“Then Jesus said to the lawyer, ‘GO AND DO LIKEWISE.’” Luke 10:37
If Jesus was living in America today, who would He intentionally pursue? To whom would He go out of His way to reveal His kindness? I think we all know the answer: the outcasts, the poor and needy, the hurting, and those that society rejects as unimportant.
A lawyer was testing Jesus by asking how he could be sure he could go to heaven. Jesus responded by saying, “Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.” The lawyer then said, “Who is my neighbor?” hoping to justify himself as a pretty good guy. Jesus proceeds to tell us the well-known story of the Good Samaritan, who found a half-dead man who had been robbed and beaten and left on the road to die.
Here’s where it gets interesting! This man took this stranger and bandaged his wounds, put him up in a hotel and arranged for continued care until he was better... all at his own expense. The story gives us no indication that he joined their church or ever put something in the offering plate. Perhaps he was never seen again. But it was ‘love in action’! Effective evangelism will cost us. It must intentionally pursue the outcasts of our neighborhoods. It won’t be cheap, and it won’t be inside our comfort zone... BUT IT WORKS EVERY TIME!
Intentional for souls,
Tom Elie
Evangelists/President
Oasis World Ministries
