Introduction
With the onset of the Covid 19, I learned a new term that wasn’t in my vocabulary until this virus outbreak occurred called “Social Distancing”. I looked up the definition, and it defines Social Distancing as the practice of keeping space between yourself and others to reduce the chance of contact, and in the present situation, with those who knowingly or unknowingly are carrying the virus. Listen to that definition again. The practice of keeping space between yourself and others to reduce the chance of contact.
Social Distancing may be a new term to me, and it may be a new term to you; but mankind did not need a virus to teach us how to Social Distance. We have been practicing Social Distancing for the longest time. In fact, I want to show you today an example of Social Distancing and see what Jesus has to say about it from the Scriptures found in the Gospel of Luke 10th chapter
So, if you have your Bible turn with me to Luke 10: 25-37.
Scripture
Luke 10:25-37 (NKJV)
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?"
27 So he answered and said, "'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.' "
28 And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30 Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'
36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"
37 And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
Background Information
Let’s begin our study, by giving you some background information. An expert of the law comes to Jesus with the right question. “What must I do to inherit eternal life? If you are saved today, you have had to asked yourself that exact question. But this expert of the law did not come to find the answer to the right question but to test Jesus; to try to trick Jesus.
I love how Jesus answers him with a question. What is written in the Law, you expert of the Law? And the man replied to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus tells the man; you have answered correctly. Go and do those things and live. But the expert of the Law was more interested in testing Jesus than living out the answer. Sometimes you ask a question, but you are really not hearing the answer because you are coming up with the next question to ask.
So, the expert of the law shots back the next question to Jesus. Who is my neighbor? And by asking that exact question, he is asking Jesus who do I have to include in my neighbor list, but it also implies who can I exclude from my neighbor list? Who can I social distance my life from? Who is it that I do not have to have contact with?
And Jesus answers that question of social distancing by telling the expert of the Law you are to be a neighbor to everyone through the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Point #1
WE ARE NEVER TO USE SOCIAL DISTANCING AS AN EXCUSE NOT TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR FELLOW MAN.
30 Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.
So far, in Jesus’ story we see three characters. There is a man who the text says was beaten, stripped of his clothing, and left for half dead. We are not told specifically that he is a Jewish man, but the story implies that he is a Jew to have the story make sense. If that man were a Gentile or Samaritan, the Priest or Levite would have given no thought to stopping; passing by would have been the right thing to do. But the story implies that these religious people should have helped this man; so, he was probably a fellow Jew.
But we don’t see here from the priest or Levite is concern for this hurting man. But there is concern, and it is self-concern on the part of the priest and the Levite. This was a terrible road from Jerusalem to Jericho frequented by robbers and it could be if the priest or the Levite stopped to help the man that they might find themselves victims also. So, these religious men might have thought it is best to keep moving. And then because the Priest and Levite served in the Temple if the man died while they were ministering to him, that would make them unclean and affect their ability to serve in the Temple. How often do we Social Distance because if I get close it might interfere with my life? It might cost me something.
I like how Jesus describes the person as half dead because that means that he is half alive. But the priest and Levite wrote him off as half dead. I wonder how many people we have written off and distance ourselves from because they are half dead. I prayed for them to turn their life over to Jesus and nothing has changed so I gave up on them. I am glad today that Eddie and Linda Howarth didn’t give up on Anne and me because if they did, I would not be here preaching today. They didn’t social distance themselves from us because we were unreceptive to the Gospel. They had concern. And God calls each one of us to have concern.
We can not use Social Distancing as an excuse not to have concern. Let me ask you where is your concern for your fellow man?
Point #2
WE ARE NEVER TO USE SOCIAL DISTANCING AS AN EXCUSE NOT TO SHOW COMPASSION UNTO WHOSOEVER COMPASSION IS NEEDED.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.
34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
You will never show much compassion if you are waiting for people to come ask you for help. Compassion goes to where they are to give them help. If we are waiting for the lost to come into this church, so they get salvation, we are going to be waiting a long time. If we are waiting for those who are hurting to come into the church house to get help, we are going to be waiting a long time. The field for compassion is outside of those doors. The Samaritan came to where the man was. The half dead man did not have to get up and go chase down the Samaritan. That is the trouble with the church today, we are waiting for the half-deads to chase us down. And it isn’t going to happen. Social Distancing has no place is showing compassion. The church has got to go to them.
You will never show compassion if you are looking for reasons why you cannot do something. There is always some reason that you cannot do something. This Samaritan could have thought to himself: this guy probably would not like me because I am one of those hated half breeds that they talk about. Or the Samaritan could have thought if that were me half dead there, that Jew would probably not stop for me. Compassion throws all the excuses out of the window.
I realize that all may not be neighborly to me, but Godly compassion demands that I be a neighbor to everyone.
Point #3
WE ARE NEVER TO USE SOCIAL DISTANCING AS AN EXCUSE NOT TO CARE FOR WHOSOEVER CARE IS NEEDED.
34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'
36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"
37 And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
The care that the Samaritan showed to this man revealed the level of compassion that he had experienced in own life. I think we have the capacity to show compassion, to the level we have been shown compassion. Obviously, this Samaritan has been showed a tremendous amount of compassion.
The Samaritan could have poured oil and wine on the cuts to soothe the pain and that would have been compassion. It was more than the priest and Levite had done. The Samaritan could have bandaged him up and then been on his way and that would have been a greater level of compassion. The Samaritan could put the man on his donkey and walked next to the donkey all the way to the inn and dropped him off and went on about his journey and that would have been a wonderful level of compassion. The Samaritan could have brought him in to the inn, gave the innkeeper two denarii which would have provided about two months stay. Extremely generous level of compassion. The Samaritan instead did all it took by giving the innkeeper carte blanche to get the injured man back whole again by telling the innkeeper I will pay what I owe when I return.
The priest and the Levite they social distanced themselves from the injured man. The Good Samaritan did not Social Distancing; he got involved in the life of the one who was hurting.
If Jesus were here today: do you think He would tell the church to Social Distance or to get involved in the lives of those who are hurting?
Let us pray!
