Dirty Hands

It's crazy how we read through scripture nowadays and feel like it's a whole different world. In reality, the more I read, the more I see these people in our modern day society. Let's take the Pharisees for example. They were high and mighty. They knew the Word and they made sure everyone knew just how righteous they were. They even went above and beyond and made up their own rules to go along with God's. Rules. Rules. And more rules. Nobody could ever live up to the expectations that were set for them. 

Unfortunately there are many people who walk around and claim to be Christians, but look a lot like these Pharisees. The clothing is different, they may not have a religious title, but their actions and words are almost identical. It saddens me to see these people representing Jesus to the world. The amount of guilt, shame, judgment, and condemnation that is spewed onto the lost is only turning them farther away from the freedom that Jesus already paid for.

Luke 10:25-37 tells us the Parable of the Good Samaritan. It talks about a Jewish man who was beaten and bloody, laying on the side of the road. A priest came walking down that road and quickly moved to the other side. See, Jewish priests could not come into contact with "unclean" things or people. Becoming "clean" again was a tedious task and this man was not about to bother with all that. Next, a Levite came upon this beaten man. He, also, quickly went to the other side of the road and kept on traveling. A Levite was a fellow Jew (holy and chosen person of God), but he still couldn't be bothered. He probably had a lot of things to do that day, and couldn't be inconvenienced. Well, finally, a Samaritan came walking along. A Samaritan was a "mixed breed", or someone who was only half Jewish. The Jews despised them because they were not "pure". This Samaritan saw the beaten man and didn't care that he was a Jew. He didn't care what had happened or why. He saw the man and instantly felt pity on him. 

I think a more proper word is compassion. He felt compassion toward the man. He took him to the nearest inn, tended to his wounds, and gave the innkeeper money to cover his expenses. He even went so far as to tell the innkeeper that he would pay any further expenses that were to be incurred. 

See, compassion calls us to action. This man took action. He saw a need, he had the tools needed to help, and he helped. It didn't matter what his plans were, or what meeting he had to get to. It didn't matter if the beaten man was a Jew or gentile. It didn't matter if the man had done something to get himself into the mess he was in. He just simply helped. 

I am not thrilled to say that I personally know modern day Pharisees. It breaks my heart to see people hurting and in need, and to watch these "Christians" walk past on the other side of the road. If you hold that title- Christian- seriously, then maybe you should know the definition of it. It means to be Christ-like. Did Jesus Christ spend his years on this earth sitting in a church and pointing fingers? Did he walk past people in need and shake his head at them because "they had gotten themselves in this mess"? Did he keep far from the "unclean" so as not to get his hands dirty? 

No. The Jesus I know, you know- the one that the Bible describes in detail, was the opposite. He didn't even have a place to lay his head. He was too busy getting his hands dirty. He was not avoiding, but looking for the lost, the broken, the hopeless, the sinful. He didn't care how they got themselves into their messes, he just wanted to show them a way out. He came to set free the people who were held captive by the rules, regulations, and expectations that they could never live up to. He came to set things right. 

So, please, I pray that you take action next time someone you love is down and out. Next time someone you know has fallen and needs a hand to get back up, reach out to them. Maybe they dug their own hole, it doesn't matter. They don't need your judgment. That most certainly is not your place. God calls us to love them. Every single one. So, open your heart, open your hands, get ready to get them dirty, and be prepared to be inconvenienced. Show them Jesus. Give Him the glory. That is what a Christian looks like.


To clarify, I have definitely been guilty of acting like a Pharisee too. I have walked past many people who I should've taken time for, and I pray their forgiveness. I know I am not perfect and the point of this post is not to cast any judgment. I just think somewhere along the line, the whole point of Jesus has gotten lost. Our role has been mixed up and confused. The best thing all of us can do, is turn to the Word. See what God has to say about it. See what Jesus looked like, and start modeling our lives and hearts after His example.