“Bandages of Love”
Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
26 February 2007
U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
Instructor Training Course Demonstration
San Antonio, Texas
BIG IDEA: Christians should be compassionate to their neighbors.
References: Luke 10:25-37 (NIV); Romans 15:1-2 KJV - (We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification); Genesis 4:9 KJV - (And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?); Deuteronomy 7:9 (ASV) - Know therefore that Jehovah thy God, he is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and lovingkindness with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; Deuteronomy 11:1 (ASV) - Therefore thou shalt love Jehovah thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his ordinances, and his commandments, always; Matthews 19:19 (KJV) Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; Romans 13:8 (KJV) -Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
III. READ THE TEXT: Luke 10:34(NIV) “He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.”
IV. PURPOSE: Motivate the hearers to show compassion for their neighbors.
V. INTRODUCTION:
On Friday, I was blessed to witness some pretty awesome presentations. I heard presentations that were geared towards empowering others to salvage lives through various health-oriented methods. Methods, such as “how to lift and carry someone who could not help himself;
Methods involving the importance of detecting hypotension and hypertension early on, with the assurance that life can co-exist with those diagnosis’ … with proper treatment and …continuous care.
I learned how to detect early signs of colon cancer; and how important it is for Veterinarian Technicians … to have equipment that works properly. Wow! My learning curve was amazing. It was great to see the CARING professionals up front … and in person.
******************TAKE 5 BEATS*****************
MOVE 1: Now, during my sermon preparation time, I came across a humorous story entitled, “Helping Hand”:
a. According to the story, a pastor is walking down the street one day when he notices a very small boy … trying to press a doorbell on a house across the street.
b. However, the boy is very small and the doorbell is too high for him to reach.
c. After watching the boy’s efforts for some time, the pastor moves closer to the boy’s position.
d. He steps smartly across the street, walks up behind the little fellow and, placing his hand kindly on the child’s shoulder leans over … and gives the doorbell a solid ring.
e. Crouching down to the child’s level, the pastor smiles benevolently and asks, “And now what, my little man?”
f. To which the boy replies, “Now we run?”
g. Although the story is humorous, Helping can be SERIOUS!! YET … we all know that helping doesn’t always mean the older is helping the younger; or the younger is helping the older; And it doesn’t always … mean a brother is helping another brother. Sometimes HELPING … simply means … one human being is HELPING OUT ANOTHER Human being.
******************TAKE 5 BEATS**************
MOVE 2: Many years ago, while I was a graduate student at - the country’s largest African American Graduate Seminary,
a. … also called I.T.C.: Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia - a crime against humanity was committed on campus.
b. It’s victim was a cafeteria worker.
c. Someone who had been faithfully serving the ministers and pastors in the seminary cafeteria… came within inches of losing her life …
******************TAKE 5 BEATS******************
MOVE 3: One seminarian heard some quarreling sounds and then screams of help me - looked out of her dorm window, and saw a man knifing, beating and kicking this woman, sounded the alarm of compassion.
a. The other seminarian, heard the alarm, scared the assailant away, and ran to aid of the cafeteria woman, and wrapped up her open wounds with bandages and cloths.
b. Likewise, in our text, this morning, … Jesus shares the story that many theologians call “The Good Samaritan”.
c. It’s actually a parable of Jesus teaching a “YOUNG LAWYER” how to obtain ETERNAL LIFE.
d. For don’t you remember, … Jesus had just finished teaching the 70 disciples and those that were gathered to hear him … that they should NOT be overly happy because they were able to HEAL AND CAST devils out of people lives;
e. but they should rejoice because THEIR NAMES WERE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN …
f. AfTERWARDS… THE young lawyer stood up … and asked … MASTER … WHAT CAN I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?
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MOVE 4: JESUS REPONDED with the question … WHAT DOES THE LAW OF MOSES INSTRUCT YOU DO?
a. AND THE LAWYER SAID: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself - Luke 10:27 (KJV)
b. And Jesus said to him. You have answered correctly. Do what you have said … and you shall live … and have … ETERNAL …LIFE …
c. And the LAWYER trying to justify himself asked BUT … WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
d. In other words, MASTER … YOU KNOW ME. I WOULD GLADLY LOVE MY NEIGHBOR AS MYSELF … IF I ONLY KNEW WHO MY NEIGHBOR WAS …
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MOVE 5: Jesus replied, … A man was traveling from Houston to San Antonio when he fell into the hands of SOME ex-convicts.
a. They robbed him. They beat him. And they ran away, leaving the man almost dead.
b. Afterwards, a Chaplain (a 56A) happened to be headed to San Antonio and Fort Sam’s Main Post Chapel … went down the same road and saw the man lying in the street .. with blood all around him ...
c. But, he didn’t do anything to HELP him. Instead, he crossed the street and kept on going to chapel.
d. Later, a Chaplain Assistant (56M), also came down the same road.
e. In fact, the assistant looked on the man and saw that he had been traumatized. For the man eyes were rolling towards the back of his head … he was definitely about die …
f. Now, … the assistant had been a student in the unit’s First Aid Class.
g. So, he recognized the severity of the problem. Still, he provided no assistance. He crossed the street … and also headed towards the chapel.
********************TAKE 5 BEATS******************
MOVE 6: Still later, an ITC Advisor … was traveling down that same road, headed toward that same chapel … when he saw the injurious man.
a. But unlike the first two… He had compassion for him. He ran to his aid and wrapped-up his open wounds with bandages and cloths.
b. Then he put him ON … HIS HORSE … and carried him to THE FORT SAM GUEST HOUSE … and TOOK CARE OF HIM.
c. HE STAYED WITH HIM ALL NIGHT.
d. HE HAD CHURCH TO ATTEND … HE HAD CLASSES TO TEACH. BUT HE STAYED WITH THE INJURED MAN ALL NIGHT.
e. The next day, he took money out of his own pocket … and gave it to Guesthouse Manager and said, …
f. … if this man requires additional time in this facility; when I come back through here, I’ll pay the difference …
g. Now … after sharing the parable …. Jesus turned to the young JAG Officer and asked: Which of the three (the Chaplain, Chaplain Assistant or the ITC Advisor) was a Good Neighbor to the man that was victimized by the robbers?
h. And the lawyer responded, …
i. … the ITC Advisor.
j. Jesus said to him, Go and do thou likewise.
k. In other words, GO AND DO THE SAME THING THE ADVISOR DID … and you SHALL INHERIT … ENTERNAL LIFE.
l. GO AND DO THE SAME THING THAT THE ADVISOR DID … and you will be able to rejoice because your name will also be written in heaven …
******************TAKE 5 BEATS**********************
CELEBRATION: Likewise, my brothers and sisters, the Cafeteria Worker is alive today … because of two seminarians; and the BANDAGES OF LOVE …in which they provided.
d. If it had not been for their HELP AND CARE … this woman would have loss her life.
e. As a single parent, her children would have been motherless, … but …THANKS BE TO GOD … her life was salvaged … BECAUSE OTHERS DIDN’T MIND HELPING ... OTHERS DIDN’T MIND PAYING THE BILL … OF SCARIFICING THEIR TIME …
OTHERS DIDN’T MIND …. PAYING THE BILL OF HELPING SOMEONE IN NEED …
OTHERS DIDN’T MIND … PAYING THE BILL OF INTERFERENCE AND RUNNING THE DEVIL OFF …
IN ORDER TO PROVIDE … BANDAGES OF LOVE …WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO PAY THE BILL …OF HELP AND SCARIFICE …
For the Bible says (in Romans 15:1-2) …We then that are strong … ought to bear …the infirmities of the weak, …
and not to please ourselves… every one of us please his neighbour for his good ..
The Apostle Paul also … reminds us (in Romans 13:8 – KJV) that as Christians … we .. ought … to
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
