A good story, like a parable, can be a great teacher. I read this one preparing for the Good Samaritan message on Sunday and thought it was worth sharing—
The story is told of a young man named Bob who received a new car from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve, when he came out of his office to drive it home, he noticed a street kid admiring the shiny car. “This yours, mister?”
“Sure is. My brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was astonished. “You mean he just gave it to you, and it didn’t cost you anything? Wow! Boy, I wish …” His voice trailed off. Bob finished the sentence in his mind. But what followed shook him…”I wish,” the boy said, “that I could be a brother like that.”
The young man was so astonished that he said impulsively, “Would you like a ride?” “Oh, yeah. That’d be great.” So off they went, the boy’s eyes sparkling with excitement. After a while he said, “Mister, would you mind stopping in front of my house?” Ah, he wants to show off a little, Bob thought. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” Almost before the car had stopped, the boy was on his way into the house.
A few moments later, he came back, and Bob saw to his amazement that he was carrying his little crippled brother. “There it is, John, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him, and it didn’t cost him a cent. And someday I’m going to get you one just like it, so we can go see all the things I keep telling you about.”
Tears were flowing freely from Bob’s eyes as he took that little boy and lifted him into his car to share a ride. For years after, he said the greatest gift he received that Christmas wasn’t the car but the attitude of that young boy saying, “Boy, I wish I could be a brother like that!”
That’s what this parable should make us say: “I want to be a neighbor like that.”
(Story is found in the book The Parable – Understanding What Jesus Meant by Gary Inrig)
Prayer: Dear God, teach us to be good neighbors who learn how to neighbor from your Son Jesus. In His name we pray, Amen.
Grace and peace,
Aaron