“LOOK AROUND YOU”
Noelle McDermott
Today's Scripture: “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-18, ESV
Theme: We are called to help meet others’ needs—not wait for someone else to do it.
“WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY”
At this point of the movie, Peter’s attempt to solve his circumstances had resulted in villains from other universes entering his own. Dr. Strange had instructed Peter to simply send them back, but Aunt May’s encounter with Norman Osborn led her to encourage Peter to think about the situation differently. She recognized that Osborn, and perhaps even all the villains, needed help—and Peter was the one who could help them. Peter quickly protested, “This isn’t my problem... Sending them home, that’s the best thing that we can do for them.” Yet Aunt May challenged him, “For them, or for yourself?” She reminded him that helping people is what they do, and this situation wasn’t any different, but Peter thought that the villains would receive help in their own universes and attempted to place the responsibility upon someone else.
WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan begins with a man half-dead and abandoned on the side of a road. Twice is he passed by men who hold prominent positions in the temple—a priest and a Levite—yet both of them ignored the man. A Samaritan comes by, and the Samaritan not only bandages his wounds but also takes him to an inn and pays for every expense. What makes the Samaritan’s actions even more shocking is that Jews and Samaritans despised each other. If anyone would have ignored the dying man, one would have assumed the Samaritan—not the temple workers. Jesus closes out the parable by asking who proved to be a neighbor to the man, and the lawyer with him responded with: “The one who showed him mercy.”
“THIS IS WHAT WE DO”
It is often easy for us to observe the needs around us and believe that someone else will take care of them. In both the parable of the Good Samaritan and today’s Scripture, we are reminded that love must be put into action, for loving God means that we, as His ambassadors, also love others. Every one of us can so easily see how much hurt and pain exists in our world, and as the body of Christ, we have been called to love on the people we encounter and to meet their needs, whether they are physical or spiritual. Additionally, we don’t serve others in order to “prove” that we’re good Christians (that’s works-based Christianity, and friend, Jesus has already justified us through the cross!) or out of shame for all the times we missed these opportunities to help others. Rather, let us take this as an invitation to see the Holy Spirit work through us and throughout our communities and to be in awe of how great our God is.
Make It Personal: Each of us can meet a need—it’s not “one-size-fits-all”! Depending on your season of life, financial ability, time availability, spiritual gifts, and personality, the Lord calls each of us to serve in different ways. It’s okay if it looks different compared to someone else. Begin praying through how you can meet a need in your community. Is there a skill you have, a person you know, or a ministry you feel passionate about? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you can help meet that need.
Pray: God, thank You for the gift of community and for all the ways You have met my needs through those around me. Give me awareness of the opportunities around me to help others, and I pray that they will see Your hand in everything. Remind me that I don’t serve to win others’ approval or to “secure” my standing with You. Help me to love You and to love others through my actions. Amen.
Read: Luke 10:25-37, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Weekly Memory Verse: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” John 13:34, ESV