The Good Samaritan

What's one of the most well-known, or let's put it this way, one of your favorite parables

or stories that Jesus told?

What's one of your most favorite stories or parables that Jesus told?

Good Samaritan.

That's the answer this morning.

That's the answer.

I know it's not everybody's favorite.

But it's always at the top of the list for people who are paying attention and will respond.

It's always at the top of the list.

Good Samaritan.

You know, the word or phrase there, the Good Samaritan,

it has become synonymous with organizations or individuals who offer compassionate help to people in need.

There's a lot of hospitals in this country that are called the Good Samaritan Hospital, or at least that's a part of their name,

St. Mark or something, Good Samaritan Hospital.

Here in Pickens County, we have the Samaritan's Health Clinic, which is a part of the Good Samaritan Alliance.

That also includes United Christian Ministries.

They're seeking to offer compassionate help to people in need.

Well, I want us to look at this story as it's found in Luke chapter 10 this morning.

Luke 10 · chapter mention

And let it be sort of a conclusion of our series of studies of how God calls us as His people to relate to all kinds of people.

We've been looking at it mainly from Romans chapter 12, a little bit from the end of Matthew chapter 5,

Romans 12 · chapter mention Matthew 5 · chapter mention

how we as Christians are called to relate to, put up with, show love to all kinds of people,

from the ones that are easy to love, like family members, church family members,

to those who are very difficult to love, people who don't like us, people who oppose us, even our enemies.

What the Good Samaritan is going to help us discover this morning is how to be a neighbor

and do what we're going to look at as show neighborly love to people around about us

as we're going to see God would consider or would want us to consider are our neighbors.

The story begins in Luke chapter 10, verse 25.

Luke 10:25

Before we read, I want you to understand the context.

Jesus is being questioned by a Jewish lawyer who is an expert on the law.

He's a Jewish religious lawyer, we might think of.

Not a civil type lawyer who would be concerned with secular laws, the laws of Rome in that day.

No, he's an expert in the law.

He associates with religious leaders, Jewish leaders, especially the Pharisees.

And in this setting, he's not there to try to learn from Jesus.

He's going to ask some questions, but they're not sincere questions.

As we begin in verse 25, this lawyer, this expert in Jewish law, he's trying to test Jesus.

He is trying to make him look bad in front of his disciples and others who are sincere inquirers.

This man does not have good motives.

And so we need to understand that from the outset as the questions and the banter takes place.

Luke 10, 25.

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying,

Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

And he, Jesus, said to him,

What is written in the law?

How do you read it?

And he answered,

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,

and your neighbor as yourself.

And he, Jesus, said to him,

You have answered correctly.

Do this, and you will live.

Let's pause there.

Luke wants us to understand, as he tells what happened,

This lawyer is testing Jesus.

He's not making a sincere or honest inquiry.

He's not a seeker of truth.

He's trying to find fault with Jesus.

Trying to make him look bad.

Trying to show him up, this lawyer, this expert in the law.

Well, the question he asks,

he already knows the answer.

All well-versed Jews should have known the answer.

And Jesus knows that.

And so when he asks this question,

Look at it in verse 25.

Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Jesus doesn't answer.

But Jesus responds to his question with another question.

What is written in the law?

You're the expert.

Jesus is aware of.

You're the expert.

How do you read it?

Well, the lawyer didn't hesitate.

He knew what he wanted to say.

He knew what he expected Jesus to say.

So he's ready to let him know.

He's quoting from Deuteronomy chapter 6,

Deuteronomy 6 · chapter mention

what every faithful Jew would recite every day.

And from Leviticus chapter 19.

Leviticus 19 · chapter mention

Look at what he said.

And he answered, that's the lawyer.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart

and with all your soul and with all your strength

and with all your mind

and your neighbor as yourself.

New Testament scholar Darrell Bach

says that this combination of love for God

and love for neighbor

was known to Jews of that day

as the great commandment.

This is also what Jesus knew.

And this is also what Jesus said

when he was asked in Matthew chapter 22

Matthew 22 · chapter mention

and Mark chapter 12

Mark 12 · chapter mention

a similar question.

Jesus gave these two quotes

in talking about what the greatest commandment was.

But Jesus made a distinction.

Jesus distinguished between loving God

and loving people.

He said that loving God in Matthew 22

is the first and greatest commandment.

And in Matthew or in Mark 12

he said it was the most important one.

So when Jesus is asked about the law,

about the greatest,

about these kinds of things.

He says the same thing the lawyer says,

but he says this,

it's more important to love God

with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

That is the first and greatest commandment.

But in the same breath,

Jesus says,

and the second is like it.

You must love your neighbor as yourself.

That's what he said in Matthew 22

and in Mark chapter 12.

Mark 12 · chapter mention

Jesus emphasized the priority

of loving God.

But he also made it clear

loving others is vital.

Loving others is something you've got to do

if you love God.

In 1 John chapter 4,

1 John 4 · chapter mention

these two commandments are shown to be interrelated.

Look at verses 7 and 8.

John, the disciple of Jesus,

he fully got it

when Jesus taught about loving God and loving others.

He put it together like this.

Beloved,

let us love one another.

For love is from God

and whoever loves has been born of God

and knows God.

Anyone who does not love

does not know God

because God is love.

If we really love God,

we'll love other people.

That's what he's saying.

That's why Jesus says it

the way he does

about the two great commandments.

If we as professing Christians

don't love people,

we just can't find it in our hearts,

it must be

that we've never experienced

the grace of God ourselves

and the love of God

that comes with being a child of God,

what God gives us.

I want you to look at how Jesus

commended this lawyer's answer

in verse 28.

And he said to him,

Jesus said to this lawyer,

you have answered correctly.

Do this

and you will live.

Now,

does that bother you?

Is there any kind of red flag

that sort of went up?

The lawyer asked Jesus,

what must I do

to inherit eternal life?

What must I do

to become a part

of the kingdom of heaven?

What must I do

in order to go to heaven

when I die?

We might would say.

Well, Jesus answered

by saying,

love God and love others.

Jesus said,

you have answered correctly.

Do this

and you will live.

Now, what was Jesus

talking about?

Was Jesus saying

that you can be saved

by doing certain things,

even good things

like loving God?

If we have studied

the New Testament,

if we've studied the Bible,

if we have any understanding

of what Scripture says

about salvation,

we know Jesus

was not saying to this man,

do this

and you will be saved.

Do these things

and God will reward

your good works.

God will reward

your good efforts

by giving you

a home in heaven.

That's not what Jesus

ever taught.

A good example

is in John chapter 3

John 3 · chapter mention

as Jesus spoke

with the religious leader,

the Pharisee,

Nicodemus.

He talked to him

about the importance

of being born from above,

born again.

He talked about

how flesh and blood

cannot inherit

the kingdom of God.

We've got to be born again

of the Spirit of God.

Paul,

in writing all

that he wrote about

having a right relationship

with God,

he talked about

it's all by God's grace.

It's not something

we deserve or earn.

It's by God's grace

through faith

in Jesus Christ.

Our salvation

is by the grace of God

through faith

in what Jesus has done.

His death on the cross

for our sins.

His perfect life,

not ours.

So,

what's Jesus talking about here?

Two possibilities.

First,

Jesus could have said this

to the lawyer

knowing

that everyone knows

they don't love God

with all their heart,

soul,

mind,

and strength.

Jesus may have been trying

to help this guy

understand

by pointing him

to the law,

this expert in the law,

pointing him to the law

and saying,

it says,

love God

with all your heart,

soul,

mind,

and strength.

Love your neighbor

as yourself.

Do this and you'll live.

And the idea

should have been

in that man's mind

is,

I don't do that.

I mean,

most of us in this room

were Christians,

have been for a long time,

and we do love God,

but can you honestly say,

could you sign

on the dotted line,

I love God

with every ounce

of my being.

With all my heart,

soul,

mind,

and strength,

I do love God

that way.

nothing lacking.

Could you say,

I truly do

love my neighbors

myself.

I do

look around this room,

love everybody

in this room

just as much,

just as sacrificially,

just as self-givingly

as I do myself.

or we don't.

No one does.

That's the point.

If that lawyer

had been wise,

had been honest,

he would have thought

to himself,

I come up short.

the purpose of the law

of God

is to show us

we're not perfect,

that we are sinners,

that we need a Savior,

but this guy,

he just didn't get it.

That's most likely

the point Jesus was making,

but it could have been

Jesus was making

the point here

that

people

who are

Christians,

people who are

true believers,

people who,

in whom the Spirit

of God dwells,

they do seek

to love God

with all their heart,

soul, mind,

and strength,

and their neighbor

as their self.

Not that they've

achieved that,

but that's really

the desire of their heart.

That's a possibility.

But most likely

the first

is what Jesus

was talking about.

Either way,

the lawyer

didn't understand

what Jesus meant.

He may have thought

in his

erroneous way

of thinking

that he did

love God,

but he knew

that he had some problems

when it came to

loving his neighbor

as himself,

because he had

some questions

about who

his neighbor was.

You see,

we've seen

in another study

last week even,

most Jews

in that day

when they heard

love your neighbor

as yourself,

they automatically

thought another Jew.

Love your neighbor

and my neighbor

is someone

who is like me,

who thinks

and lives

and acts like me.

It's not everybody.

It's not certainly

my enemy.

It's not certainly

people I do not like.

It's not certainly

Gentiles,

non-believers.

And so,

it says in verse 29,

he's wanting to make

sure he's right.

And so,

in order to justify

himself,

look at verse 29.

But he,

this lawyer,

desiring to justify

himself,

said to Jesus,

Jesus,

and who is

my neighbor?

Well,

Jesus knows

he just doesn't

get it.

And so,

rather than trying

to give some kind

of theological

explanation,

Jesus gives

an answer,

but he gives

it in the form

of a story.

A story that's

going to be easy

to understand.

A parable.

The parable of

the Good Samaritan.

Let's look at it

now in verse 30.

Jesus replied,

A man was going

down from Jerusalem

to Jericho,

and he fell

among robbers

who stripped him

and beat him

and departed,

leaving him

half dead.

Now,

by chance,

a priest was

going down

that road,

and when he saw

him,

he passed by

on the other side.

So likewise,

a Levite,

when he came

to the place

and saw him,

passed by

on the other side.

But a Samaritan,

as he journeyed,

came to where

he was,

and when he saw

him,

he had compassion.

He went to him

and bound up

his wounds,

pouring on

oil and wine.

Then he set him

on his own animal

and brought him

to an inn

and took care

of him.

And the next day,

he took out

two denarii

and gave them

to the innkeeper,

saying,

Take care of him.

And whatever

more you spend,

I will repay you

when I come back.

End of story.

Now Jesus asks

the lawyer,

Which of these three

do you think

proved to be

a neighbor

to the man

who fell among

the robbers?

He said,

The one who

showed him

mercy.

And Jesus said

to him,

You go

and do likewise.

Let's look

at the story.

Let's look

at the parable.

The first character

in the story

is the victim.

We don't know

anything about him

other than

he was robbed,

he was beaten,

he was left

half dead

on the side

of the road.

Envision that.

Second character

is actually

two characters,

a priest

and a Levite.

They're religious leaders.

It says they're coming

down from Jerusalem

to Jericho.

The implication

would be

they've already done

their duties

in the temple

and they're

on their way

home.

The priest,

the Levite,

they do the same

thing.

They're walking

down the road,

they see a man,

evidently he's

bruised,

bleeding,

he's been beaten

up,

left half dead,

probably unconscious,

stripped,

naked.

They've taken

everything.

They see this

heap of a man,

probably in a

fetal position.

They don't even

get close enough

to look at him

to see if he's

dead or alive.

Jesus said they

just passed on

the other side

of the road

and pretend

they never

saw him.

Now,

why would they

do something

like that?

Well,

a lot of

commentators say

that they did

that because

the man was

half dead,

they couldn't

tell if he was

dead or alive.

For them to

touch a dead

body made them

ceremonially unclean,

that could be

true,

but Jesus doesn't

say,

could have just

been,

they were in a

hurry.

Could have just

been,

they're tired.

They've been in

the temple,

they've been doing

their work,

they're ready to

go home.

Maybe supper's

on the table.

Maybe they just

don't give a rip.

Maybe they see

this guy just

shrug their

shoulders and say,

poor guy,

they just don't

care.

Whatever the

reason,

there's no

excuse.

See, that's

what Jesus is

trying to point

out.

Neither of

these religious

leaders who

saw the man

in need,

neither one of

them did

anything.

them.

And the idea

is, it's

inexcusable.

Now, the third

character is where

the original, for

the original

audience, it

really got

interesting.

Many commentators

will talk about,

as Jesus told

stories, and that

was a well-known

way of communication

in his day.

It's always been,

every day.

But the idea

would have been,

as Jesus taught,

other people would

have taught in

that day,

people would have

expected,

these two religious

leaders, one of

them, the priest,

he was a more,

he had more

responsibility, the

Levite was more

like his assistant,

and they would have

expected the next

person to be a

regular church

member, what we'll

call a regular

church member, a

regular Jew.

And so the idea

would have been, as

Jesus was telling the

story, people would,

you know, you sort

of figure out the

pattern, as people

would have thought,

all right, here's for

us, here's the pastor

comes by, he doesn't

care, here's the deacon

comes by, he doesn't

care, but the guy

that's coming next, he's

going to be the hero,

he's going to be the

guy who's just the

regular church member.

He's not any kind of

officer, he just loves

the Lord, and so he's

going to come along and

take care of this guy.

But that's not what

Jesus said.

The third character,

verse 33,

when Jesus said,

but a Samaritan,

the crowd would have

just gasped.

There would have been

just, it's just

unbelievable for Jesus

to say, a Samaritan

came next, because Jews

absolutely hated

Samaritans, they were

scum, they were

nothing, they were

half-blooded Jews.

Samaritan's, there was

racial prejudice here, and

there was religious

prejudice because the

Samaritans, they didn't

acknowledge that true

worship of God was to

take place in the temple,

they didn't acknowledge

Jerusalem as the place

where it should take

place, they had their own

capital, Samaria.

And so for the Jew,

historically, looking back

at what all had happened

in days gone by, when

Jews had been held,

been captured by other

countries, taken into

captivity, other people

came into the area,

intermarried with some of

these Jews.

Now these Samaritans,

they were not pure-blooded

Jews, half-breeds,

they didn't worship

correctly, they didn't know

what they were doing,

they didn't know God,

and so there was just

intense racial, religious

bigotry, prejudice that

took place between Jews

and Gentiles.

Samaritan was just the

very last person that the

crowd would have expected

to be the good guy of any

story.

But I want you to look at

how Jesus, excuse me,

details what the Samaritan

did.

This is an important part

of the story.

It's not that the Samaritan

just came by and

acknowledged the guy and

rendered him a little bit

of aid.

Look at the great trouble

the Samaritan went to

to help this guy.

Look at it in verse 33.

But a Samaritan, as he

journeyed, came to where he

was, and when he saw him,

this is the wounded guy,

he had compassion.

He went to him and bound

up his wounds, pouring on

oil and wine, trying to,

this is their medicine,

this is trying to help,

heal, take away the pain.

Then he set him on his own

animal and brought him to

an inn and took care of

him.

And the next day he took

out two denarii and gave

them to the innkeeper,

saying, take care of him,

and whatever more you spend,

I will repay you when I

come.

That Samaritan, just think

about it.

He interrupted his trip.

He used his own first aid

kit.

He took the man back to the

inn.

He provided for him best he

could right then,

personally, then gave money

for him to be taken care of

until he could come back.

Let's look at how Jesus

applied this parable.

After he tells the story,

all this happened, Jesus

asked the lawyer in verse

36, which of these three do

you think proved to be a

neighbor to the man who fell

among the robbers?

The lawyer responded, the one

who showed him mercy.

Now, do you notice the way the

lawyer responds?

He won't use the name

Samaritan.

You see, Jesus told the story

about the priest, the Levite,

and the Samaritan.

And Jesus asked him, which of the

three was the neighbor?

And the man says, not the

Samaritan, as Jesus had used the

word.

He just couldn't bring himself

to describe somebody like a

Samaritan.

Trash.

Garbage of a person.

He just couldn't use his name.

That name meant that way.

There's another occasion in the

life of Jesus, his interaction

with Pharisees, those who

opposed him.

They cursed him by calling him

a Samaritan.

They were trying to just,

they were just in Jesus' face.

They said, you got a demon,

you're demon-possessed,

and you're a Samaritan.

That's how bad it was to be a

Samaritan.

This man would not even bring

himself to refer to a person

of this race in a positive way.

He just couldn't do it.

Jesus ignored that part.

Verse 37, Jesus concluded by

saying, you go and do likewise.

Now, did you note the change that

took place from the beginning of

the story to the end?

When it begins, the lawyer wants

Jesus to define who his neighbor

is, and the lawyer asks the

question in verse 29, and who is

my neighbor?

The lawyer wanted Jesus to help

him define who he had to treat

right, who he had to be

neighborly toward, because he

didn't want to do it just to

anybody.

But the story ends, Jesus asks a

different question, not the same

one.

Which of these three do you think

proved to be a neighbor to the

man who fell among the robbers?

And then Jesus concludes by saying,

you go and do likewise.

Jesus ends the parable not telling

us who our neighbor is.

Instead, he says, you be a

neighbor to whoever you come

across in life who has a need that

you can meet.

If you will.

Let's just stop and think about

this now.

All of us, as we just do our

thing, live in life, we come

across people that we see that we,

it's obvious they have a need that we

could meet.

It may be physical, it may be

material, financial, it may be

something relational, it may be

something spiritual we need to say

or do.

We come across people in our lives,

they're like this guy on the side of

the road.

There's an obvious need.

We could do something, but we just

don't.

And we don't for a lot of different

reasons.

I can't remember the time, I can't

remember times, period.

But two or three years ago, I was

driving down the road on my way home

for lunch, and I passed by a man

down in a ditch trying to push a

lawnmower up out of the ditch and

back onto the side of the road.

The ditch was at least six feet deep,

it was head high.

As I passed by that man, looked over

there, it was obvious what was going

on, and the first thing I thought up

to myself was, he needs help.

Second thing I thought was, I've got

all my good clothes.

This was Wednesday, we were having

service that night, I had on dress

pants just like this, had on these

shoes, had on a golf shirt.

It was summer.

I thought to myself, if I stop and help

him, I'm going to tear up these

clothes.

I'm going to get all sweaty, I have

to go back and take another doggone

shower before church tonight.

But before I could get a fourth of the

way down the road, I thought about

this story, because I was going to use

it as an illustration that very night.

And I thought to myself, I can't leave

that man beside the road with that

lawnmower.

So I turned around, went back, got out.

Let me help you.

Okay, thank you.

Got down in a ditch with him, pushed

it up, no problem at all, got it on

the side of the road.

He thanked me, I said you're welcome,

went back and all.

Went back home.

Now you think with me, I'm not as, I'm

not the only bad guy in this room.

We get busy in life.

We've got things to do.

We've got places to go.

Sometimes we just don't want to get

dirty.

And sometimes we pass people just as

obvious as that man in the ditch

needing help with a lawnmower.

Just as obvious as that man who had

been beaten nearly to death on the side

of the road.

Sometimes we're no better than the

priest and the Levite.

And our excuse doesn't matter.

That's the thing.

It doesn't matter what our excuse is.

It doesn't matter why we don't get

involved.

If we don't get involved,

we're wrong.

We're failing to be the neighbor that

Jesus is teaching this story to say

that we as Christians are called to be

to whoever it may be that's in our

path.

We don't think about this Samaritan

stuff.

It doesn't ring any kind of bell.

But there's things that ring a bell

with you.

God's called you to be a neighbor

to the people in your life as well as

others that you just don't think much

of.

And you know who that kind of person is.

God's called you to be a neighbor to

people in this community who are

Muslims who are working in this

community, going to school in this

community.

But because of the atmosphere that we

live under today and there are true

Muslim terrorists trying to destroy us

and our country and the free world,

that's true.

But every Muslim is not a terrorist.

And there are Muslims who live close to

you, who work maybe with you.

And if you are a Christian, you have no

choice in order to be faithful to God,

but to be a neighbor to that Muslim.

Or to that black person, if that's your

problem person.

Or to that real rich person, if that's

the one you resent the most because they

have more than you.

Or to that real poor person that you

resent the most.

Because you don't think they put forth

the effort they ought to.

See the hard thing about this story,

this is a nice story, but it's not

intended to be.

It's not really a feel good story about

doing kind things to people in need.

The story of the Good Semestrian is really

a story about Jesus telling us,

you are to be a neighbor who demonstrates God's

grace and God's love, compassion, and

practical help in the person who has the

needs, time of need.

We're called to be neighbors.

And we don't get to choose who our neighbors are.

I want to ask you, who has God put into your

life right now that you need to be a neighbor

to?

Just like this Good Samaritan.

It may be something very tangible, physical,

practical that you know you need to do.

You need to help them with.

You need to give them.

You need to serve them in some way.

But it could be it's not anything like that.

It could be more psychological, emotional,

relational.

It may be that they need you to be a friend,

to notice them, to smile at them,

to shake hands with them,

to notice and be nice toward their children

that you see have to interact with in your

neighborhood.

It may be a spiritual need.

It may be that you're the person that's in your life

you need to be a neighbor to.

It may be that what you need to do next is to share the

gospel with them.

Because they're not a Christian,

they don't know the Lord.

And the only way they're going to know Him is if

someone like you, a neighbor,

Christian neighbor like you,

shares the gospel with them.

But you know,

if they're not a Christian,

in order for them to really listen to you

or me,

they've got to see Christ in us.

They've got to see that we

don't just say we believe this stuff,

but we live it.

And when they see that we live it,

when they see that we are serious about loving

and being a neighbor like Jesus taught,

they'll be more willing to listen

when we share the gospel with them.

Who has God put in your life that you need to be a neighbor to this week?

Whoever that is,

whatever face comes to mind,

listen to what Jesus says.

Go,

do like this Samaritan did.

Be a real neighbor.

Meet their needs

with love,

with compassion,

and whatever practical means you need to use

to be that kind of neighbor.

Let's pray together.

Dear God,

all of us in this room,

we struggle

at times

to love certain people

or certain kinds of people.

We find it difficult at times

to be a neighbor

because we're busy,

because there's so many things

that demand our attention,

or

we really just don't care about people

or certain kinds of people.

But Lord,

help us to know that

we don't have an excuse

that is acceptable to you

to not live

in this community

and be a neighbor

to people that you bring across our path

that have needs

that we are able to meet.

So show us how we should respond

to this message.

Show us the,

put in our minds right now

a picture of the people.

Or dear God,

just help us to be ready

when the need arises

this week.

Help us to be

faithful Christian neighbors

as Jesus is teaching us

in this parable today.

Show us how we should respond now.

And in an attitude of prayer,

you just,

you respond to the Lord.

If you would like to pray

about your particular issue,

you come down to the front

and I'd be happy

to pray with you right now.

But the main thing,

the important thing

is you listen to God

and obey Him.

Thank you.