In these days when you hear about so many bad things happening in the news, it’s refreshing to hear about something good for a change.
Such was the case last week, on Thursday, January 18th, when a woman allegedly helped save a young girl from a possible kidnapping. The headline in CBS Sacramento (published 1/19/2024), read, “Good Samaritan drives teen to school after man attempted to lure her into his vehicle, police say.”
According to the story by Brandon Downs, a 13-year-old girl walking to school alone that Thursday morning was approached by a 48-year-old man who kept trying to lure her into his vehicle, police reportedly said.
In the story, a woman driving by saw what was happening and stopped to ask the girl if she knew the man and she said no. The woman then offered to drive her to school and when the girl arrived there, reported it to school authorities and the police. Later, the police found the man who confessed what he’d done. He was booked into jail and charged with attempted kidnapping and other related offenses. (For more details, you can click on the above link.)
How thankful that nothing tragically happened to this girl. And all because this “Good Samaritan” woman took the time to come to the girl’s rescue, saving the young teen from something terrible that could have happened to her. The woman is to be commended for her concern and, in large part, her bravery for confronting the situation. This is good.
And another good thing is how the school and the police responded in this case. Thankfully, the school didn’t ignore the situation. And the police can be thanked, as well, for doing their work to protect the community as they’re expected to do and see that the man be incarcerated so that he couldn’t repeat what he confessed he attempted to do as the report said.
The woman who helped the young teen was truly a Good Samaritan. She fit the description of someone performing a good deed, helping someone she didn’t even know who was in real need. It makes us wonder how many people would have done what that woman, who just happened to pass by, took the initiative to do.
This story reminds me of the original Good Samaritan in Jesus’ parable recorded in Luke 10:25-37:
25 A teacher of the Law came up and tried to trap Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to receive eternal life?”
26 Jesus answered him, “What do the Scriptures say? How do you interpret them?”
27 The man answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind’; and ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’”
28 “You are right,” Jesus replied; “do this and you will live.”
29 But the teacher of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus answered, “There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving him half dead.
31 It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side.
32 In the same way a Levite also came there, went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity. 34 He went over to him, poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.
35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he told the innkeeper, ‘and when I come back this way, I will pay you whatever else you spend on him.’”
36 And Jesus concluded, “In your opinion, which one of these three acted like a neighbor toward the man attacked by the robbers?”
37 The teacher of the Law answered, “The one who was kind to him.” (Good News Translation, GNT)
Simon Kistemaker, author of The Parables of Jesus (Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, 1980), pointed out,
“The Parable of the good Samaritan has become part of our culture and vocabulary. It is not uncommon to see hospitals and institutions of mercy bearing that name. The Jericho road has found its way into hymn and song, and today the tourist can find the Inn of the Good Samaritan halfway between Jerusalem and Jericho” (Simon Kistemaker, The Parables of Jesus. Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, 1980).
(NOTE: One of my favorite renditions of the song, “The Jericho Road,” is sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford and the Jordanaires: https://youtu.be/4G6MxCDzTtU.)
In the parable, the teacher of the Law learned an important lesson taught by the greatest Teacher of all time—Jesus Christ. Being a true neighbor—one who aims to fulfill what it truly means to love God first and others as much as one’s self—is what God expects of us if we’re seeking to inherit eternal life. The Good Samaritan is a person who applies such love through acts of mercy, kindness, and self-sacrifice. Kistemaker commented,
“The Samaritan as depicted finds a warm spot in everyone’s heart. He is the favorite in the story. He knows what to do and he does it well. Race, religion, and class distinctions are unimportant to him. He sees a fellow human being in need and he is the man to help.”
I think we can agree that if we had more persons like the Good Samaritan in the parable as well as the one who rescued the young girl walking to school last week, the world would be a safer and happier place to live. With Christ having first place in our hearts, it’s our sincere love for the One true God and one another (Deuteronomy 6:1-4; Leviticus 19:18) that can make it possible.
And, don’t forget, this is required on our part. For, as Jesus said to the teacher of the Law: “Go, and do likewise.”
Yes, let’s have more Good Samaritans like this!
Good News to YOU!
Pastor Michael
P.S. Here’s Dallas Holm singing, “The Good Samaritan,” https://youtu.be/ImQyD-75bxA