Psalm 80; Luke 10:21-37

Psalm 80
Asaph asks that God restore His people by showing His mighty power and making His face to shine down upon them. I'm not sure what this phrase means, but it is used repeatedly in the Old Testament. I think of it as God looking on them with favor as in smiling down on them.

Asaph painted two pictures of the nation of Israel: a flock and a vine. As a flock they had been wayward sheep who would not follow the Shepherd, and so God had fed them with sorrow and tears. Their enemies had scorned them and laughed at them. vv. 1-7

The second picture compares Israel to a grapevine. God had blessed them and made them fruitful. But now because they had been unfaithful and began to worship the pagan gods, God had used those very pagan nations to destroy the "vineyard." Again Asaph prays for God to restore them.

The images of the flock and the vine are repeated in the New Testament where they apply to us directly. John 10 calls Jesus the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep. John 15 tells us that Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches. We have the same temptations as Israel did to be wandering sheep and unfruitful branches.

Luke 10:21-37
Jesus' prayer in v. 21 says "O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way." This is not to say that God doesn't want us to study and learn, but we are not to be proud or puffed up with our own intellect. God is pleased with a childlike trust in Him; then He can truly teach us.

vv. 25-37 record the familiar story of the good Samaritan. The expert in religious law had tried to test Jesus by asking him, "Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus returned his question with another question, "What does the law of Moses say?" The man answered, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind....and Love your neighbor as yourself." The man,wishing to justify his actions asked, "And who is my neighbor?"

We all know from Sunday school about the Jewish man who was attacked and seriously injured while on a trip to Jericho. The priest and the Temple assistant passed by on the other side offering no help. We have been taught and we believe that this is the wrong way to act. The despised Samaritan stopped to help and even went the extra mile to pay for his care. Of course, the Samaritan is the real neighbor to the poor man, and we applaud him.

I know what I am supposed to think about this story and what lesson I am supposed to learn and how I am supposed to act toward my "neighbors," but I have to admit that it's easy to have the attitude of the priest and hard to act like the Samaritan. Sometimes when I go for a walk in the neighborhood or make a quick trip to the grocery store, I secretly hope that I won't see anyone who wants to stop and talk, that no one will slow me down. I know this is not the attitude of the Samaritan or the attitude that Jesus Himself wants me to have. Instead of condemning the actions of the priest and the Temple assistant so much, maybe we should take a hard look at our own actions and ask God to forgive our selfishness and to help us to be good neighbors.