Good Samaritan – Be Still…

Obadiah 17-21 – Promised Restoration

Read Obadiah 17-21

I learned today the Edomites were taken down in the 5^th century B.C. God used a people called the Nabateans to defeat the Edomites and force them from their main city of Petra. The interval between prediction and fulfillment would, therefore, have been very short, assuming Obadiah was writing following the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem. When Obadiah prophesied this promise, it was probably thought to be crazy. Judah was the more likely candidate to not survive (that’s only when you take God’s will out of the equation)! The Edomites would later disappear from history completely, marking the total destruction of one of Israel’s enemies.

It always helps me to understand the context of a story to aid in understanding. The Negev region was very dry and hot in the southern part of Judah. The foothills would be found in western Judah. Phoenicia would be an ancient civilization along the Mediterranean, primarily located in modern-day Lebanon.

Obadiah 10-14 – You Should Not Have…

Read Obadiah 10-14

Obadiah speaks to the reasons Edom is facing their judgment. They sinned for their evil behavior against their own relatives. This passage leaves no doubt “why” calamity would fall on Edom. The Edomites brought it on themselves for more than one reason.

There is so much emphasis on “you should not have” in this reading. We often kick ourselves after doing something we realize later was a mistake. Don’t we say, “I should have known better.” The Edomites won’t get a chance to say that since they will all be destroyed. All they have is the advance warning which sets the expectation for what is coming in motion.

Luke 10:25-37 – Do This!

Read Luke 10:25-37

The Good Samaritan story was a genius example to help us understand who our neighbor is. It also shows us what being a poor neighbor looks like.

Jesus affirmed the man’s question about eternal life. This is what you must do to live. “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Living in a neighborhood, we often think that our neighbors are those living close by. Jesus opens our eyes to the real meaning.

To be a good neighbor you need to be present. We see two examples of folks, upright and presumably spiritual, who did not do the right thing. Were these folks too busy? Where these folks afraid to get their hands dirty? They were Jewish, just like the beaten down man, so it wasn’t like they were afraid of helping a foreigner. Did they fear for their own lives? Perhaps the greedy bandits were still nearby ready to pounce on their next victim. Continue reading “Luke 10:25-37 – Do This!”