Scripture to Read: Luke 10:30-37
God’s Word is so powerful, and God feeds us through His Word so we can actively live our lives for Him each day. As we continue to look at the parable “The Good Samaritan,” we find today that Jesus also mentions a Levite who came upon the person who had been robbed, beaten, and left for dead. Jesus mentions the Levite because Levites used this road quite often to travel between Jerusalem and Jericho. Jesus also mentions the Levite because Levites were also known to be more obligated to take care of those in need because of their position. A person in distress was a person in need. A person in distress had a right to expect an immediate helping hand and be given comfort from a Levite because of the Levite's position as a spiritual leader. In Wikipedia, we find that some of the Levite's principal roles in the Temple were singing Psalms during Temple services, performing construction and maintenance on the Temple, and performing other services. So again, this Levite who went by this man, in Jesus’s parable, would have been breaking the Law of God by not helping the person in need. God tells us in James 2:15-16, “ If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” God makes it clear that our faith is worthless if there are no actions with our faith.
Challenge & Application
1. What did God teach you today about the Levite and his unwillingness to help someone in need?
2. Who could you serve this week, or this month, that you know is in need right now?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!