A well dressed woman was on an African Safari that stopped in a leper hospital. The air was humid and sticky. Flies buzzed in frenzy. The woman noticed a nurse bending toward a patient, attending a leper’s pus-filled sores. The woman said, “I wouldn’t do that for all the money in the world” to which the nurse replied, “Neither would I.”
To live an unshackled life is to respond to the rhythm of the heart of God. It is to put oneself in high seas of risk and costly investment in the life of another person. One lives this way fully conscious of our Source of power with the hope of heaven in full view.
This is week three in our continuing series of messages on “Learning to serve in a Service-less Age”.
- Week 1 – The Transplanted Heart…a change that assumes the servant posture of Jesus instead of posturing for position. The only way to greatness is from the ground in service to another.
Unshackled hands – a subject that pulls us past judgment to mercy. Unshackled hands do not concern themselves with the ‘how’ or ‘why’ of a circumstance. It does not spend time analyzing whose fault it is but the fact that the reality before me needs help.
The alternative to having unshackled hands are chained hands; chained to safety and personal security; chained to legalism and judgement. Chained hands allow us to make excuses that justify doing nothing when we should do something.
We will discover today if indifference shackles us to our personal desires, needs and preferences or if we live with unshackled hands as we freely respond to the people God places in our road.
First lesson about unshackled hands:
1. Unshackled hands are the expression of an unshackled heart
10:31-33…
“33…when he saw him he took pity on him.”
I’ve been preparing for this sermon all week. Because of that my mind may have been more keen than normal when I pulled into the Zeller’s parking lot on Thursday. A young man was changing a tire. I went along to ask if things were okay (after all, I can’t prepare for today and not demonstrate the heart of being a Good Samaritan). He told me he was simply removing the ‘dummy’ tire and replacing it with the new one. He assured me things were okay and away I went, rather proud of myself that I had stopped by. Only after I had left did I realize my missed opportunity. God didn’t call me to help replace the tire. It was to give the young man the extra gloves I had in the van for I noticed his hands were bare and it was a cold day. Lord, forgive.
I could quite easily justify not even stopping by. The question hit me, “Why is he changing a tire in the middle of a parking lot on a very cold day? Why not wait until tomorrow or take it to a garage and have them change it? The least he could have done was dress for the season; it’s not summer after-all.” But I was reminded that unshackled hands are not concerned about how or why – only that there is a need and I should do something about it.
As the Samaritan walked the road that day, he could have used the same logic as the other travelers. Socially speaking there were reasons to keep going, one of them being, “It’s your own fault.” The beaten and bruised traveler was near dead on a route called “The Bloody Way”. He knew that, so he put himself at careless risk to be out there alone. His stupid neglect is not uncommon though. The three who showed up that day also seemed to be traveling alone. Had they traveled the road before this victim, it could have been them lying in the dirt bleeding to death, needing help.
The logic of bad choices and stupid decisions on life’s road does not weigh down unshackled hands. These hands do not conduct a Social evaluation to analyze if they should respond or not. They simply have to get involved and help!
Lesson number two:
2. Unshackled hands take risks
10:34…
“34He went to him”
He went to him when the others kept going. One was heading to church. If this man was dead and he touched him the law would label him ‘ceremonially unclean’ and he could not perform his temple duties. Since he couldn’t be sure this man was dead or alive it was best to stay away which leads to the motto of the other: Safety first. This could have been a trap so it was safer not to risk it.
Eileen Guder, author of God, But I’m Bored:
“You can live on bland food so as to avoid an ulcer; drink no tea or coffee or other stimulants, in the name of health; go to bed early and stay away from night life; avoid all controversial subjects so as never to give offense; mind your own business and avoid involvement in other people’s problems; spend money only on necessities and save all you can. You can still break your neck in the bathtub, and it will serve you right.”
It is risky to be open for God’s use. None knows the dangers lurking in life’s corners and alleyways waiting for an opportunity to take advantage. Yet, unshackled hands cannot help themselves. To quote the beloved Salvation Army Commissioner, Edward Read, “the challenge to do something is profoundly Christian.”
Many understand the value and necessity of taking risks when investing in other people’s lives. Not only is there something of eternal value to be gained by getting involved but there is much more to be lost if we don’t. One writer noted a proverb which says, “Hell is paved with lost opportunities.” When we cross the street to be removed from another’s needs even for important reasons, we don’t realize that we have increased the risks by doing so; the risk that a life will be lost to God’s influence; the risk that bringing someone into relationship with God could be destroyed forever; the risk that usefulness for God is gradually chipped away every time we walk away. If we walk away, we get what we deserve. Sadly, the one needed our help doesn’t get what they deserve.
In many respects we need to measure risk not by what we do but understand it as it relates to what we sometimes fail to do or don’t do.
3. Unshackled hands is a costly experience
10:34-35…
- Note the language of investment…
Taking time to care cost the Samaritan money, time, comfort, safety and other potential investments. The situation put all his plans on hold. Who knows what meetings he had for the day or what purposes took him on this road. He was obviously headed somewhere to do something. He understood the risk of stopping. It left him more vulnerable to potential threats around the rocks and crevices of the hills where criminals could have been waiting for him to turn his back and jump him from behind. This is reason enough by itself to keep going, not to mention the other cost factors.
It is characteristic of unshackled hands. Such hands respond to the passion of the heart. The heart that takes pity cannot end the interaction with “Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs.” These words belong to the half brother of Jesus, James. He talks about looking out for other people in James 2:15-17. The words are set in context as he says, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself if is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:15-17)
There is a story of a group that had gathered together to pray for a family that was having severe financial difficulties. As one of the deacons was offering a fervent prayer for the Lord’s blessings upon this family, there was a knock at the door. They opened the door and there stood a neighbor farmer’s son. One of the elders asked, “Son, what do you want? You have disturbed our praying.”
The boy replied. “Pa couldn’t come, so I brought his prayers in the wagon.”
The elder was astonished and asked, “What do you mean?”
The boy answered, “Well, I’ve brought his prayers; just come out and help me and we’ll bring them in.”
They all went out to see. On reaching the wagon, they discovered that “Pa’s prayers” consisted of potatoes, flour, beef, oatmeal, turnips, apples, jellies, and clothing—all for the needy family. The prayer meeting was adjourned on short notice.”
The moral of the story: “Let’s pray by the wagon load.”
Mother Theresa: “Try to give unconditionally whatever a person needs in the moment. The point is to do something, however small, and show you care through your actions by giving your time.”
4. Unshackled hands live humbly with heaven in view
10:28…
The opening question…verse 25
The answer…verse 27
Jesus’ response…verse28
Jesus presents four attitudes to humanity in this story. A scholar tells us the robbers created the problem, the Priest and the Levite ignored the problem, the inn-keeper held a professional response to the problem and the Good Samaritan solved the problem.
When Jesus asked the law expert who of the three was a neighbor to the man (v36) the expert answered, “The one who treated him kindly” (v37, The Message). The Jews and Samaritans despised each other, so much so that the Jew hated the Samaritan more than he rejected the Gentile. They’d love nothing more than to perform a little ethnic cleansing and rid each of the other. The law expert could not bring himself to answer Jesus question, “Which of the three?” with “The Samaritan.” He could only manage “The one who…”
Jesus pushed a message home to the law expert about his pride. It was a key ingredient to the law expert’s separation from God. Even now with his answer his spirit clung desperately to pride as he refused to acknowledge that God uses the unlikely and unlovely, in this case a Samaritan. What was most painful was the lesson that God loved the Samaritan as deeply as he loved the Jewish law expert. A further lesson that the expert struggled with was glaring point that the Samaritan stopped to do what the earlier Jews would not do (Priest and Levite). This was a stinging rebuke and painful lesson.
PRIDE effectively shuts down our ability to live unshackled lives.
Wrap
What must I do?
- Seek the rhythm of God’s heart
- Respond to how God leads
- It is risky and will cost you plenty
- You can respond by keeping heaven in view and staying connected to the Source of your strength – Jesus Christ the hope of glory.
