Who Do I Not See?
OPENING PRAYER:
Holy Spirit, open the eyes of my heart. Show me the people I have learned to look past. Amen.
"A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him." Luke 10:31-34, NIV
When an expert in the law asks Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus tells a story about a man beaten by robbers and left on the side of the road.
REFLECT:
All three travelers saw the wounded man. The difference was not in their eyesight; it was in what happened after they saw. Two moved to the other side of the road. One moved toward him.
It is possible to see a need and still not really see the person. We register that someone is hurting, feel a pang of discomfort, and keep walking. Sometimes we avoid looking too closely because it makes us feel bad, and we wish it were not true. Yet right in our own community, many children do not have a bed to sleep in, and many families are working multiple jobs and still falling behind.
The first heart question Pastor Rodney asked is simple and searching: Who do I not see? Jesus saw the most forgotten people of his day and stepped into their lives. As his followers, we are invited to cross the road, to stop, and to come close.
APPLY:
Pray the question "Who do I not see?" and wait. Write down any name, group, or place that comes to mind, and take one step toward that person this week. If you have not already, sign up for the CarePortal Response Team so the needs you might otherwise never see come straight to you. Find out more in the Pathway App or at pathwaychurch.com/fostercare.
I WILL STATEMENT:
I will take action to remember the forgotten.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord, forgive me for the times I have crossed to the other side of the road. Give me eyes that truly see and a heart that moves toward the hurting. Make me a neighbor like the Samaritan. Amen.
PRAYER REQUEST:
Share your prayer request and pray for others.