The hungry puppy...Israel 16...
One day as we were going south out of Jerusalem, we stopped at a site purported to be the site of the Good Samaritan story from the Bible...
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:25-37
We got off the bus to go into this National Park, walking around to view the beautiful mosaic floors, the walls of this shrine to the Good Samaritan...we were met by the skinniest puppy...
It danced around our feet and legs as we each meandered in and around the displays. We couldn’t help but pet it, watching it joyfully move for one person to another desiring attention ...”just a tidbit of food or love” it seemed to say...
As we sat down under a wooden roof, the pup went from one to another, eyes bright with anticipation of a handout...”please” it begged...
I couldn’t help but smile as I thought back on the parable of the Good Samaritan...the man beaten, left beside the road...passed by one person and then another...each hurrying on their way to the next destination...not wanting to become “unclean”, not wanting to touch this man...until the Samaritan took pity on him, stopping, touching, cleaning, caring for him...even to point of leaving money for his care...
The inn keeper must have known him, his character to trust his return..
Now here was this pup, hungry, desiring to be touched as well, lapping up the attention as each person patted it, doling out a morsel here and there...as we headed for the bus, I saw the grounds keeper chasing it away until perhaps yet another group would come and give it some much desired attention...
We did what we could...good Samaritans...maybe...
thank YOU for the visual yet again...may we be watchful for those times when we can care for another along our path...may we not veer to other side or ignore an opportunity to help...may we not be afraid to touch, to care...may we be trustworthy in our calling...
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