How is your love life? I’m not talking about a courtship or marriage, love life, I’m talking about the way Jesus loves. The context of these verses gives us only a glimpse of this great parable that we call The Good Samaritan. But within these verses, we find the multiple truth of loving like Jesus loved.
We read that the Law said to love God and Love, People. The Samaritan portrayed this love and Jesus told a young lawyer to go and love the same way Jesus loved. Notice 3 things His love portrayed and why we should be loving like Jesus.
I. His love was displayed by compassion.
v. 32... If you read the entire passage in Luke 10 you will find that at least 2 other men had seen the poor stranger and decided for their own reason not to help. It is evident in the commentary of this passage that the intent is to show the weakness of these men in meeting the real meaning of the Law.
Here is a truth that we need to remember. Love is not found in religion. Religion always causes us to put religion first and living the religion second. By helping the man in trouble the Samaritan displayed true religion and undefiled.
If this is the way Jesus loved, and it is, we must put our religion aside, put our preferences aside, and put our labels aside and love those who are unlovely, which is loving like Jesus.
II. His love was demonstrated by contact.
v. 34... If we study this parable in detail we will see that everyone except the Samaritan refused to touch the wounded traveler. The reason seemed legitimate. If the religious persons touched the wounded man and he was actually dead, they would be denied service in the Temple for one year.
How could they give up this important duty for one man that they did not know? Yet it was the Samaritans willingness to get his hands dirty that demonstrated true love and compassion.
The Bible records that Jesus was touched by the feelings of our infirmities. He was touched by the limit of the flesh. He was in all points like us yet without sin.
It is in our being unafraid of being touched by the sins of others that allows us to minister to them in their darkest hours. And that is loving like Jesus loved.
III. His love was delivered with care.
v. 34-35... In this verse, we find that the Samaritan took CARE of the wounded traveler. He bandaged his wounds with bandages that should have been reserved for him on his travels. He poured oil and wine in the wound to singe it and treat the infection that most assuredly would come.
We all have been wounded at one time or another. We need to apply the LOVING word of God to a wounded person. A child of God can and does sometimes goes astray. And what do we do? Continue to wound the wounded. "Did you hear what so-and-so did?? "Yes, and I'm through with them.
They are wounded. They made a bad chose, they stepped into the devil's trap. And how do we react? I’m not going to associate with them anymore”.
Let me ask you a question along right about here. Can you throw a stone?
M't:7:3: And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? M't:7:4: Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? M't:7:5: Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Notice now. He put him on his own animal and led him to an Inn to recover. He paid for his stay, gave money for future stay, and promised to pay if the money did not cover all the expenses. When was the last time you did this? When was the last time that you gave up things that were intended for your self and give it to someone who was “wounded and dying?” That would be loving like Jesus did.
I found this story and would love to share it.
A group of businessmen were late for their plane and were rushing through the airport when they bumped into a blind girl who was selling apples to waiting passengers. They got to the gate just in time, went to the entrance of the plane when one of them, a Christian, felt terrible about what they had done to the young blind girl.
He told his friends to go on and that he would catch the next flight because he had to go back and check on the girl. They protested but he had been so moved by their selfishness that he could not think of leaving without offering at least to help.
When he got back to the terminal there was the girl trying desperately to gather her apples. The young Christian businessman knelt down and told the girl that he was sorry and that he would help pick them up for her.
When they had completely picked up all the apples he took out his wallet and paid for a few of the apples they had bruised. He apologized to the girl and began to turn away when the young blind girl asked a question he never forgot. “Mister, are you Jesus?”
No one will probably ask us this question but it would sure be nice if someone, somewhere, sometime would ask, “Mister, are you a Christian?” Mam, are you a Christian”? It gets no better than that because that would be loving like Jesus. You have His Word on it!
Do you know anyone who has been wounded? The devil will wound you, he will leave you to die. The bible says in John:10:10: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. People turn their back on you, but Jesus don’t I have given Him every reason NOT to love me, but He does anyway.
Let us love like Jesus does. I saw a church sign that read: "Turn off the news and just love your neighbor". Let us be what Jesus desires of us. Amen.
