and the One who walks with me on it.

Saturday, July 06, 2013

Binding Wounds



       Years ago I sat down to work, my eyes strained as I threaded a needle, put it down to pinch two seams together, and started to sew them.  It was painstaking work, and the stitches had to be small so they wouldn’t show and close enough the seam would remain tight.  Poor teddy had been worn out by the love and attention of my child but I was hoping the repair job would comfort her distraught heart.

       Binding up wounds of child and favorite stuffed friends is one of the many jobs of a mother.  Over the years I have bound up many such wounds but someone else had that job first.  His name is Jehovah, “He heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds.(Ps. 147:3)  It isn’t just our bodies that He heals but our broken hearts and woundedness (Is. 61:1).  By His mercy and compassion, He brings comfort.  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort,(2Cor. 1:3), “But you, Lord, are a compassionate God…” (Ps. 86:15)

       It is also the job of each of us to take care of those who are wounded.  Jesus, in reply of the question ‘who is my neighbor?’ told the story of the Good Samaritan. (Samaritan’s were despised by the many Jews for being of impure heritage and mixed religious beliefs)  The Samaritan helped the wounded Jewish man, even though a priest and Levite passed him by.

And coming near, he bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. Lk. 10:34

       Notice the Samaritan didn’t just bind the wounds and take off.  He took special care to prevent infection and soothe.  He helped the wounded man to a place where he could be cared for, stayed for the night to see he was all right, and then paid for his care with his own money, all because he was “moved with compassion.(v.33)

       It sounds to me like this Samaritan was acting a bit like Jehovah.  Hmmm.  Being like the Lord?  Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do?  So be imitators of God, as his dear children.(Eph. 5:1)  Does that mean we should act like Him in status?  No!  What it means is that we should act towards one another (human to human) as He acts towards us: with love, compassion, mercy, grace, favour, selflessness, forgiveness, kindness, giving comfort, binding wounds, and all His other loving actions.

       Certainly, we will fail time and again because we are just human, but as Christians we should desire to be more like the Lord thus fulfilling the second commandment “…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.(Mt. 22:39)  Surely, God’s loving actions to us helped stir in us a desire to belong to Him.  By binding up the wounds, being compassionate (and other ways like God) towards others, they will see the love of the Lord through us and may be drawn to belong to Him as well.  

Imagine...

     Our actions may help someone be saved from eternal damnation to forever live with the
     Lord!

Yes Lord, please help us to be like You,
   and open our eyes to see the wounds that need to be bound!