25 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?”
27 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.”
Today’s sermon was based on the Parable of the Good Samaritan where a commoner stopped to help a beaten victim of robbery after two educated, religious scholars had passed him by.
This sermon especially hit home for me because reacting with anger and frustration instead of the Christian way is still the challenge of my spiritual life. In talking religion with friends, I am often struck by how little they actually live according to these teachings and how often I fail in this area myself.
I am aware what is expected of a good Christian. Knowing is the easy part, acting on it can be truly difficult. I listen too often to that little devil above my left shoulder offering excuses to not help the guy on the corner who is asking for money, to cater to actions I know to be self destructive or to not take the time to find out how I can offer help to those suffering where I am able. I am aware how fortunate I have been in comparison to most. I hope attending church regularly will slowly quiet that little devil in my life, encourage me act more often on the needs of others, and help me achieve that spiritual peace that I have been searching
Sermon: https://greenvalleypres.com/sermon/actions-speak-louder-than-words-2024