Monday Meditation: Helping the one with no excuse for his problem
“Here’s What Jesus Taught,” Part Four
“God Shows Mercy Even to Those Who Don’t ‘Deserve’ It”
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was steep and winding with many sharp turns that created perfect hiding places for robbers. It was widely known to be dangerous, not a place to travel alone. Everyone who heard this story knew this.
And they probably understood something Jesus didn’t mention. The wounded Jew in this parable had ignored the facts. He had gone where no man should go by himself, and he suffered what anyone might have warned him could happen. In other words, his predicament may well have been his own fault.
Most tellers of the story emphasize the cultural and religious divide between Samaritans and Jews. The fact that the Samaritan overcame this hurdle makes his actions more than generous; he demonstrated remarkable grace. And the fact that the traveler‘s suffering was his own fault magnifies the Samaritan’s mercy even more.
Fault
In our own day, some see those suffering on the other side of cultural or economic divides and say, “It’s their fault.” If they’re hungry, why don’t they get a job? If they weren’t here illegally, their life wouldn’t be so hard. If they didn’t want to be saddled with all those kids, why did they get pregnant?
Some respond by saying, “The example of Jesus moves us to help even those we believe don’t deserve it.” We might have a lively debate about this issue, but that’s not the point of this brief meditation.
Rather, let’s think of an important coping mechanism for caregivers to keep repeating, “It’s not her fault.” Her diseased brain, no act of her will, is causing her behavior that troubles us.
This is especially helpful for those whose lifelong mindset has been to offer help only to those who “deserve” it. The sufferer in our care certainly falls into this category.
Failure
Not only is the patient failing, but we may fear we’re failing, too.
• Have we made the right decisions about medicine, doctors, diet, and therapies?
• Should we stay home instead of forcing our patient to cope with the public? Or should we get out more instead of cloistering her at home?
• Should we wake her up or let her sleep?
• Should we work harder on a balanced diet or just let her enjoy bread and ice cream?
• And how will others feel about how we’re handling her unusual behavior?
Perhaps today’s parable can help us relax. Just as the Samaritan brought healing to the irresponsible Jew, God offers mercy to the beleaguered caregiver. When we fail, he’s there to help, and we can walk a little taller when we remember that. God’s not waiting for us to perform up to his expectations.
We do well to offer ourselves the same grace he gives us. There’s help and healing from his hand, just as there was from the good Samaritan in the story Jesus told.
Read: Luke 10:25-37
Pray: Thank you, Father, for loving us without reserve, helping us with no limits, and lifting us even when we feel our failures are our own fault. As we continue to make mistakes this week, let us see your love anyway.
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