Almost everyone who is offered a pocket calendar will receive it with thanks. Some even ask for another one, but few refuse them. A gentleman ahead of me at the checkout had finished his transaction. As he passed by, I offered him a calendar which he gratefully accepted. He walked toward the door reading it.
Suddenly he turned back and slammed the calendar down on the counter. In a loud, angry voice he said, “That Jesus Christ stuff!” Then he turned and stomped out the door saying, “You should have your head soaked in ice water.” I thought, Wow, I got off easy. My Savior had a crown of thorns pressed on His blessed head. Then the soldiers struck him on His head with a reed and spit on Him.
Two ladies behind us accepted the calendars with thanks. One of them in an astonished tone asked, “Is this what he was so angry about?”
In Luke 10, Jesus told the story of a man who was beaten and robbed and left half dead by the roadside. By chance a priest and then a Levite came where he was and looked on him. They both passed by on the other side. As representatives of religion and the law, they could not help him. Religious activities and trying to keep the law cannot save a sinner.
But a certain Samaritan came where he was. When he saw him, he had compassion on him. He went to him and bound up his wounds and took him to an inn where he was cared for. The priest and the Levite would have despised the Samaritan. It was the despised one, however, who really cared for the wounded man.
The priest and the Levite only came by chance. The Samaritan came intentionally to where the wounded man was. This is a lovely picture of what the Lord Jesus has done for us sinners. He had come into the world on purpose “to seek and to save that which was lost.”
How sad the result if the wounded man had said, “Go away, Samaritan, don’t touch me.” He did not reject the Samaritan. Rather, he accepted what was done for him. The Samaritan bound up his wounds and brought him to an inn. He paid the host for the man’s care. Before leaving him, the Samaritan promised to come back again.
The Lord Jesus came down from heaven to reach lost sinners and to give Himself a ransom for us. “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). “The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but...to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:2828Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)).
Before the Lord Jesus went back to heaven, He promised to come back again. Believers today are waiting and watching for Him to come. He is coming to take all those who have trusted Him for salvation home to heaven with Him.
How sad to think of this man turning away in anger from the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps his conscience may repeat his own words to him—“Jesus Christ.”