Luke l0:25-37 (NRSV)
Devotion
The traveler “came near to him.” What a gracious invitation we hear in this story! Today we meet Jesus in the one left half dead by the side of the road.
In our frenzied and busy lives, we rarely have the opportunity to “come near,” to actually see and experience those around us. But it is in "coming near" that we have the opportunity to be changed.
I recently spent an afternoon in the waiting room of the Department of Motor Vehicles, waiting my turn for a new driver’s license. The place was packed with children screaming, impatient teens and adults, even angry, and overworked employees. We were a kingdom of many languages, rich and poor, sweating and wounded, waiting for tabs and license plates, registrations and titles. And so I turned to my neighbor and said, “Tell me a little about yourself…” After a few minutes, in this chance encounter, the grace of God “came near.”
Prayer
Wounded healer, come near to us. Let us experience your incredible grace and your mercy. Give us the courage to “Go and do likewise.” Amen.