Dan, I say in ALL love, and with ALL seriousness--if you don't care what happens to you, by all means, without prayer and thinking or common sense reach out to ALL men at ALL times.
Why don't we look closer at the exact meaning of each word in the scripture you mention? I have forever been astounded at what the actual meaning of each and every word actually means, versus the generality attributed to it by running it through the English idioms.
Especially the word "brother" and "neighbor". That is very interesting, and if you care to look at it, let me know. I have already, so don't need to again.
To grow cold to the "needy" is of course warned against also. When any area of our walk has different viewpoints, that is usually because the exact truth of the matter is to be looked at most closely, according to what the exact meaning of the words that came out of Jesus's mouth actually meant.
I don't think that we can say that he meant for us to traffic with the most heniously disturbed and serial killers if we so stumble across them, but was pointing out that a pagan from Samaria was actually in THIS ONE INSTANCE the kinder of people who passed by the Jew. Remember, the JEWS passed by the Jew, and the Samaritan stopped and gave him first aid and took him to the hospital, as it were. And this all the more astounding as the Jews HATED the Samaratians with a horrible passion. That did NOT aactually mean that there was nothing WRONG with the Samaritians. Actually, history I looked at recently showed me that they were a great hold out for loathesome satanic activities on a national level.
Can we honestly derive a doctrine that we are nothing more than fuel for the sadistic addictions of demon possessed humans, if in any small measure we might "convert them to Christ?" This is not a doctrine I see put forth by our Lord in any way. He told his disciples to go to the BEST house in any little city and ask them if you could spend the night. He did not dispatch his followers to the caves where kthe demoniacs hung out, I don't think.
Again, correct me in any way if you can prove me wrong, and I'll try and dig out the facts to baack up anything I say.
But now I'm really curious and will look it up again. Thank you for bringing up an excellent matter to clarify since it can go many ways without divine interpretation and the Strongs. |
