Pastors, practitioners and pundits
What are your excuses for not helping the poor and the needy?
These thoughts reminded me of our responsibility to the mentally ill in our churches. I have been reading Spurgeon's Expository Encyclopedia, Volume 4 on the parables of Christ. If you get a chance read his sermon, The Good Samaritan. I especially like his 7 excuses why the priest did not help the wounded Jew.
(1) The priest and Levite were both in a hurry to get back home
(2) He was not a surgeon/doctor and was afraid he might "mangle things."
(3) The priest felt the man was half dead and soon would die, why waste his money?
(4) Also, the Levite would be coming along soon, he could help him.
(5) He thought that he should not stop in a place where another man had been killed by thieves who could return for him.
(6) The man might die, and the person found near the body could be charged with murder
(7) He may have not wanted to be defiled, {Volume 4), pp 111,112
