LightGrams
January 17, 2019
Volume 23, Number 3
“Where’s Waldo” was a popular series of books that debuted in America in 1987. Each book had several pages of drawings in which the reader was challenged to find Waldo. “What an easy challenge!” one might have first thought. Waldo was dressed in a red and white striped sweater and cap. No one else in the drawings was so attired. But the drawings consisted of crowds of people, and finding Waldo was surprisingly difficult.
Last week the challenge was in real life; it was “Where’s Dave?” Dave had stopped to help a man whose car was stuck in the snow. Dave didn’t know that the man he helped was Jeff Allen, a player for the Kansas City Chiefs. Due to Dave’s help, Allen was able to get to Arrowhead Stadium in time to play against the Indianapolis Colts.
Allen wanted to thank Dave for his help, so he sent out a call for help in identifying him. Hundreds of responses came in – including many who falsely claimed to be Dave. Eventually the real Dave came forward, and Jeff Allen thanked him with tickets to this weekend’s AFC Championship Game (undoubtedly very valuable tickets!).
What is Jesus’ most famous parable? Many would reply by pointing to the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. But is it a parable? Luke doesn’t identify it as such, as he does other parables (12:16; 13:6; 14:7; etc.). The account may have actually happened. But how would you ever find the central figure in that account? We don’t know even his first name, nor do we know the name of the victim or the innkeeper.
Accounts of modern-day Good Samaritans are not hard to find. For the past several years we’ve heard about “secret Santas” who pay the layaway bill for numerous poorer families. Often we hear of those who stop at the scene of an accident to offer their help. Few of these are ever identified, and nearly none are rewarded. They do it out of the goodness of their hearts.
The Bible gives ample assurance that God knows the acts of every Good Samaritan. Hebrews 6:10 is one such passage: “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” God knows. God doesn’t forget.
Paul was one who gave himself selflessly for the benefit of others. How could he endure despite frequent persecution? “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).
Have you given your time and energy to help someone? Be assured that God knows what you’ve done, and He is highly skilled at finding all Good Samaritans!
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.
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Copyright, 2019, Timothy D. Hall. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version (Copyright, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc.).
“LightGrams” is produced by the Central Church of Christ, 2722 Oakland Avenue, Johnson City, Tennessee, 37601, and is written by Tim Hall, minister. It is sent free of charge every Thursday to all who request it. To subscribe or to receive more information, write to “[email protected]” (our E-mail address), to the U.S. mail address above, or call (423) 282-1571.
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