Being the Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37
Luke 10:25-37
Introduction-
As you are turning to Luke 10, I want to talk to you about being a good Samaritan as well as living a life of a good Samaritan. I believe there is a difference. Being one is a reference to an act. Do a good thing!Occasionly. Living as a good Samaritan is living everyday as a person doing good things. Maybe better stated as a compassionate person.
Illustration-
My friend who I worked for many years was recently in the hospital with heart problems. It got so bad that they sedated him and gave him the paddles to get his heart back in rhythm. I would suppose nothing will get your attention so much as drastic measures. I thought of him and I thought of Joe Davaney in ICU critical care and it made me think. Hym... ICU people are in critical care mode. People should be willing to do what ever it takes to get you from critical to stable. Not one of them had advance notice. They were all going about their day and life....BAM! Like Emerald would say. Life suddenly takes a different look. As we look at this passage, a familiar passage. It is not about talking a good game, it is about living and reacting the way the Lord would want us to.
Luke 10:25-37
Rude people bother me. Racist people bother me. Really, this is about our attitude. “I don’t have time for this” “I don’t know him, and he doesn’t look like me, so I will just walk away.”
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness.” Psalm 103:8 He has proven to us over and over that he cares for us. Even in our sin, he desires to breakthrough and impact our lives. The world changes, and would be a better place if/when people are compassionate to each other. If we all had an attitude that it is critical and being compassionate would make people more stable. Christ-like believers know that loving others, even when we do not know them is really what life is all about. Let’s take a look at this. Jesus is in a debated conversation with an expert in the law. Lawyer to Jesus- what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus says- what does the law say? How do you interpret it? The lawyer answers “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, And...love your neighbor as yourself.” you have correctly answered- do this and live!
Then the lawyer gets full of himself. He should of left it alone, but then he does something stupid. “And who is my neighbor?” (Where do I draw the line?) Jesus teaches by illustration and recites the story of the good Samaritan. Lets look at this.
Samaritan travels alone from Jerusalem to Jericho. Dangerous road to travel- known as the road of blood.
Robbers- who rob and beat this man almost to death.
Priest- who does not want to in-convenience himself and change his plans.
Levite- lay people of the Temple. To religious and to full of himself.
Good Samaritan- on a journey, living life, going about his business.
All of those that are not mentioned. The rubber-neckers, the ones that slow up traffic to get a glimpse of someone hurt and suffering. Not really caring but sarcastically speaking- nosey! And meddlers! Jesus tells this story to the expert, and then asks which one do you think was a neighbor to the man that fell on hard times. The lawyer get’s it right- Jesus says go and do likewise! If you are truly going to be a neighbor. Do as the Samaritan does. Let me give you some thoughts here.
Compassion does something!- to pretend it didn’t happen, to walk away when someone is in need is wrong. Doing nothing doesn’t help anyone.
Compassion even in the religious folks sometimes lacks. As evidenced by the priest. If I get my hands dirty, if God forbid, this man is dead, I would defile myself and not be able to go to the Temple. Fact is, Scripture said he was coming back- Jerusalem to Jericho. He was without excuse . He should of helped.
Both the Priest and the Levite saw him! They chose to walk away, in fact , to the other side of the road.
Illustration-
Kitty Genovese story. At about 2:30 a.m., on March 13. 1964. Kitty Genovese , a 28 year old manager of a bar in Queens, New York, returned to her quiet residential neighborhood, parked her car in a lot adjacent to her apartment building, and began to walk the 30 yards through the lot to her door. Noticing a man at the far end of the lot, she paused. When he started toward her, she turned the other way and tried to reach a police call box half a block away. The man caught up and stabbed her. She started screaming that she been stabbed, and screaming for help. Lights went on in the apartment building across the street. Windows opened. One man called out, let that women alone. The assailant shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Windows closed and lights went out. The assailant returned and attacked her again. This time she screamed “I’m dying, I’m dying. This time more lights came on and more windows opened. The assailant walked to his car and drove off, leaving her to crawl along the street to her apartment. Somehow, she managed to drag herself inside. The assailant returned a third time, found her on the floor at the foot of her stairs, and finally succeeded in killing her. During those three separate attacks over 35 minutes, not one of the neighbors tried to intervene. No burly neighbor picked up a bat and dashed outside to save he life. Worst then that over 30 people saw at least one attack. Noone even called the police. The police were not called until after the girl was found dead.
So many times, we rely on someone else to do something! Or “I don’t want to get involved” or “I keep to myself” I bet we would not feel that way if it is us that is needing help from a stranger. So what do Christians do? Christ-like disciples.
We have begun a 12-16 week study on spiritual disciplines and spiritual growth. This study will help all of us- including myself. I invite each one of you to be a part of it.
Mission of the church.
Lifestyle of believers.
How to better understand the Bible.
How to honor God.
Learning of our spiritual gifts.
Understanding evangelism.
What does the Bible say about people that are transformed by the power of God working in our lives? Why is it, those that talk about a transformed life don’t live it? The proof of transformation is doing something. Again, compassion is doing something!
The mission statement of this church is... To mobilize the church in mission through prayer, education, giving, and interactive experiences. We need each other! Our compassion is not driven by worth of recipient- Jesus said, “A certain man..., some guy, another human being that maybe you don’t even know. You go the extra mile to be a blessing. Get that! He did not help because he deserved it, but just because he needed it. Jesus didn’t look you up and down to decide weather you needed the love and mercy and compassion of Christ, and either should we. Jesus separated the religious from the compassionate. The religious walked away onto the other side of the street. So they would not have to get involved. The compassionate one crossed the street with the motive- I have to do something! I cannot see a need and not make an attempt at trying to help. Rubber necking is not a spiritual act. “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you say to him- “go, I wish you well, keep warm and well feed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? James 1:15.
-Robbers were wrong to steal and hurt.
-Priest and the Levite were wrong for turning their backs on a person in need.
-Samaritan, didn’t base his help on who the wounded person was, but who he is in Christ. Christ is compassion, He will show compassion.
Closing , maybe
Great Commission- Mark 16
“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all people”
Great Commandment- Matthew 22
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” and the second part- which we conveniently forget- “Love your neighbor as yourself” we have committed the golden rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you) to memory. Let us now commit it to life. Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.
Mother Teresa
when asked how she had accomplished such great things in her life said this- “None of us can do anything great on our own, but we can all do a small thing with great love” real Christians display real love for others.
Are you willing to be inconvenienced?
Are you willing to sacrifice? If I asked you- do you love God, a good chance you would say yes. Do you love your neighbor, might be a different thing. Do you even know them?
The miserable man- the wounded, none of us want to be him.
Terrible thieves- oh, we would never do that to anyone.
Priest, Levite- um... at times, we’ve all walked away from someone in need.
The good Samaritan invested his time and money in a person. Do we see people as trouble to avoid? Avoid at all cost.
Illustration-
In our back yard use to hang a hummingbird feeder that Becky kept full of sugar water. There are a bunch of openings in it from which birds may get the sugar water . Yet, everyday, from early to late, the feeder is a source of bird wars. One bird chases all the others away. There is room for 4 birds at a time, but the stronger one , who thinks he owns the feeder, will not let them. All day long, he chases others away. Here’s the lesson- Becky bought and maintains that feeder. The birds did not earn it, they receive it by Becky’s grace. Yet day after day, they fight over who may enjoy it.
Are you your brothers keeper? According to God’s word this morning- yes!
Altar Call
