But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus answered, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. Luke 10:29–34 WEB.

A priest was walking down a narrow dirt road to Jericho. He came across a Jewish man beaten, robbed, and left for dead beside the road. Not wishing to add more trouble to his busy day, he crossed to the other side of the road and walked on past him.

Soon, a Levite from the tribe of the priests came down the same little dirt road. He saw the injured man still lying there, but he crossed to the other side of the road and passed by him. Like the priest, he left the man there to die.

Then a Samaritan, considered a half-breed and despised by the Jews, came down the road. When he saw the injured man, he was filled with compassion and stopped to help him. He bandaged him up, put him on his own mount, and took him to an inn. The man had been robbed and had no money, so the Samaritan paid the innkeeper to give him a room to recover in.

So who is your neighbor? The one that God "by chance" put in your path. It's easy to get overwhelmed when you think of the world's problems. How can you make a difference to those imprisoned in foreign nations? Other than prayer, most of us will not. Yet, God places people in each of our paths that we can help. Then, we get to choose whether to pass them by and carry on with our busy day or take a moment to show them the love of Jesus.

Hebrews 13:2 tells us: "Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it."

When you are busy, it's so easy to get upset at that unexpected knock at the door, send that phone call to voicemail, or walk on past that person asking for help. So many today are beaten down, poor, naked, and abandoned, all while wearing a suit at work. No one can help everyone, but everyone can help someone. Together, we can make the world a better place to live. So be mindful of the one that God puts in your path, for they are your neighbor and may even be an angel.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me recognize those You put in my path clearly and give me the wisdom to help them. Get my attention, and give me the grace and the resources to do what needs to be done. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” James 5:13 ~ If you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network. If you are interested in joining the prayer team, here is how to get started Prayer Partners.