Was the Good Samaritan a Righteous Entrepreneur?

In reviewing the Biblical account of the Good Samaritan, it seems to me that this man was likely a man of independent means. His business provided the opportunity and the financial resources to travel. He was apparently known and trusted by the innkeeper. As he departed to resume his business trip, leaving funds for the care of the injured victim, he asked that the innkeeper keep an accounting of additional expenditures, to be repaid when the Samaritan returned. Should we not prepare to be able to provide for such events ourselves? Additional scriptural accounts suggest that if our motives are to assist God's children, we will be blessed with the means to do so.

We Are Expected to Prosper!

Last February we published this story. I wanted to revisit the concept in light of current political undertones........

I recently read a story that leads me to believe that it not only OK to succeed and prosper...it is expected by God that we do so.................

Matthew 25

14 ¶For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

15 And unto one he gave five talaents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
   
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful     over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap  where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Even the Longest Journey Must Begin Where You Stand.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." - old Chinese proverb

 I recently reread a "kid's" book on basic logic...Joseph Spider and the Fallacy Farm by David B. Grant. Chapter seven is about a snail named Shawn, who believed he could never begin a journey because he had no hope of ever completing it...so why even start. How many of us suffer from this same state of mind?  How many of  life's awesome journeys have we sacrificed for fear of taking that first step? Once, many years ago, I took a client on a midnight hike on Bryce Canyon's Navajo Trail. As we hiked under the full moon, the light was awesome. We took some really exciting photographs. One thing was especially clear that night.....as crowded as that popular hiking trail was in the daylight, nobody else took that same journey and nobody else enjoyed the same rewards. If you fail to take that first step, you cannot hope to enjoy the great outcome which lies at the other end!

Thales....an "Old School" Entreprenuer

The Greek mathematician /philosopher, Thales was born around 624BC. Some thought him to be what we might call the original “absent-minded professor”. Plato tells of a time when Thales was walking along one night, studying the stars as he walked right into a canal. As a nearby servant girl came to the rescue, she asked how he could understand the mysteries of the stars, when he didn't even know what was under his feet. However, a different perspective of Thales of Miletus is offered by Aristotle.

He shares with the world a story of Thales evaluating the market opportunities and proactively assuring a major success. Thales often philosophized about the ills of being rich. Someone retorted that the only reason for this view was Thales was too lazy to make a success of himself. This reproach prompted him to attempt to dispel the thoughts once and for all, to demonstrate that one could make a success if that was the goal. The philosopher observed that the olive crop had been poor for a few years and undertook to research several cycles of the olive harvest. He determine a reliable pattern in his research, implying a bumper crop for the coming season. As olive oil was a critical commodity of the region, he prepared a business plan....to lease every olive press in the regions round about! Thales set about placing a deposit on ever single olive press.

The olive harvest was, indeed, a bounteous one. The olive growers went to have their crops pressed to obtain the precious oil, only to discover that the had to visit Thales. He could set whatever price he chose for his services, thus disproving his detractors and producing a massive fortune. What if the crop had been mediocre? It seems that he was still bound to profit from his monopoly even if the crop was small!

Our Greatest Fear

Our Greatest Fear —Marianne Williamson

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

—Marianne Williamson