Indifference
(Luke 16:19~31)


In Luke chapter 16, there is a story of a rich man. He lived a luxurious life by wearing nice clothes and having parties with his friends every day. In front of his house, there was a man named Lazarus who was dying from disease and hunger. However, even though the rich man ate all kinds of food, he was indifferent to Lazarus. So God regarded his indifference as sin. If we are indifferent to pain of our neighbors in need, we are no different than the rich man.

1. Indifferent society
1) We are living in an indifferent society. Even if we live in the same place for several years, we do not who our neighbors are. We do not even know who died in our neighborhood. Recently, solitary death is on the rise. So it is surfacing as a serious social issue. (Rom. 12:15)
2) Jesus showed interest toward poor and isolated people. He fed hungry people, healed the sick, and became friends with lonely people. (Matt. 10:29~31)
3) If we give and share small things with others, God will repay us. (Luke 6:38)

2. The life of the Good Samaritan
1) Nowadays people turn a blind eye to their neighbors’ misfortune for various reasons. (1 John 3:17~18)
2) Like a Good Samaritan, we must live by practicing love. (1 Tim. 6:18~19)

3. God delights in our sharing
1) God is pleased with a life of giving and sharing. If we take care of and share love with our neighbors in need, God smiles at us. (Heb. 13:16)
2) We show that we are Jesus’ disciples by loving each other. (John 13:34~35)

Conclusion
A tree standing alone easily falls when the wind blows hard. However, trees in forests do not easily fall even when the wind blows fiercely. This is because the roots are tangled together to support each other. Our world is the same. We cannot overcome storms of life on our own. We need to hold, embrace, and love each other just like trees in forests so that we can all live well even when wild winds of life blow.