But a Samaritan

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  Luke 10:33

My daughter and I were talking a few nights ago and I jokingly told her that I could put every person on the earth into one of three categories.  I probably should not group people into categories but the more I thought about our conversation I realized there may be some truth.  These categories have nothing to do with family background, bank account size, education level, or nationality.  I hope you will understand my point, maybe get a small laugh, and a bit of encouragement.

The first category is filled with what I call the “Problem Makers”. These are the people who most would describe as selfish and spend their time causing problems with little to no regard for others well being or happiness. This group is fairly large and they range from young to old, represent every nationality, come from dysfunctional families, and they come from great homes. They are only looking out for themselves and they are the reason for most of our problems and laws in our country. They are also the most negative because instead of trying to make something better, they make every situation worse.

Category two consists of the people I like to call the “Problem Finders”. These are the people who criticize every person, event, and place. They are the first to point out the problems and usually are the first to say, “Someone should fix this”. They are excellent at finding problems and pointing out how someone should solve the problem, but they never do anything themselves. They go through life searching for every flaw, criticizing everyone else, but never lift a finger to help repair one of the many problems they have found. They often say, “Someone should fix this”, but they never realize they are also, “Someone”.

The final category consists of the people I like to call the “Problem Changers”. These are the people, regardless of wealth or family background, who see a problem, make a plan to fix a small part of the problem, and go to work to make a change. They also know that “Someone” should fix the problem but they believe they are the only “Someone” who can. The “Problem Changer” does not go through their life with blinders on pretending there are no problems. They recognize the many problems of our world but hope to be the one who makes a small change.

In the story from Luke 10 we can see all three categories. Of course, the robbers are the “Problem Makers”. They had robbed the innocent man as he made his trip from Jerusalem to Jericho. They woke up on that day and looked for a problem to make. The Priest and the Levite were the “Problem Finders”. They did not rob the man or cause him anymore harm but, when they found the problem they simply went to the other side of the road and passed by. They probably looked at the man who was lying beside the road and said, “Someone should help him”. However, we also see the “Problem Changer” in the Samaritan. The Samaritan also had work to do on that day, was hurrying to an appointment, or had concerns of his own but he saw a problem and found a way to make a change. The Priest and the Levite saw the problem and asked themselves, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” The Samaritan saw the same problem but he reversed the question and asked himself, “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?” (Dr. Martin Luther King)

The world has plenty of “Problem Makers” and each of us occasionally finds ourselves in the “Problem Finder” category, but God needs more “Problem Changers”. Making problems or finding problems does not take any special talent, intellect, or training. We are all certainly capable of being excellent Problem Makers or Finders. Being a “Problem Changer” also does not require special skill but it does require faith, trust, and mercy. The faith to trust God to lead us to the place He needs us, the trust to allow Him to speak through us, and the same mercy He shows to us everyday.

Chad