The Good Samaritan parable by Jesus offers a powerful lesson about love in action, and reminds us of the way YOUR FAME partners treat people daily in the name of Jesus and share good news with them! But as with all scripture, there is more to be found, including a valuable lesson about how we think of giving.
“Jesus replied, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, he took two full days’ worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, ‘Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.’ What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?” — Luke 10:30-37 (CEV)
Jesus wanted to make the point that the neighbors we are to love are not just the ones who are easy to love, but also those we may dislike.
There is more to discover here. Reflecting on the customs and culture of Jesus’ era, the story presents some very real examples of how the ancient world functioned.
We find three distinct philosophies about money.
The first philosophy was that of the robber: What is yours is mine, and I’m going to get it. Today we may call that looking out for number one, with number one being the person who believes they have a right to take someone else’s treasure for their own.
The second philosophy was that of the priest and the Levite: What is mine is mine, and I’m going to keep it. These individuals keep a tight reign on their purse strings and have little compassion for others in need. While they have no interest in taking from others, they are not about to take the time to see if someone else is truly in need. After all, it could be a con. They distrust panhandlers and simply move to the other side of the road, never making eye contact.
The third philosophy was that of the Samaritan. What is mine is yours, and I’m willing to share it. Here we have an example of someone who truly understands generosity. He did not plan on meeting the victim, but when he did, he responded generously.
The Samaritan recognizes God as owner of all — we are stewards, caretakers, and trustees of the resources. Generosity is done with a joyful heart and desire to honor God and help others.
When the lawyer realized the truth about their neighbors, Jesus commanded him to “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37) His challenge remains for us to fulfill.
Mrs. Johnson had an estate plan in place. She planned a substantial portion of her estate for her ministry interests. The remainder was to be divided equally among her three children.
Mrs. Johnson read in a magazine about the importance of having someone in place to manage her property should she become incompetent. The article suggested one solution, to place a child’s name on property titles.
One of her children was a missionary in a foreign country. Another was a very busy doctor who lived some distance from her. She also had a daughter who lived on an adjoining farm, so she placed her name on the property as a joint owner.
At Mrs. Johnson’s death, all jointly owned property was distributed to her daughter with nothing going to her ministries or other children.
The hard lesson of Mrs. Johnson’s decision is that Joint ownership must always be coordinated with other estate documents or there is a possibility that your estate will not be distributed as you desire.
Mrs. Johnson could have addressed the issue of property management with a trust. Property can be managed by a chosen person (or people) should incompetence occur. The same person can make appropriate distributions at death.
If a Mrs. Johnson-like problem concerns you, we would love to offer you a no-cost, no-obligation copy of our eBook, Your Estate Planning Guide. It contains a helpful inventory that is a first step in reviewing existing plans or creating new ones. If you have any questions after that contact Jeff Coon jcoon@fameworld.org and he will answer your questions or direct you to our partners who can!
Thank you for your partnership that makes it possible for over 5,000 people each day to be treated like the Samaritan and the Innkeeper treated the injured man. As your partner, let us know if we can serve you in this vital area of your stewardship.