Are we like one of the thieves, a Priest/Levite, or the Samaritan from the Parable of the Good Samaritan in our Marriage?

I absolutely loved reading about the Parable of the Good Samaritan this week in Drawing Heaven into Your Marriage, by H. Wallace Goddard, PhD, and gained so many insights. This parable relates to us and our journey here on earth. It also relates to the kind of spouse we are trying to be. In this parable that the Savior gave in the book of Luke, chapter 10, there were three different types of travelers who interacted differently with the man journeying from Jerusalem to Jericho. There were thieves who stripped and injured the traveler, a Priest and a Levite who passed by the injured traveler without helping him, and lastly the Good Samaritan who had compassion and cared for the injured man.
We are all on this earthly journey, traveling unknown roads, and have the option of being like one of the travelers who confront the injured man. We can be like thieves toward our spouses, and those around us, looking out for ourselves and what we want only. We can be like the Priest and Levite who recognize that our spouses aren’t perfect and make mistakes, and therefore deserve the consequences they receive, choosing to not help our spouses bear the burdens they have. Or we can be like the Good Samaritan who came prepared and looking for ways to serve. Did the Good Samaritan just happen to have the needed supplies to help the injured man, or did he pack his bag and set off looking for those he could help? We can prepare ourselves to serve our spouses and families by preparing each day. Instead of packing our bags with needed supplies (which may be a good idea also) we can prepare ourselves spiritually, emotionally, and physically so we can be ready when the opportunity to serve comes.



For me preparing means taking the time to fill myself with the things I need since you can’t water a garden with an empty bucket. Two main things are bucket fillers for me and they are daily nourishment to my spirit and body. For my spirit to feel strengthened I need daily scripture study and prayer. These help me to be worthy of the Spirit and to feel greater Christ-like charity for my spouse and children. Then I need to help my spirit be in charge of my body and that takes exercising and eating healthy. This helps me to feel good physically and mentally and makes me ready to meet the demands of the day. When I let these things slide, I feel weak and very natural-man like, getting annoyed and upset by every little thing. If I will do these two things each day, I feel more able to try and be Good Samaritan-like and less like one of the thieves in this parable. We can try each day to help our fellow travelers (especially our spouses!) by preparing ourselves to serve and by having greater compassion and not worrying if we are giving more than they are or if they deserve their fate.