“KEEP CARING” Luke 10:25-37
FBCF – 2/11/24
Jon Daniels
INTRO – 1985 – Huey Lewis & the News #1 song – “The Power of Love.” Part of soundtrack for movie, “Back to the Future.” Chorus:
You don't need money, don't take fame
Don't need no credit card to ride this train
It's strong and it's sudden and it's cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life
That's the power of love
That's the power of love
Today, we are going consider a parable of Jesus that shows the power of love when it’s put into action. It’s the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Love that is nothing more than words is not really love at all.
- 1 John 3:18 – “My children, our love should not be just words & talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.” (TEV)
It’s the kind of love that causes us to spring into action when there’s someone in need, someone who’s hurting, someone who’s in danger.
- Pizza delivery man rescues child from fire - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsskiB4qL1g
EXPLANATION – Luke 10:25-37 (David Derrick – 8:30 Harvey – 11:00)
Familiar passage – maybe most familiar of Jesus’ parable. And Jesus uses a word that is familiar to us – “neighbor.” Let’s make sure we understand who & what He is talking about.
Gk word lit means “nearby.” So, in that sense, a neighbor is that person that we probably think about when we say “neighbor” – someone close by – maybe lives close by – phrase “next door neighbor.” For me, the Hammocks & the Marberrys are my “next door neighbors.” The Wilbourns, Mr. Charles Campbell, the McNamaras, Cheyenne Poole, & others up on 1st Street would be those neighbors that are physically close by. And certainly, the characters in this parable were close by the man who was assaulted & robbed.
But Jesus had more in mind than just being physically close to someone. He expanded the definition, even including enemies. Your neighbor is anyone, anywhere, of any race, any social standing, any family b’ground, w/ any need. Can be someone close by – someone you w/ whom you have something in common – same nature, viewpoints, beliefs, race, country, faith – a friend or associate. Or, as in passage for today, a neighbor is defined as any other member of the human family – PERIOD.
When Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves in the Great Commandment, He is not telling us to limit our love to only those who we are close to, those who hold same beliefs, who are like us, or those we like more than others. “A neighbor is any person we encounter who has any need. Since every person we encounter has a need of some kind, we can understand the term to include every person we encounter.” (Holman Bible Dictionary) So the basic truth that Jesus is commanding us as His followers to obey is to LOVE EVERY OTHER PERSON IN THE WORLD. And word used for loving your neighbor is same word use for loving God – agapao – unconditional, no-strings-attached “What in it for me?”, sacrificial, putting their needs before your needs, more concerned about them than about you, not concerned about their response or their reciprocating your acts of love.
So, look around you. Turn to person beside you – “Hey, neighbor.” Turn to someone else – “Hey, neighbor.” Look at that camera – “Hey, neighbor.”
Now, let’s talk about the participants of this story. Joe McKeever shared this: Adrian Rogers in his study at Columbus once. Discussing this parable. Dr. Rogers: "You know the traditional outline on that?" Joe didn’t. Dr. Rogers: "There are three philosophies in this story:
- THE THIEVES said, "What's yours is mine and I will take it."
- THE PRIEST/LEVITE said, "What's mine is mine and I will keep it."
- THE SAMARITAN said, "What's mine is mine but I will share it."
The brutes that beat him down – v. 30 – Tragic but this is regular occurrence in our violent society today:
- Police officers in NYC beaten down last week.
- Teenage boy beaten down out at Shiloh Park in Brandon last week.
- Regularly see parents, coaches, spectators, & players beat each other down at sporting events.
We don’t know much about these guys except they were “robbers” & he “fell” among them – encountered them on this dangerous road – a 21-mile-long road – “The Way of Blood” b/c it was a favorite territory for marauding bands of thieves & thugs.
Sad truth: Whether first century or 21st century, sin is still the same. Satan is still at work. Lost people still act like lost people. They are just acting according to their nature.
- Galatians 5:19-21 – ”Now the practices of the [i]sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, & other things like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (AMP)
- Thugs & thieves need Jesus just like anyone else does – gangbangers, pimps, prostitutes, cheaters, illegal immigrants, porn producers & porn stars, common crooks, corporate embezzlers, crooked politicians, drag queens, traffickers, drunks, abortionists – We’ve got to love them & share Jesus w/ them, too!
The bogus passersby that left him down – v. 31-32 – Rules & regulations for priests & Levites said they were to avoid being defiled by coming into contact w/ a dead body, although it doesn’t seem like they took much time to find out if the guy was dead. Maybe sissies, squeamish, or afraid the thugs were still in the area. Bottom line: They avoided getting involved, avoided getting dirty, avoided getting contaminated, avoided the man w/ the obvious needs. In the process, these very religious men who had just been to church missed out on being used by the God that they professed to follow. They saw the wounded traveler as a problem to avoid. So that’s what they did – they saw him, avoided him, & left him down on the ground.
- I did this - NYC
The bona fide neighbor that picked him up – v. 33-35 – The Samaritan wasn’t out looking for someone to help – wasn’t on a mission trip or a ministry project w/ his Life Group or DNow group. V. 33 – “…as he journeyed…” – simply going down the road, living life, maybe watching for thieves, & “came to where he was” & realized someone needed HIS help. Didn’t look around to see if someone else was going to do the job. V. 34 – “HE went to him…” –
- Didn’t matter that the guy was a Jew – Jews & Samaritans despised & hated each other. No prejudice has ever run deeper than the prejudice between these 2 races.
- Didn’t matter what others thought about what he was doing – “Why in the world would you help someone who hates you so much?”
- Didn’t matter that he was risking his own life – How did he know that this wasn’t a trap, that the thieves were hiding waiting for someone to stop? Or that the Jew himself may react violently to a dirty Samaritan putting his hand on him?
- Didn’t matter that it was going to cost him a lot – his own bandages, oil, & wine – the energy to get him up & get him onto his donkey – the inconvenience of having to delay his own trip to get the guy to the inn – the time it took to take care of the Jew – the money out of his own pocket to pay for the room at the inn (2 denarii – 2 days’ wages for a laborer – if he was a minimum wage worker in MS – $116) & promised to take care of any & all future expenses.
- This Samaritan placed compassion over every other obstacle, hindrance, or objection – prejudice, work, time, energy, money, other’s opinions.
- He set the standard, & it’s the standard that Jesus expects & requires of all of us who are His followers.
APPLICATION – Which one are you going to be?
ARE YOU GOING TO BE THE ONE WHOSE HANDS BEAT HIM DOWN? – May not physically beat someone down, but how many of us beat others down w/ our words? Or we beat them down by slighting them, or excluding them from our clique, or ostracizing them, or shunning them?
ARE YOU GOING TO BE THE ONE WHOSE FEET BYPASSED HIM? – How many times have we done this? How many times have we wished that the homeless guy didn’t catch our eye? How many times have we wished that our phone hadn’t rung when we saw the name of the person pop up & knew they were going to need help?
ARE YOU GOING TO BE THE ONE WHOSE HEART BLESSED HIM? – V. 37 – “You go & do likewise.”
CONCLUSION – Story told of a man in the American Revolution, dressed in civilian clothes, rode past group of soldiers repairing a defensive barrier. Their leader was shouting instructions but making no attempt to help them. Rider asked why he wasn’t helping. He retorted with great dignity, "Sir, I am a corporal!" Stranger apologized, dismounted, proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers. When job was done, he turned to the corporal: "Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this & not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, & I will come and help you again." The man was none other than George Washington.
You & I need to get off of our high horses & be willing to get down & get dirty so we can show the love of God to those who are in need
