Sermon Central
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They Knew That They Had A Serious Problem Before ...
Contributed by Tim Zingale on Jul 7, 2004 (message contributor)
"They knew that they had a serious problem before they even pulled over to the side of the highway to check it out. The car shrieked and shuttered. Something was dragging on the pavement- and whatever it was, it sounded expensive.
They got out of the car to survey the damage and sure enough it was going to cost them a bundle. The man looked under the car and then back at the young woman he had a worried look on his face. She asked him what the problem was and he told her that it was the universal joint. She knew better than to ask him more.
He raised the hood and tied a cloth to the door handle and they waited, waited for someone to stop and help. They waited for someone to call the police or a tow truck.
The young woman sat on the grass by the roadside ditch and fanned herself with the map. She was tired and hot and she prayed that God would send an Amoco tow truck because it was the only credit card in her purse. Where would they stay? What would they do? They were in Elkhart Indiana, miles from his home and hers. They had so little money. She doubted that anyone would even stop to help them: they’d been traveling for days and they both looked pretty scruffy. The man’s beard was down to his chest and his tee shirt was soaked in his sweat and he was now covered with grease and dirt. She didn’t look so great herself her long hair was dirty and windblown and she’d been in the same wrinkled outfit for the past three days . They’d been cooking over a small propane stove to save money and camping by the roadside.
The woman scanned the horizon and saw the lights flashing in the distance a tow truck. She couldn’t believe her eyes, it was an Amoco truck. And little did she know, but driving it was the Good Samaritan!
The driver jumped down from his truck and hitched up their broken car to his tow line. They hopped up in the cab with him and within just a few minutes they were driving back to town "Bill", the Amoco tow truck operator, listened to their story and said you’re gonna stay with me and my wife while we get you fixed up.
He pulled over to the side of the road to use the pay phone and they heard him say : honey, we’ve got ourselves some guests for dinner.
But it wasn’t just dinner. Bill and Mary were cordial hosts with big hearts and they opened their home and their hearts to the young couple. They insisted that the young couple take their bedroom- and Bill and Mary slept in the living room on the hide-a -bed. Bill and Mary gave them all their meals and let them do their laundry. They insisted that the couple use their phone to call worried relatives.
Bill drove the young man to all the nearby wrecking yards and helped him to scavenge for the used parts thatthey would need to put the car back together. The young couple stayed with them for three days and the night before they left- Bill and Mary took them out for a pizza party to celebrate and picked up the check.
They sent the couple off with cold drinks and sandwiches for the road. When it came to settling money- the entire bill was $35.00- the cost of a used universal joint. "
The lawyer asks Jesus "What must I do to get the good life?" Jesus answers,"The good life is a gift from God, and when you get it you will be like the Samaritan who helped even his hated enemy, the Jew."
Are you a good neighbor?
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