Presence not Presents – Luke 10: 29-37

“A lawyer asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’  Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”  Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’  He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”

I remember when I was younger, I used to watch a television programme called Bread, some of you reading this may well remember it too. It centred on a family who lived in Liverpool, mother, father and grown-up children, and their Grandad who lived next door. 

I recall that in one episode their Grandad was unhappy, he felt lonely and showed it in his bad temper when they called round to see him.  The family responded as they thought best, by taking him little gifts to show they loved him.  This however didn’t seem to satisfy Grandad.  “I don’t want you to give me things,” he complained, “I just want you to stay awhile.”

In their busyness, it was hard for the family to realise that he didn’t want gifts, he just needed them, a little of their time.

It’s quite a perceptive parable really.  When someone’s in need, then it’s usually easier to raise a collection for them rather than to find time to go and be with them.

Love can be shown through gifts, but, more often than not, the best gift is one’s time.  Love is a relationship that reaches out across the gap between people, pulling them closer.  When someone is lonely, it’s not presents they want, it’s presence.  Someone to sit with, to talk to, someone to listen.  Someone who values them enough not just to give their money but to give their time.

The important thing about the parable of the Good Samaritan wasn’t the fact that he had money, it was his willingness to give time, to take risks and develop a relationship.

If we are too busy for this, then I’m afraid our lives show that we are far too busy to value any relationship.

Prayer

 Lord, life’s a whirlpool, so much to do, we rush around faster and faster, intent on today, this moment, never looking beyond the immediate.  All our good intentions wet and waterlogged, slide down the plughole. Gone. 

And yet, Lord, there are moments when we hear your voice, soft and insistent.  Your voice, coming, not from some cloudy heaven above, beyond, but somehow centred in the people we ignore, and when we take our courage in both hands, we find we’ve turned to you. 

Among the lonely, you are the neighbour we ignored, the injured on the Jericho road, and when we step on the other side, we sidestep love, and then we’re the lonely ones, self-exiled by our busyness.

Lord, help us to try again, to find time for others and to find time for you.    Amen.

 Penny Bonham