Friday, August 3, 2007

Which of these proved to be a neighbor?

This, from Michael Spencer is thought-provoking about how Christians should respond to things like the bridge collapse in Minneapolis. While we hold tightly to the truth & comfort of God's sovereignty in times like these, we should remember the way Christ describes who a neighbor is:

"***Parody***

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he asked him, “Have you considered why God sovereignly ordains that this sort of thing happen? And the man said “uuuuhhhhhhmmm.” And the Samaritan said unto him, “It’s important to remember that events like this are in no way evidence that God is not actively ruling over all events. This is an example of God’s temporal judgment. In fact, what’s happened to you today should have happened many times before. The fact that it hasn’t is evidence of God’s mercy. You can be sure that God is actively involved in this robbery, yet without being the author of sin. If you are going to ever understand the truth, you need to accept the sovereignty of God in events like this.” And the man said nothing, being in shock. And the next day the Samaritan took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and buy him Arthur W. Pink’s book, “The Sovereignty of God.”’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “I’m not really sure.”

***Parody***"

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