resources bible instructions read aloud luke 10 B u s i n e s s F i n a n c e
In the devotional in the last workshop, we ended with Jesus being presented with the question, “And who is my neighbor?” This question focuses on the boundaries of our love, who must be in and consequently who can be out. Jesus answers this question with a parable. A parable is a simple short story that contains a divine and deeper meaning. Here is the story Jesus told:
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:30-37 (New International Version)
As you read this story, you see that Jesus immediately presents a victim, an individual who has been broken and hurt. Jesus says that this man was traveling from one city to another, “…going down from Jerusalem to Jericho…,” and he was attacked and robbed without provocation. Let’s focus on him for this devotional.
Jesus does not tell us the man’s name, career field, education level, or place of residence. He is simply an innocent person trying to get from one place to another and he is besieged by a crisis out of nowhere. One of the benefits of not knowing many details is that we can place ourselves in his shoes. Have you ever noticed that crisis can strike out of nowhere? Have you ever noticed that trouble does not send a text message in advance to let you know it is on its way to visit you, your friends, or your family? A health crisis will just appear out of nowhere. Your day will be going well until you get news of an unfavorable diagnosis, a car accident, or another catastrophe.
I like to think of the man in Jesus’ story as having a pretty good day of traveling until he was totally surrounded by the trouble of criminal robbers. As you work in healthcare, you are meeting people daily who have been touched by trouble. Some are big troubles that will take years to recover from and others may be small and take only a matter of days. Either way, these people are in the midst of a crisis. You are able to meet them at their most vulnerable point.
During this workshop, you will look at the use of data to improve the quality of healthcare. As you work through the readings and assignments, keep your focus upon those who will be befallen by trouble, those who will meet a crisis like the man in this story. Focus your attention on them because they are the true beneficiaries of your work. Better healthcare systems mean better care and better service in the midst of someone’s crisis.
Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:
- Integrate biblically based ethical principles into personal and professional decision making.
Resources
- Bible
Instructions
- Read aloud Luke 10:25-37 from your Bible.
- Navigate to the threaded discussion and respond to the following questions, using sub-headings to organize your post:
- Have you ever had an experience in life when you were hit by an unexpected crisis? How did you manage it?
- In what ways can healthcare professionals make patients’ crises more manageable.
