He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them.
(Luke 10:34)

Lord, help us see the wounds and find hope.

Additional scripture passages:
Joel 2:23-27
Psalm 104:14-15, 27-30

Reflection:

The Good Samaritan did what he could out of his own resources: he poured wine and oil and bandaged the man’s wounds and put him on his own animal.  He went further still by promising to pay for his care.  When we see the world through the Samaritan’s eyes, every situation can be an opportunity to help those in need.  This is where love manifests itself.  The example of the Good Samaritan motivates us to ask ourselves how to respond to our neighbor.  He gave wine and oil, restoring the man and giving him hope.  What can we give, so that we can be a part of God’s work of healing a broken world?

This brokenness shows itself in our world in insecurity, fear, distrust, and division.  Shamefully, these divisions also exist between Christians.  Though we celebrate sacraments or other rituals of healing, reconciliation, and consolation, often using oil and wine, we persist in divisions that wound the Body of Christ.  The healing of our Christian divisions promotes the healing of the nations.

Prayer:
Gracious God,
You who are the source of all love and goodness:
enable us to see the needs of our neighbor.
Show us what we can do to bring about healing.
Change us, so that we can love all our brothers and sisters.
Help us to overcome the obstacles of division,
that we might build a world of peace for the common good.
Thank You for renewing Your Creation
and leading us to a future which is full of hope:
You who are Lord of all, yesterday, today, and forever.
Amen.

Jointly prepared and published by
Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity
Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Day 4

When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
(Luke 10:31)

May we never turn away from those in need.

Additional scripture passages:
Isaiah 58:6-9a
Psalm 34:15-22

Reflection:

The priest and Levite who walk by on the other side may have had good religious reasons for not helping; they may have been ready to perform certain religious rituals and might have risked ritual defilement if the man had been dead.  Yet on many occasions, Jesus is critical of religious leadership for placing the rules of religion ahead of the obligation to always do good.

The beginning of the text for the Week of Prayer tells us how the teacher of the law wanted to justify himself.  The priest and the Levite in the parable would have felt justified in what they had done.  As Christians, how far are we prepared to go beyond convention?  Sometimes our ecclesial and culturally conditioned short-sightedness can prevent us from seeing what is being revealed by the life and witness of sisters and brothers of other Christian traditions.  When we open our eyes to see how God’s love is revealed by our fellow Christians, we are drawn closer to them and so are drawn into deeper union with them.

This parable of Jesus not only challenges us to do good, but also to widen our vision.  We do not only learn what is good and holy from those who share our confessional or religious world view, but often from those different from ourselves.  The Good Samaritan is often the one we do not expect.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ,
As we journey with you towards unity,
may our eyes not look away,
but be wide open to the world.
As we travel through life,
may we stop and reach out, bind up the wounded
and in so doing, experience your presence in them:
you who live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.

Jointly prepared and published by
Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity
Commission on Faith and Order of the World Council of Churches