Sloths, now there is an animal I don’t think about very often. Slow, innocuous creatures, they hang out in trees and eat the foliage and move s-l-o-w-l-y! Having said this, being in the middle of a highway ( anywhere, at any time ) is a dangerous place. This act of mercy by a passing motorist is laudable and reminds me of a passage from the book of Luke.
Luke 10 ( World English Bible )
25 Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
28 He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion,
34 came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’
36 Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?”
37 He said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Everyone wants to get to heaven, but not everyone is willing to do what is necessary to enter those pearly gates. So it was with a certain lawyer who questioned Jesus. The lawyer knew what to do, but because of his preconceived ideas and his hatred of Samaritans he did show the love of God, exhibited in the quality of mercy. Jesus puts him straight with a parable and challenged him to do as the Samaritan of the parable did; show mercy, which is really an act of love.
The picture shows how a motorist cared for a helpless animal. No one forced him to do this, he did it because he cared. We should emulate this caring attitude, not just to lovable animals, but to everyone; even someone we do not like ( or perhaps even hate?). God did this for us- remember Jesus?
Small thought here: Lord, help us to love as you love and be what you would have us to be, AMEN!
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