Anywhere.”
The man took him to an inn and gave him fresh clothes. My father bathed, ate a good meal, and slept at the inn that night. The following day my father wanted to thank the man, but the man was gone. He had paid for the night’s stay and left some money for my father. Who was this man? My father never found out.
This stranger lived out the parable of the good Samaritan, caring for my father even though he was a stranger. We can all learn from the kindness this man showed and remember that we have the ability to show love and mercy to others as well.
Prayer: God of great mercy, thank you for watching over us in unexpected ways and through the people you send into our lives. Amen.
