Luke 10:30, “And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.”

Back in the days of the stagecoach you had to have a ticket to ride.  There were three (3) kinds of tickets for you to choose from.  You could buy a 1st class ticket, 2nd class ticket or a 3rd class ticket.

If you had a first class ticket you would ride the stagecoach and only have to get off when you reached your destination.  If you had a second class ticket you could ride until there was a problem and then you had to get out and wait by the side of the road.  If you had a third class ticket you had to get off the stagecoach and help solve the problem whatever it may be.

You and I can look at God’s Church and see these three classes of people within.  You have the first class ticket holders who sit, soak and sour.  Nothing will make them move.  They are along for the ride.  In Luke 10:31, “And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.”  This priest, who was a religious leader was a first class ticket holder.  He did nothing at all to help this man who had been robbed and beaten nearly to death and left on the side of the road.

Look at the Levite in Luke 10:32, “And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.”  The Levite was a second class ticket holder.  He at least look at the guy as he passed by him.  This religious person was just a casual observer.  He was not going to get involved.  He was happy to sit on the sidelines.

Look at the Samaritan in Luke 10:33-34, “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”  This guy was a part of the solution.  He saw the man injured and in need of help.  Not only did he get him out of the ditch so to speak; but, he took him to an inn to heal and offered to the innkeeper to pay the bill.

The third class ticket holder will give of his time, talent and treasure for the cause of Jesus Christ.  The Church as we know it is full of first and second class ticket holders.  Now is the time to cash in your first and second class tickets and get a third class ticket.  You will never regret it.  There is no time like the present.  Look at the words of Jesus in Luke 10:2, “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

Do you hold a first class, second class or third class ticket?

Today’s reading:  Psalm 30, 60, 90, 120, 150; Proverbs 30; Luke 10, 11, 12