I love this quote from the story Jesus told of the ‘Good Samaritan’. It is about a traveller who is beaten up by thieves, robbed and stripped, and left half dead alongside the road. Two local high-status leaders come along and ignore him, but along comes a complete stranger who helps him. Jesus told the story in response to the question from a lawyer, “Who is my neighbour?” The ‘neighbour’ in the parable is the Samaritan who showed mercy to the man.
Apart from the main reason and teaching behind this story, I love the detail that Luke gives of the care and compassion shown by the ‘Good Samaritan’. What really does interest me is the fact that he had a good supply of the essentials with him. He was well prepared for such an emergency. Apart from whatever he used for bandages, he had oil and wine, enough to “pour it on”!
Praise God for the Oil and the Wine. God has promised that in the ‘Last days’ there would be an abundant supply of both. Joel 2 v23-24 says that in the days of the latter rain there will be a great harvest, and that “…the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil…”. On the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), this began to happen, and it has not stopped! Peter said to the wondering crowd “This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel, “In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…”.
In the Bible, both oil and wine are symbols of the Holy Spirit. Jesus spoke of new wine being poured into new wineskins (Matthew 9 v17). You are a new creation. Christ came to where you were; maybe beaten up and bruised; but he bound up your wounds and revived you with new life, new peace and new hope. As the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23, He anointed your head with oil and your cup runs over! Be blessed and encouraged today; the oil and wine of His Spirit is with you, restoring, reviving and refreshing you. Praise Him – He binds up the broken-hearted and sets the captives free!
Be blessed,
Eddie