September 12, 2004

The Bad Samaritan

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe . . . and have neglected . . . justice and mercy and faith. —Matthew 23:23

Bible In One Year: Proverbs 13-15; 2 Corinthians 5

A good-Samaritan-turned-bad saved a woman's life and then stole her purse. Police in Los Angeles said that a passerby had noticed a distressed woman getting ready to jump off a bridge. The man struggled with the woman until she broke free and then fell back onto the concrete and was knocked unconscious. That's when the surprise came. According to witnesses, the suspect then grabbed the woman's purse and ran off.

That man's outrageous behavior illustrates the pattern of the Pharisees. They too seemed ready to go to the rescue of others (Matthew 23:15). They were advertised as men of prayer, men of the Scriptures, champions of the faith, and helpers of the needy. But the intentions of their hearts revealed that they were actually thieves and exploiters of people.

None of us is above such behavior. We too can reach out to others with an honest desire to help them, yet underneath we may become more interested and concerned about our own welfare than about theirs.

Lord, we don't want to be like that. We long to be as real and loving as Your Son. Help us not to succumb to selfishness. As we express Your love to others, don't let our motives turn into a desire for self-advantage. —Mart De Haan

There is a power of selfishness,
The proud and willful I,
And if my life would helpful be,
That proud old self must die. —Anon.

A good motive turns bad on the hinge of selfishness.