Collect
Great God in Whom all nations are blessed, Your Son taught that neighbors often come to us in distressing disguises. Grant us grace today to discover Christ in those who need our help, and Christ in those whose help we need, that we might show our war-weary world the New Jerusalem, where the tree of life in eternal bloom brings healing to all nations. In the name of Him who became flesh and moved into our neighborhood, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
A woman was going down from a frat party to her dorm, and fell into the hands of scholarship athletes, who stripped her, raped her, and went away, leaving her half dead. Now by chance a coach was going down that way; and when he saw her, he said, “What was she doing alone in such a dangerous place?” and passed by on the other side. So likewise a booster, when he came to the place and saw her, said, “She was probably drunk. She was asking for it.” But a work-study student while picking up trash came near her; and when he saw her, he was moved with pity. He went to her and bandaged her wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he balanced her on the handlebars of his bicycle, brought her to the emergency room, and called the police. The next day he took out his Obama care card, gave it to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of her; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”
A man was going home from his minimum wage job, and fell into the hands of payday lenders, who charged him exorbitant interest, put a lien on his car, hounded him with collection calls and went away, leaving him half broke. Now by chance a Christian businessman was going down that road; and when he saw him, he said, “When will these people ever learn to live within their means?” and passed by on the other side. So likewise a Dave Ramsey teacher, when he came to the place and saw him, said, “You should’ve attended my class,” and passed by on the other side. But an Über driver from Pakistan, while on his way to pick up a fare, came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him in his own car, even though the bloodstains would probably hurt his customer ratings, and brought him to his mosque, and took care of him. The next day he took out two twenties, gave them to the imam, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”
An Israeli citizen was driving his car on the Sabbath when he fell among radical Ultra-Orthodox Jews who threw stones at his car, breaking his windshield and causing him to crash. They ran away and left him to bleed out. Now by chance a conservative Israeli politician was going down that road; and when he say him he said, “I’d help, but there might be a photographer around and I need the Orthodox vote in the next election,” and passed by on the other side. So likewise a resident of one of the Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory, when he came to the place and saw him, said, “Probably those dirty Terrorists did this. The car may be booby-trapped with an IED,” and passed by on the other side. But a Palestinian, on his way to the checkpoint so he could get back home from his minimum-wage job, came near; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him in his arms and hauled him to a hospital and sat with him through the night. The next day he took out his entire week’s wages and told the administrator, “Take care of him, and when I get paid next week, I’ll settle the bill. It might take longer if the Israeli government closes the checkpoints, but I’ll get back eventually.”
A teenage girl was running away from Sinton to Corpus, and fell into the hands of a sex trafficker, who got her hooked on drugs, pimped her out, and, when he saw she was too sick from venereal disease to turn a profit, went away, leaving her half dead at her usual corner, trying to score tricks. Now by chance a pastor was going down that road; and when he saw her, he thought, “Look at those tattoos! Look at those needle marks! And she’s half-naked. What a tramp! I can’t imagine what I’d do if that was my daughter!” and passed by on the other side. So likewise a deacon, when he came to the place and saw her, thought, “If anyone saw me talking to her, or if I gave her a ride to a shelter, I could claim I was helping her, but who’d believe me? She might even blackmail me by threatening to yell rape,” and passed by on the other side. But a female impersonator while on his way to work at a nightclub came near her; and when he saw her, he was moved with pity. He went to her and bandaged her wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he gave her his own bus pass, told her to go to his address, and wrote out a note for his housemates to look after her. The next day he took out his tips from the night before, gave them to the other residents, and said, “Take care of her; and after my next shift, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”
An atheist UT professor was going down from Austin to Kyle, and fell into the hands of some rednecks, who stripped him of his “Hillary for President” T-shirt, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a colleague who was in line for the same teaching post was going down that road; and when he saw him, he took a photo and tweeted it out with the caption, “Drunk again,” then passed by on the other side. So likewise an academic dean, when he came to the place and saw him, thought, “Well, this should give me some leverage for negotiating his salary.” But a construction worker while stuck in traffic on his way home from a double shift came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him in his dual-axle pickup, which sported a rifle rack and a “Make America Great Again” bumper-sticker, brought him to a nearby Motel 6, and took care of him. The next day he took out his credit card, gave it to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you in case the card maxes out.”
A cheerleader was going down from a pep rally, and fell into the hands of some mean girls, who stripped her of her boyfriend’s letter jacket, beat her up and went away, ruining her makeup and her hair and tearing her $200 blouse. Now by chance the student class president was going down that sidewalk; and when she saw her, he passed by, smirked and said, “Serves her right.” So likewise the class valedictorian, when he came to the place and saw her, thought, “I’m sick of the jocks and the cheerleaders getting all the attention around here anyway.” But a Goth chick, who was cutting class to sneak a smoke, came near her; and when she saw her, she was moved with pity. She went to her and bandaged her wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then she hefted her up piggyback, brought her to the school nurse, and insisted on staying until her parents arrived. The next day she cashed her paycheck from her job at Whataburger, took the bruised, beaten girl to the hairdressers, and said, “Give her a makeover. If this doesn’t cover it, I’ll come back and settle up.”
A boy was growing up in Robstown, and fell into the hands of a father who cooked meth for a living and a mother who was hooked while she was pregnant, who beat him regularly and finally went away, leaving him as a ward of the state growing up to repeat the cycle of addiction and crime and finally winding up homeless. Now by chance an evangelist was holding a meeting down in the Cut; and when he saw him, he gave him a tract. So likewise the guest soloist, eager to plug his new CD, saw him, told his wife to keep an eye on the sound equipment because it was easy to steal and easy to fence. But a child molester, who lived in a camp outside the city limits due to the terms of his release from jail, came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and nursed him through withdrawal. Then he put him on his own bicycle, brought him to a shelter, and got him checked in. The next day he took out his last five singles, gave them to the attendant, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”
Which of these, do you think, was a neighbor to the one who fell into the hands of the athletes, payday lenders, religious radicals, pimps, rednecks, mean girls, and drug dealers?" The one who showed them mercy? Go and do likewise. Amen.
Benediction
May you love your neighbor as yourself,
For this is the law of love.
May you love your neighbor who is unlike yourself,
For this is the law of love.
May your neighbor be whoever loves you, when you are in need yourself,
For this is the law of love.
In the Name of the Triune God,
Father,
Son,
And Holy Spirit,
One God now and forever,
Amen.
very moving. thank you
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