A Place Of Refuge

A place of refuge: The Oxford Dictionary says it is a place or state of safety from danger or trouble.

We have many people that are homeless, many people that are in a state of trouble or in a state of danger in the world today because the world is totally upside-down at the moment.

This morning I just want to share with you the parable that Jesus told about the Good Samaritan.

Now, a Samaritan is an Arab and this good Samaritan took care of a man who needed refuge.

He was set upon by thieves. He was stripped and left half-dead.

A priest went down that road and he saw him and passed on the other side.

A Levite did exactly the same thing but verse 33 of Luke Chapter 10 says this:

“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.”

Verse 34:

“So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine: and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”

We really need to take care of one another.

You know the Bible says in Hebrews, Chapter 13 and verse 2:

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels”.

Sometimes you don’t know who that person is that you are taking care of.

We really need to be sensitive to one another.

A little story that I heard a while back made me very sad but I believe it was true - there was a soldier who was coming back from the war and he phoned up his parents.

He said, “Mom, Dad, I am coming back.”

They were so elated to hear that he was coming home.

He said, “But Mom and Dad, I have brought a friend with me.”

And the phone went a bit quiet.

And he said, “Mom, this man is handicapped. He has lost a leg and he has lost an arm in battle, but he is a good friend of mine and I want him to come and stay with us.”

And straightaway his parents said, “No, son, We can’t help him. I’m sorry. You know, we live in a double-story house and there is no way that we can get him up and down, so please….”

And the phone went quiet and it went dead and they tried to get hold of him and they couldn’t.

They couldn’t reach him.

A couple of hours later, there was a phone call from the police to say, “We have just found your son. He has jumped off the top of a skyscraper.

He has committed suicide. But did you know that he only had one leg and one arm.”

We really need to be careful who we turn away because we might be entertaining even a member of our own family.

God bless you as you spend time with those who have less than we have.