I was going home from work the other day when I shifted into fifth gear in my standard truck and my clutch went to the floor.  I was on the access road almost to the interstate, the traffic was heavy, and it had to be one of the hottest days of the summer.  Frustrated and focused on the task at hand, I hopped out of my truck and I heard someone call my name.  I turned around and looked and here comes the pastor of my church.  I glanced at my watch and looked back at him and it occured to me that he was heading to the church to preach the Monday Night service… he should be in a hurry.

He took me to a service station to get brake fluid to see if that might fix the clutch and naturally, it did not work.  With my options running slim, I asked him to give me a lift to the church and I would simply call someone to pick me up there.  I really didn’t want to leave my truck on the side of the access road but it was the only alternative at the time.  His daughter gave me the number for a wrecker service and I called them.  Frazzled from the experience and concerned that my pastor was now cutting it close on time, I pocketed my keys and hopped in their car.  A call comes in from the tow truck with a simple question, “where’s the keys?”  I shook my head and requested a U turn.  After plowing through unusually heavy traffice for five of the longest miles in existence, we arrive at the truck at transfer the keys.  In the face of short time and prior commitments, my pastor did not even hesitate to take me back.  That’s what I call being the Good Samaritan. Thank you so much preacher.

Luke 10:30-37 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. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, 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. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two coins, 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.’ Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?” He said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

• He saw the need and took pity, indicating that his heart was involved.
• He had a high quality of service, sparing no expense.
• He made sure to complete the job, meeting all the man’s needs, and not just some of them.

I recently watched a Network News Story and they had conducted an experiment about how people react to their neighbors needs.  They sent out an ad that said, “we are looking for people to participate in an ‘on-camera tryout’ for ABC News.” The topic listed on all those cards was the same: The Good Samaritan story from the Bible.

Following the directions the volunteers walked through a small park. Two men took turns playing a person in distress. The actors were told to play men clearly in need of help, and both cried, moaned and rocked back and forth. Who better to come to their aid than the volunteers, who approached with the Biblical story of helping one’s fellow man echoing in their ears?

Would the participants stop to help? Each volunteer was told the Good Samaritan story but only half of the volunteers got an additional variable –  time pressure. Time pressure made a big difference in their behavior.

Only about 35 percent of the volunteers in a hurry stopped to help the actors. But almost 80 percent of those who were not rushed stopped to help.  Time pressure was the only significant factor the producers found that they concluded would determine if a particular volunteer would stop to help a stranger.

In an interview afterwards, one of the volunteers confessed that he did not stop because he thought the distressed man appeared crazy and it made him uncomfortable.

Being broken down on the side of road can bring about a certain distressed demeanor in all of us.  Being Jolly wasn’t on my mind when my good samaritan showed up.  I think that time pressure did not affect my pastor’s desire to help a neighbor in need.   With him it was the love of Christ that motivated him to help.

Think about this the next time you see one of your neighbors in need. Practice the Jesus Creed in all you do.  A neighbor is anyone that is in need of help.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” That is the command that Jesus taught us.

In Christ
Steve Rusk
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