unpopular route

• Jesus took the unpopular route to Samaria, John 4.3

The rabbis taught it was ritually defiling to touch a Samaritan or any utensil handled by a Samaritan. Since Samaria lay between Galilee and Judea , pious Jews normally walked the 20+ extra miles around Samaria rather than go through it.

We too must be willing to walk paths that are not often trod to reach out. Thru his Good Samaritan’s parable Jesus urges every disciple of his to reach out to nominal Christians with love and concern.

http://travancoreann.blogspot.com/2009/11/reaching-out-to-christians.html use this link to go to the original master post – – Reaching Out to Christians. this and some other following posts are small postcripts. read more

Are You a Servant?

Since Jesus included an elder brother in  the parable of the Prodigal Son, we can be confident that he plays a important and significant role in this allegory.  Luke 15. 25-32 gives a very clear picture of his position in his father’s home (vs 31) and his attitude towards it (vs 29).

 

When  he realized his worthless brother had returned home in disgrace and his father had received him with open arms, all his pent up bitterness, envy and anger towards his father and brother surfaced. When he refused to enter his home, his father come out and pleaded with him to rejoice with his father’s joy. (Do we always rejoice in the things that give our Father joy?)

 

Though the eldest, with all its added privileges, his bitter words to his father reveals his servant spirit. A son, yet a servant, how pitiable. His words (slaving for you) and actions (became angry and refused to go in) reveal that he served his father not out of love but of compulsion.

 

Though sons, we serve our God willingly, for His love constraints us to express our love and gratitude in service to Him. But if as years pass by, our love weaken then everything we do in the name of the Lord, becomes a burden. Are you a son sitting at the feet of your Father or are you a servant toiling for a tyrant?