Lost Sheep, Athletic Father's and a Samaritan

Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
“Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
“Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.
“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
“So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
“So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:30-34;36-37

The Good Samaritan, a parable where Sunday school meets Mr. Rodgers as we learn about being a good neighbor.
If you're anything like me you read this familiar story and think obviously I'm like the Good Samaritan. If I ever saw someone dying on the side of the road I certainly would not just walk by! Are you kidding me? I would be a good neighbor and stop to call 911.

If you've been a Christian and in the church for any length of time, you've likely seen the "fall" of another believer. Whether they were a nationally known Christian leader or another member in your local church body, when a follower of Christ nose dives in their faith it's a troubling occurrence for those watching. And amidst the hurt, confusion, and anger, there is this great underlying fear. A fear that if you get too close, that dying thing on the side of the road will somehow contaminate you or worse yet allure the thieves back to attack you.

And this fear drives most Christians to the other side of the road. 

Now when another Christian nose dives and turns from Christ we tend to think of a different story, the one about the prodigal son. The young man who asks for his inheritance before his father has even died and then goes off to squander it in wild living. Only to return to his father's house in the rags of poverty. We see the father run out to meet his son and lavish him in the love that had never faded. And then we see the jerky brother who never left his father's house but is in worse shape than the prodigal because of his hatred for his brother. (Luke 15:11-32)

When a Christian falls, the tendency of the other Christians is to use that person as an example.
"See, exhibit A. If you screw up, this is what will happen to you! So watch out and don't do that!"
Then we cross over to the other side of the road to leave the fallen one to die in their choices, for certainly it's their own fault they got into that mess, right?

Now what if, the father of the prodigal also had a Samaritan for a son? And what if together they were like the shepherd who had 100 sheep?

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

Luke 15:4

The Samaritan had something the priest and the Levite didn't have and that was compassion. 

The father of the prodigal had something his other son didn't have and that was love.

The true neighbor to the man who had fallen on the roadside, was the one who showed mercy.

And the man who had fallen desperately needed all of these things.

There once was a follower of Christ, who went down the narrow path. As he journeyed he was attack on the road. Not just once but multiple times, each one worse than the last, until he found himself wounded and alone. Then it happened, two thieves bigger and meaner than the others came out to finish him off. And since no one was around, they thought they'd gotten away with it and they left our follower of Christ dying on the side of the road.

Many Christians came by and saw him, but for various reasons crossed over to the other side of the road. Some groups even stopped to speculate as to what had happened and encouraged one another to not fall prey to the same troubles before they too moved on.

Then a Samaritan and his Father came down the road. Upon seeing the fallen man the Father ran to him. The Samaritan's heart broke with compassion as he saw his wounded brother and recalled all of the wounds that he himself had been healed of. 

Together they bound his wounds with the oil of the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ. Then they raised him up in mercy and when he recovered he was stronger than he'd been at the first. 

He went on to join his Father and Samaritan brother in rescuing others.

I recently heard of a sibling in the faith who had fallen, and my heart broke with compassion. I began to pray earnestly for them.
The enemy thought he could take my sibling in the faith out and no one would fight for them. He thought he could scare us all away from trying to help our fallen friend, but he was wrong. 

The Father of the prodigal, also had a Samaritan for a daughter.