In Luke 10 Jesus is asked this question: “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus responds by telling a parable that most of us are familiar with. It is the Parable of the Good Samaritan. 2,000 years after Jesus gave the church the parable of the “Good Samaritan”, we are still asking the question, “Who is my neighbor? And we’re still getting the answer wrong.
The parable addresses one of the most profound questions in all of Scripture: The question is not, “Who is my neighbor?” The question is, “What does it mean to be neighborly.” Today, the parable compels us to challenge the Church in how we respond to the needs around us.
The only thing we know for certain about our 1st Character, the victim, is that he was in dire need. He was beaten, wounded, bleeding, and possibly dying. We don’t know why he was beaten. Was it his fault? Did he bring this upon himself? Or was he an “innocent” victim, unjustly attacked?
- Today, more 1.3 billion people live on less than $1 per day.
- Another 2 billion people live on less than $2 per day. This is nearly half of the world’s population who are living on less than what we spend on an order of french fries.
- 1.6 billion people live in sub-standard housing.
- More than 1 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water.
- Every day 26,000 children die from starvation and preventable diseases. This is equivalent to 1 child under the age of 5 dying every 3 seconds.
- 1/3 of the world’s children live in Extreme Poverty.
If Jesus, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, did not distinguish whether the man was a victim because of sinful behavior or if he was an innocent victim, should we? We are bound by Scripture to respond to all those beaten and left by the side of the road – regardless of the reason why.
We are told that our 2nd & 3rd characters — the Priest and the Levite — who represent the religious establishment of the day, saw the man and yet they passed by on the other side of the road. Literally, they walked the opposite way. They knew what was right, but they failed to act. And unfortunately, that is what is happening in the church today. We know what to do, but we are failing to act.
Do you realize that there are enough resources in the church today to tackle all of the economic issues plaguing the world today? We could tackle adequate housing, clean water, starvation, and disease if we would just put our money where our mouth is.
Christians give to their church & other Christian ministries on average less than 3%.
We will pay 7, 8, or 9% sales tax on things that we buy for ourselves.
We give a 15% or 20% tip to the waiter or waitress when we go out to eat.
We pay 20% or more on our taxes.
And yet we only give 3% to God’s Kingdom work.
How should the Christian community respond to those affected by HIV/AIDS, homelessness, poverty, malnutrition, and illiteracy? James 4:17 states, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” So, how should we respond to the need around us?
The 4th character in this parable of Jesus – the Samaritan – shows us what we are to do. Despite the fact that Samaritans were despised by the Jews, this Samaritan saw the man at the side of the road and “took pity on him.” He had compassion on him. He saw the need and he was moved to take action. That is what it means to have compassion. It’s not only that we see the problem, or that we even feel bad about it, but that we do something about it.
How can the American church, with all its resources and influence, fail to respond proportionally to the need around us? God expects His people to act, not to remain silent. Those who suffer the most from poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, and illness are millions of widows and orphans. God sees these widows and orphans as our neighbors. There they lay at the side of the road (figuratively & literally), beaten, bleeding, helpless, and needing our help. And God calls us to stop, show compassion, comfort them, bind up their wounds, and see that they and their children are cared for.
Do you realize that there are over 2,000 verses in the Bible that talk about issues of poverty and justice? If we would remove those verses from our Bible, it would not stay together.
Jesus ends the Parable of the Good Samaritan with a powerful challenge. When Jesus asks which of the 3 men had been a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers, the response given in verse 37 is “the one who had mercy on him.” Jesus then concludes with what is perhaps the most powerful moral teaching in all of history, a command of just 4 words: “God and do likewise.” See, the point of this parable is not “who is my neighbor?” but “what does it mean to be neighborly?”
Jesus has commanded us – you and me – to go out into the world and care for the needs of those around us. And that is what is at the heart of SOTIRIA International. Just like the Samaritan had compassion and was moved to action, God is calling us to have compassion on those in need around us and for us to move into action.
Around the world many creative, intelligent people are trapped in poverty because they lack access to the capital that is needed to start a business. They have the dream, but not the resources. This is where SOTIRIA International comes in. We strongly believe that microfinance can be a powerful force in changing the world for the better and that loving people as Christ loved others means caring for both physical and spiritual needs.
As James – the half brother of Jesus and the leader of the Jerusalem church – says in James 2:15-17, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way; faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead.”
Our mission at SOTIRIA International is very simple – Release People from Poverty in the Name of Jesus.
We seek to improve the lives of the world’s poor by empowering individuals in impoverished communities to become self-supporting through the implementation of . . . Micro-finance opportunities, Small business development, Vocational training, and Christian Discipleship.
While a traditional bank might make loans ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, our microfinance loans range from $25 – $1,000.
Microfinance offers a sustainable alternative to the short-term forms of charity that have often left a wake of dependence in the developing world. Microfinance isn’t a hand-out but A HAND UP!
Microloan recipients can take pride in knowing that, with the help of a loan and their own hard work, they can experience the difference between poverty and provision. Microcredit and basic business training enable individuals to build businesses and break free from physical poverty. Clients find that their increased income enables them to provide more nutritious and regular meals as well as improved housing and education for their children.
But we aren’t only concerned with physical poverty. Christ-following loan officers share the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, ministering to spiritual poverty as well. As Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” We are not just concerned about helping people work their way out of poverty. For without Christ we have just helped people physically in this world and yet they will spend eternity in hell. It is for this reason that we chose the name SOTIRIA. SOTIRIA is the Greek word for SALVATION. We wanted to always have before us a constant reminder that the ultimate purpose for which we do our work is to lead people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.
Microcredit provides the poor with the opportunity to work themselves out of poverty. Their small businesses are permanent, sustainable improvements that create independence instead of on-going reliance on external aid. As businesses grow, livelihoods improve, new opportunities are realized, and dignity is restored.
For your convenience you can make a secure donation online through our crowdfunding page at:
