Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
—Luke 10:25-37
by: John H. Camenga.
Required charity loses its soul. Help to others forced from our hands and pocketbooks may feed the body of the needy, but it robs the provider of the blessings of voluntary giving. The point of the parable is that being a neighbor was unrelated to nationality or shared religious convictions. We are not given the reason that Priest and Levite ignored the need. We are told that the Samaritan was moved by compassion. Compassion perishes when providing help is forced. The selfish can be forced to give, but compassion never grows in that climate.