Lenten Reader | Day 5

Mercy

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 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. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”


-Luke 10:25-37
I know there are countless times I have missed opportunities to supply mercy to my neighbor. As a young working adult with a young family, I am so easily distracted by daunting, daily, and menial tasks. As a human it’s so easy to miss out on those blessings to provide mercy for those whom God has placed in our paths. Convictions are often difficult to bring to light. It helps me to remember God’s grace and love is something we as earthly beings find too difficult to put into words. I am so thankful for our Creator who supplied the grace, love, and mercy through his Son. I am thankful for these moments of conviction that bring me closer to our God and growing my relationship with him.

We have all experienced those troubling times when we also feel beaten, stripped, and oppressed. When we are hurt, feeling lonely, and depressed, our vision and judgment are often clouded. These difficult seasons will come, and they will go. But one thing that is constant is the presence of our Savior. He will help you through your storms. He is closer than your next breath. Letting that completely sink into my every fiber has been absolutely freeing when those storms try to trap me.

My prayer for all of us is that the Lord uses us for his glory and our good. No matter what that looks like - that we trust his guidance and his love and not our own understanding. I pray that we live with open eyes and full hearts to allow us not to miss those opportunities when we could be someone’s Samaritan and do his work. I pray that when we fall into hard times that we do not miss the presence of our Heavenly Father. I pray that we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us and free us from the bondage of our storms. I pray that we recognize the presence of those loved ones around us whom God has placed in our lives to help us through our troubles. I pray for peace for all of us and that we allow ourselves to be blessed and to be a blessing. Amen.

-Caleb Uhrig

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