Title: Three Perspectives of the Good Samaritan Story
Theme: Where do we find ourselves in the story of the Good Samaritan. Maybe we are the one who got robbed.
Text: Luke 10:25 - 37
Introduction
Read the Scriptures
Luke 10:25-37 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."
Three Applications
I. Serving Message
Man is robbed and thrown down in a ditch. The world has done everything they can to take his dignity. They have put labels on him. At one time they were his “friend” but now they no longer need him.
Yet he is in need. He is broken.
The Priest “representing the religious system or church” drop by but “cross to the other side”. They avoid him. Acting as if they had never seen him.
The Levite “religious people” drop by.
Maybe not all bad but busy, maybe had good excuses.
Excuses, maybe they were too busy. Maybe they had a lot to do.
"This road is too dangerous for me to stop and help the man."
"He might be a decoy for an ambush."
"I've got to get to the temple and perform my service for the Lord."
"I've got to get home and see my family."
"Someone really should help that man."
"If I'm going to serve at the temple I can't get my clothes bloody."
"I don't know first aid."
"It's a hopeless case."
"I'm only one person; the job is too big."
"I can pray for him."
"He brought it on himself, he should have never been alone on such a dangerous road."
"He never asked for help"
Then the unexpected happen. A Samaritan drop by. The Samaritans are ….
Look at how he goes out of his way to help
Application: We need to be careful that we are not so busy that we miss opportunities to help and show the glory of God to others.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, (4) who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
1 Peter 4:1 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Acts 9:36
Verse Concepts
Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.
Matthew 25:34-40 – Open Door Theme
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
II. Salvation Message
A. Good Question “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” to be saved
B. Jesus answers with a question “What is written in the law? What is your reading “Interpretation of it?”
C. Answer: The Shema
"'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.'
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! (5) You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
D. Illustration
1. A man who fell “Adam”
a. Broken
b. Tattered
c. “Was clothed with righteousness but fell”
d. Half dead – physically alive but spiritually dead
2. Priest – “religion” came by, but religion cannot save us, too occupied with the “do’s and don’ts of Christianity”
3. Levite – “the law” getting my life back together on my own. Doing the right thing.
4. Good Samaritan
a. Came to him, “the robbed man could not get to him”
b. Picked him up, “we cannot pick ourself up”
c. Bandaged his wounds “by His stripes we are healed”
d. Put on the oil “healing and Holy Spirit
“beauty for ashes”
Isa 61:1-3 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; (2) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, (3) To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."
e. Paid for the extra “left the Holy Spirit
5. Who is my neighbor? “the one who showed mercy” took that which I owed.
Application: We are lost without God. God saved us in the ditch.
III. Needing Help Message
What if we saw this story from a different angle?
Luke 10:25-37 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."
What if Jesus is challenging the man who is the lawyer to put himself in the place of the one who was robbed?
Evidence: “a certain lawyer” “a certain man” expected to be a jew, lawyer was a Jew
Matthew 7:12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
How would he feel if he saw that? What would he want the Priest and the Levite to do?
How would you feel about the Priest and the Levite system? Does it work? Does it play out.
Jesus had compassion on people. Wanting to help people. His heart went out to them.
Matthew 15:32 And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, “I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.”
Matthew 9:36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 18:11-13 [For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.] “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.
Perspective affects everything.
Maybe God is calling us to see the people around us with compassion. To see them with a different perspective and intentionally find a way to reach them.
Here’s the story, titled “Whose Job Is It, Anyway?”
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but
Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.
The story may be confusing, but the message is clear: no one took responsibility so nothing got accomplished.
Conclusion
Sermon series: BLESS
B- Begin with Prayer
L-Listen
E-Eat and fellowship with them
S-Serve them
S-Share Your Story
