Change

“Helping one person might not change the whole world, but it could change the world for one person.” (Anonymous)

²⁵ Just then a religious scholar stood before Jesus in order to test his doctrines. He posed this question: “Teacher, what requirement must I fulfill if I want to live forever in heaven?”

²⁶ Jesus replied, “What does Moses teach us? What do you read in the Law?”
²⁷ The religious scholar answered, “It states, ‘You must love the Lord God with all your heart, all your passion, all your energy, and your every thought. And you must love your neighbor as well as you love yourself.’”
²⁸ Jesus said, “That is correct. Now go and do exactly that and you will live.”
²⁹ Wanting to justify himself, he questioned Jesus further, saying, “What do you mean by ‘my neighbor’?”
³⁰ Jesus replied, “Listen and I will tell you. There was once a Jewish man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when bandits robbed him along the way. They beat him severely, stripped him naked, and left him half dead.
³¹ “Soon, a Jewish priest walking down the same road came upon the wounded man. Seeing him from a distance, the priest crossed to the other side of the road and walked right past him, not turning to help him one bit.
³² “Later, a religious man, a Levite, came walking down the same road and likewise crossed to the other side to pass by the wounded man without stopping to help him.
³³ “Finally, another man, a Samaritan, came upon the bleeding man and was moved with tender compassion for him. ³⁴ He stooped down and gave him first aid, pouring olive oil on his wounds, disinfecting them with wine, and bandaging them to stop the bleeding. Lifting him up, he placed him on his own donkey and brought him to an inn. Then he took him from his donkey and carried him to a room for the night. ³⁵ The next morning he took his own money from his wallet and gave it to the innkeeper with these words: ‘Take care of him until I come back from my journey. If it costs more than this, I will repay you when I return.’ ³⁶ So, now, tell me, which one of the three men who saw the wounded man proved to be the true neighbor?”
³⁷ The religious scholar responded, “The one who demonstrated kindness and mercy.”

Jesus said, “You must go and do the same as he.” (Luke 10:25-37, TPT)

In the time of Jesus, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was notorious for its danger and difficulty, and was known as the "Way of Blood" because "of the blood which is often shed there by robbers." Martin Luther King, Jr. in his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech described the road as follows:

I remember when Mrs. King and I were first in Jerusalem. We rented a car and drove from Jerusalem down to Jericho. And as soon as we got on that road, I said to my wife, "I can see why Jesus used this as the setting for his parable." It's a winding, meandering road. It's really conducive for ambushing. You start out in Jerusalem, which is about 1200 miles—or rather 1200 feet above sea level. And by the time you get down to Jericho, fifteen or twenty minutes later, you're about 2200 feet below sea level. That's a dangerous road.  (“Parable of the Good Samaritan” from Wikipedia)

 Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do. Remember that the Lord is coming soon. (Philippians 4:5, TLB)

Christians need to be a positive force of change in the world by not allowing their passion to overthrow their compassion.

The gentle action requires…

Compassion (See Luke 10:30-33 above)

He helps us every time we have trouble. Then we are able to be strong and help other people every time they have trouble. We can do this with the same comfort that God gives us. (2 Corinthians 1:3, WE)

This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “Do what is right and true. Be kind and merciful to each other.” (Zechariah 7:9, NCV)

Sacrifice (See Luke 10:34-35 above)

 My children, we must not only talk about loving people; we must show we love people by what we do for them. We must really love them. (1 John 3:18, WE)

 But do not forget to do good things for people, and to give what you have to those who need it. These are sacrifices that please God. (Hebrews 13:16, WE)

Unconditional love (See Luke 10:36-37 above)

This is my command: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12, NCV)

Think of the kindness you wish others would show you; do the same for them. Listen, what’s the big deal if you love people who already love you? Even scoundrels do that much.  If you want to be extraordinary—love your enemies. Do good without restraint. Lend with abandon. Don’t expect anything in return. Then you’ll receive the truly great reward—you will be children of the Most High—for God is kind to the ungrateful and those who are wicked. (Luke 6:31-32, 35, VOICE)

People to know Jesus (See Luke 10:37 above)

 Quietly trust yourself to Christ your Lord, and if anybody asks why you believe as you do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful way. (1 Peter 3:15, TLB)

 Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect. (Romans 12:2, ERV)

Doing good for others can change your outlook on life by making you feel good about yourself, and causing you not to feel isolated. Instead, it will provide you with a compassionate connection to another human being.

 “The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But... the Good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?' “(Martin Luther King, Jr) [i]

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[i] Inspired by the sermon “Gentle Actions: The Gentle Way,” (installment two) Sunday July 19, 2020, Pastor Josh Boyer. All CenterPoint churches are closed due to COVID-19, and are meeting online at 10am at the CenterPoint Church Main Page on Facebook.)