Overcoming Evil with Good
“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead…But a certain Samaritan…went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’… Then Jesus said, ‘Go and do likewise.’ ” —from Luke 10
Samaritan's Purse teams around the globe seek to follow Jesus' words at the close of this parable. Our field director for Syria likens the displacement camps where we work there to the inn in Jesus' story. In these temporary locations, we're binding up wounds and seeking to restore the broken to full health. The needs seem insurmountable at times, but our field director is then reminded of another part of Scripture—Jesus' miraculous feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14:19).
“Bless our programs like the five loaves and two fish,” she prays, so that “through the little that we have, everyone will be able to eat and be satisfied.”
Whether we're feeding malnourished children in Yemen, treating the sick in Syria, or providing beehives to a religious minority in Iraq, Samaritan's Purse is providing tangible assistance and hope to vulnerable people. The heartrending examples in this series, however, just scratch the surface of our work in the Middle East. We're also rebuilding homes and vocations, restoring businesses, addressing water and sanitation needs, and ministering to trauma survivors—all to help heal the terrible effects of war.
“It's important for us to not forget those who continue to suffer,” the field director continued. “Our ability to remember those in distress and visit and be present is part of who we are as Christians. Christ was always present with people in their distress.”
Samaritan's Purse teams are being the hands and feet of Jesus across the Middle East, helping those who are suffering regardless of their creed. Where we can, we also partner with local Christians, both to restore their own persecuted communities and to minister to their neighbors of all backgrounds. Remember that it was in Syria—in Antioch—that believers were first referred to as Christians (Acts 11:26). Their calling to be a light in the dark and violent world of the first century remains our calling today.
Will you join us in following Christ's command in the Bible lands where it all began?
