Bandages of Love IV
Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
9 September 2007
U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
Saint James C.M.E.
Salinas, California
BIG IDEA: Anyone in need is your neighbor.
References: Luke 18:18-27(RSV) Story of The Rich Young Ruler; Luke 10:25-37 (NIV); John 15:1-17 “Fruit Bearing”; Romans 15:1-2 KJV - (We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification); Genesis 4:9 KJV - (And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?); Deuteronomy 7:9 (ASV) - Know therefore that Jehovah thy God, he is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and loving kindness with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; Deuteronomy 11:1 (ASV) - Therefore thou shalt love Jehovah thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his ordinances, and his commandments, always; Matthews 19:19 (KJV) Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; Romans 13:8 (KJV) -Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
III. READ THE TEXT: Luke 10:34(NIV) “He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.”
IV. PURPOSE: Motivate the hearers to affirm to others that anyone in need is their neighbor.
V. INTRODUCTION:
To the Angel of this great church – Dr. Darryl Wesley; and to the faithful ministers, deacons, members and friends of Saint James … Christian Methodist … Episcopal Church … Good Morning!
I’m indeed … honored … to be given an opportunity to … even stand … where your great pulpiteer stands … on a regular basis.
For (Dr.) Wesley … is known throughout the bay area for being a great preacher.
I’ve even heard … that some of God most gifted preachers have stood where … I now stand …
So, let me kindly request your forgiveness upfront …. for not measuring up …. to the preaching standard … that you have grown accustomed to …
…. I’m indeed … humbled to stand before you … in an attempt … to OPEN, READ and SHARE … with you … the most powerful MAIL … known to humankind … THE WORD OF GOD!
Can someone say AMEN?
Recently during my sermon preparation time, I came across a humorous story entitled, “Helping Hand”:
According to the story, a pastor was walking down the street one day … when he saw a very small boy … trying to press … a doorbell on a house across the street.
However, the doorbell was too high for the boy to reach.
After watching the boy’s efforts for some time, the pastor moved closer to the boy’s position.
He stepped smartly across the street, walked up behind the little fellow … and, placed his hand kindly on the boy’s shoulder … and gave the doorbell a solid ring.
Crouching down to the little boy’s level, the pastor smiled … benevolently and asked, “And now what, my little man?”
To which the boy replied, … “Now we run?”
Although … I found this story to be humorous, Helping can be SERIOUS.
********************TAKE 5 BEATS*********************
MOVE 1: In fact, helping someone in need is SERIOUS AND IMPORTANT MINISTRY!
a. For who can ever forget the story of Cain and Abel (in Genesis 4:1-16)?
b. For don’t you remember, God asked Cain if he knew his brother’s whereabouts;
c. …and Cain replied, I know not: Am I My Brother’s Keeper?
d. Now, my brothers and sisters, most theologians and students of the Bible agree that there aren’t any scriptural indications, that Cain intentionally killed his Brother.
e. But he was definitely responsible for the health and welfare of his brother.
f. It’s also … true … that Cain had no previous knowledge of what death … on a human being looked like.
*********************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 2: In fact, he probably wondered why his brother lied …. lifeless before him. As if he was a dead dog.
a. But, in his anger, he refused to help his brother; instead, he walked away.
b. If his brother wasn’t initially dead, he eventually died because his BROTHER DIDN’T HELP HIM.
c. NOW … we all know that helping doesn’t always mean the older is helping the younger; or the younger is helping the older;
d. And it doesn’t always mean … a brother is helping another brother … or a sister is helping another sister …
e. Sometimes HELPING … simply means … one human being is HELPING OUT ANOTHER Human being.
******************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 3: About A Week ago, while I WAS BROWSING THE INTERNET, I came across an article REGARDING a crime that was committed …
a. … in the parking lot of … one of ATLANTA … GEORGIA’S most … prestigious hotels …
b. … It’s victim … was ONE … OF OUR NATION’S MOST POWERFUL TELE-EVANGELIST … AND GOSPEL RECORDING ARTIST.
c. One … who God has used … to deliver many souls (women and men) from the captivity of Satan’s grip …
d. … came within inches of … losing her life … which was salvaged by a bell hopper.
e. The Hotel Bell Hopper saw a man beating … and STOMPING the evangelist, sounded the alarm of compassion …
f. … Then he ran to the aid of the evangelist; and pulled the assailant off of her …
g. … enabling her to COVER-UP her open wounds … until she received the much needed … MEDICAL ATTENTION …
h. … and BANDAGES and BAND-AIDS were provided ….
*********************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 4: Likewise, in our text, this morning, … Jesus shares the story that many theologians call “The Good Samaritan”.
a. The parable about the Good Samaritan is actually a parable of Jesus …. teaching a “YOUNG LAWYER” how to obtain ETERNAL LIFE.
b. For don’t you remember, … Jesus had just finished teaching the 70 disciples …. and those that were gathered to hear him … that they should NOT be overly happy … because they were able to HEAL AND CAST devils out of people lives;
c. but they should rejoice …. because THEIR NAMES WERE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN …
d. AfTERWARDS … THE young lawyer stood up … and asked … MASTER … WHAT CAN I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?
*******************TAKE 5 BEATS*********************
MOVE 5: JESUS REPONDED to the question … WHAT DOES THE LAW OF MOSES INSTRUCT YOU TO DO?
a. THE LAWYER SAID: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself - Luke 10:27 (KJV)
b. And Jesus said to him. You have answered correctly. Do what you have said … and you shall live … and have … ETERNAL …LIFE …
c. But … the LAWYER trying to justify himself asked … WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
d. In other words, MASTER … YOU KNOW ME. I WOULD GLADLY LOVE MY NEIGHBOR AS MYSELF … IF I ONLY KNEW WHO MY NEIGHBOR WAS …
*******************TAKE 5 BEATS***********************
MOVE 6: Now, my brothers and sisters, if you would come a little closer within the rudiments of your mind, and allow your imaginations to work with you ….
a. Perhaps you can SEE AND HEAR Jesus’ 2007 Version of The Good Samaritan:
b. For Jesus replied, … A man was traveling from Salinas California to Monterey … when he fell into the hands of SOME Seaside gang members.
c. They robbed him. They beat him. And they ran away, leaving … the man almost dead.
d. Afterwards, a Minister who happened to be …. headed to NAVY POST GRADUATE SCHOOL (OR NPS) Chapel in Monterey …
e. … went down the same road and saw the man lying in the street .. with blood all around him ...
f. But, he didn’t do anything to HELP him. Instead, he crossed the street and continued towards NPS (Navy Post Graduate School) Chapel.
g. Later, a DEACON from NPS Chapel, also came down the same road.
h. In fact, the deacon looked on the man and saw that he had been traumatized. For the man eyes were rolling towards the back of his head … and he was definitely about to die …
i. Now, … this same deacon had been a Navy Corpsman (or medic)…
j. So, he recognized the severity of the beaten man’s problem.
k. Still, he provided no assistance. He didn’t HELP.
l. Instead, he crossed the street … and continued towards NPS Chapel.
*********************TAKE 5 BEATS********************
MOVE 7: Still later, a YOUNG MAN … who was a member of Saint James C.M.E. (Christian Methodist Episcopal) Church in Salinas, CA…
a. … was traveling down that same road, headed toward NPS Chapel … when he saw … the injurious man … that NEEDED HELP.
b. But unlike the first two… He had compassion for him. He ran to his aid, and ..
c. …wrapped-up his open wounds with bandages and band-aids.
d. Then he put him ON … HIS MOTOR-CYCLE … and carried him …. to THE EMBASSY SUITE (in Seaside, CA) … and TOOK CARE OF HIM.
e. HE STAYED WITH HIM ALL NIGHT.
f. HE Wanted to Attend NPS Chapel … HE HAD WORLD RELGION AT NPS to ATTEND. BUT HE STAYED WITH THE INJURED MAN ALL …. NIGHT.
g. The next day, he took money out of his own pocket … and gave it to THE MANAGER OF THE EMBASSY and said, …
************************Take 5 Beats******************
MOVE 8: If this man requires additional time in this HOTEL; when I come back through here, I’ll pay the difference …
a. Now … after sharing the parable …. Jesus turned to the young LAWYER and asked:
b. Which of the three (the MINISTER, THE DEACON, or the Member of Saint James C.M.E. Church in Salinas …
c. …… was a Good Neighbor to the man that was victimized by the GANG?
d. And the lawyer responded, …
e. … the Young Man …. that was a member of St. James C.M.E.
f. Jesus said to him, Go and do thou likewise.
g. In other words, GO AND DO THE SAME THING THE YOUNG Saint James Member DID … and you SHALL INHERIT … ENTERNAL LIFE.
h. GO AND DO THE SAME THING … and you will be able to rejoice … because your name will also be written in heaven …
********************TAKE 5 BEATS******************
CELEBRATION:
My brothers and sisters, …. THE EVANGELIST (JUANITA BYNUM) … is alive today … because of THE BELL HOPPER and HIS … BANDAGES OF LOVE …
If it had not been for his HELP AND CARE … the EVANGELIST MAY HAVE loss her life.
…BUT THE DEVIL IS A LIAR …
… GOD ALWAYS HAS A RAM IN THE BUSH …
The Bell hopper didn’t mind …. SCARIFICING HIS TIME …
He didn’t mind …. HELPING SOMEONE IN NEED …
For the Bible says (in Romans 15:1-2) …We then that are strong … ought to bear …the infirmities of the weak, …
and not to please ourselves… every one of us please his neighbor for his good ..
The Apostle Paul also … reminds us (in Romans 13:8 – KJV) that as Christians … we .. ought … to
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
