Dare to do the Inconvenient!

The Good Samaritan, and the story of Mary and Martha. I could tell you these stories in my sleep. But if I told you them in my sleep, you would utterly miss the significant point of these stories, which were recorded in the Holy Scriptures which will never pass away for a purpose.
Convenience.
We live in a culture that both expects and promotes convenience. Sorry to break it to you, but it is not one of our unalienable rights. The cross of Christ does not call us to be convenient, but courageous and carry our cross, come what may!
The priest and the Levite had things to do, places to be, it would be inconvenient to stop and help a guy who looks dead anyway. They were important people, someone else could stop and help.
The Samaritan had things to do, places to be, but he saw a man in need, and that was more important than being "on time."
It was inconvenient to stop and care for a wounded man.
It was inconvenient to walk the rest of the way, because his donkey was bearing the wounded man.
It was inconvenient to give of his hard-earned money to care for someone he didn't even know and might not even survive, but he did.
He wasn't concerned with convenience, he was concerned with compassion.

In the verses preceeding this story that Jesus tells, He reminds us that the greatest thing is to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind; and to love your neighbor as yourself."

The unhappy root of our love of convenience is a love of self. 


Martha is an amazing reflection of our culture (read: a reflection of me). Go, go, go, do this, do that, be here, be there, wait, why isn't Mary helping me? "Master, tell my lazy sister to get up and help me!" Whoa moment...as Jesus looks up at Martha and says, "Slow down! You are so concerned with your own affairs that you are missing the most important thing in your life!"

"Slow down."
It's not convenient, but it's necessary.
"Let the Word dwell in you richly"
"Meditate within your heart in your bed and be still."
"All your busy rushing ends in nothing"
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Stop your busy rushing for a moment and just sit and be still before God. Do what's inconvenient and maybe you'll notice something huge that you're missing!
Maybe someone needs prayer or (heaven forbid!) help.

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself."

Turn your eyes off yourself and your to-do list and see things as they really are.
"You are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all."