But a Samaritan, as He journeyed, came to where He was, and when He saw him, He had compassion. Luke 10:33

Good Samaritans and entrepreneurs -- those are two titles you don't often see together.

Maybe so, but 41-year-old Christopher Walls of Johnson City, Tennessee, qualifies as a Good Samaritan and an entrepreneur.

Well, sort of.

Let me explain. It's easier if I start with the Good Samaritan part. You should know Mr. Walls is a mechanic, a mechanic of some talent. Even though he wasn't at his shop or on official mechanic duty, there are a number of people in his hometown who can verify that when their cars unexpectedly broke down, Mr. Walls very courteously came forward and used his skills to help.

Yes, he charged them, but they were grateful a mechanic was nearby when their cars broke down.

Now, let me explain about Mr. Walls' entrepreneurial side. Apparently, business hasn't been very good at the shop where he works as a mechanic. Now a regular person might sit around and lament his fate, but not Mr. Walls. He is an entrepreneur and he took his fate into his own hands.

Mr. Walls went out to restaurant parking lots and used his mechanical skills to disable cars. Then, when the cars' owners came out of the restaurant, Mr. Walls -- entrepreneur that he is -- would come forward and volunteer, for a small fee, to fix the vehicle that he had previously . . . unfixed.

The police department of Johnson City, Tennessee, has arrested Mr. Walls on two counts of thievery. So far only two people have come forward to accuse him, but the police are sure more victims will join the list and make the world know Mr. Walls isn't a Good Samaritan after all.

Now there are a lot of ways this story can be used in a Daily Devotion. We could talk about the corruption of human hearts, or we could zero in on how there is help for difficult times. We might even use the story to warn Christians to be on guard against those who would deceive.
But we're not going to go those routes.

Instead, let us think upon Jesus, the ultimate Good Samaritan. Looking on our lost condition, Jesus came into this world to fix that which our transgressions had broken. Freely, willingly, unilaterally, Jesus gave His life to mend the bridge between earth and heaven, to mend the bridge our sins had torn down. We don't have enough money to pay Him for His sacrifice and, if we did, He wouldn't take it, but we can say, "thank you" to our Savior who gave Himself to save us.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there are a lot of fakes, charlatans, and con men out there. Sometimes I'm not sure who I can trust. Today I give thanks for Jesus who has, without my asking, without any payment, done everything necessary for my salvation. In Jesus' Name, I give thanks. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Lamentations 3-5    Hebrews 13

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