Knowing Our Neighbors
Luke 10:25-37
Rev. Brian Bill
6/14/09
The story of the Good Samaritan is one of the most well-known parables of Jesus. There are hospitals named after him and his name has become an idiom for unusual kindness and extraordinary care for the hurting. The “Good Sam RV Club” provides campground discounts and its members help one another. We also have “Good Samaritan Laws” that protect from liability those who choose to aid others who are injured or ill. To call someone a “Good Samaritan” is to pay them a great compliment.
While this parable is popular it’s not always correctly understood. That reminds me of the little boy who came home from Sunday School after learning about the Good Samaritan. He told his mother the story in great detail. He had all the facts straight and all the people in their right character roles. The mother then asked, “What’s the purpose of the parable? What’s it supposed to teach us?” The young boy replied, “It means that when we’re in trouble, others should come to help us!” Not exactly.
It’s common to just skim a story, especially when we’re pretty familiar with it. This morning I’m going to take a different angle in the hopes that we’ll encounter the parable’s purpose in a fresh and moving manner.
Putting the Text in Context
Before studying the story, let’s back up a bit and look at the text in context. Please turn in your Bibles to Luke 10. There are two basic structural divisions, each of which is prompted by a question.
1. What must I do to inherit eternal life? In verse 25 we read: “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’” This law expert was adept at understanding the Old Testament and wanted to put Jesus to the test, hoping he could trip Him up so the people would stop listening to Him. Specifically, this sophisticated Scripture scholar was “heresy hunting” by attempting to discredit Jesus. Do you see the contradiction in his question? He’s wondering what he must do in order to inherit eternal life. An inheritance is not something that we work for; it’s a gift.
As Jesus often did, He turned the question back on the person who asked it in verse 26: “‘What is written in the Law?’ he replied. ‘How do you read it?’” Notice that Jesus took Him to the authority of the Bible, which is something we should do as well. The man answers correctly by citing Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. All he had to do was pull up his shirt sleeve and read the answer that was written on his phylactery, a small leather box: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Our students have this memorized as well. LGLO: Love God, Love Others.
In verse 28 Jesus affirms him for giving the right answer (the word is “orthos” from where we get orthodoxy, which means “correct belief”) and at the same time flips the tables to show that He’s the authoritative expert. Jesus then adds these unsettling words: “Do this and you will live.” This is “orthopraxy,” which refers to “correct behavior.” Is Jesus advocating a works-based theology? Not at all. He’s saying that if you want to use the Law as leverage to get into heaven, then you better follow everything in it by always loving God every second, every hour, every day with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind from the day you are born until the day you die.
The phrase, “do this” means “to keep on doing this forever.” The word “love” is in the present tense, meaning constantly and continuously. That also includes loving your neighbor perfectly, all the time. That’s the standard that God sets. If you want to get in, then be perfect. One slip up and you’re out. This legal beagle is condemned by the very Law he quoted.
The purpose of the Law is to show us that we can’t keep it. Listen to Romans 3:20: “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” The Law not only shows us our sin, Galatians 3:10 shows us that if we don’t keep every part of it, all the time, then we are cursed: “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’” To fall once is to fail forever. James 2:10: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” Galatians 3:24 states that the aim of the Law is to lead us to Christ: “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.” The Law then points out that we’re sinners and that we’re in desperate need of a Savior.
2. Who is my neighbor? Jesus’ response makes the expert nervous and he’s probably regretting he ever asked the question. One pastor writes: “It’s like raising your hand to ask a question in class and then having the professor make you look like a fool.” The man should have said something like, “I admit my inability. I can’t keep the law perfectly. What should I do?” Instead, in verse 29 we see that the lawyer is looking for a loophole when he asks a second question: “But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’”
The man now seeks to defend himself and deflect his responsibility by asking for a definition of the word “neighbor,” much like one of our former presidents who wondered what the word “is” really means. He’s hoping to be acquitted on a technicality in the Law. A bit of background is helpful here. There was a raging debate back then about whom a neighbor really was. They wanted to know who was in and who was out. The Jews typically interpreted “neighbor,” as “one who is near,” or a fellow Jew. The Pharisees tended to reject “ordinary people” while a smaller community at Qumran excluded everyone who was not part of their group. This man wants Jesus to draw a circle but it’s a lot bigger than he bargained for. The lawyer wanted a legal limit by making the Law require less than it does.
People do this all the time. Some rely on being a “good person” in order to get into heaven. Others know that they’re not all that good so they try to reduce God’s entrance requirements. Does that describe anyone here today? Do you really think you’re good enough to get in? Or do you think you can justify yourself by lowering God’s standards?
Jesus doesn’t directly answer the question but instead tells a simple story or parable. He doesn’t quote the Greek or offer a lengthy dissertation. Instead of arguing in the abstract, Jesus presents a concrete case. He could have blasted the man but instead He gives him one more chance to see his own sinfulness. On the surface this popular parable appears to be a simple story about being kind. It’s actually much deeper than that. This story is designed to show each of us how sinful and selfish we really are and that our only hope of going to heaven is by being justified by Jesus, not by doing good works. Being good is not good enough because none of us is good enough to get in.
The Story
In an effort to keep us from just skimming over the story because it’s so familiar, we’re going to view the events through the swollen eyes of the wounded man. Put your Bible on your lap so you can follow along.
I had just left Jerusalem and was on my way home to Jericho, which was about 17 miles away. I treasured my time of worship in the Temple but was now eager to see my family. I should tell you that the road I took was treacherous and dangerous, dropping some 4,000 feet from beginning to end. There were huge boulders and caves where robbers would hide out. We called it the “bloody pass” because so many who passed this way got beat up and robbed. It was like walking through a dark alley in the worst part of Chicago. I knew I shouldn’t be out there alone but I didn’t know what else to do.
As I rounded a sharp bend in the road a man jumped off a rock on to my back. Another one took me out at the knees. I felt a third man grab my head and he started slamming it into the stony path. I tried to scream but nothing came out. They took all my money and then I felt them rip my clothes off my back. As they got up to leave the bigger guy kicked me in the face and I felt excruciating pain as one of my teeth fell to the dirt. Another one slugged me in the stomach and I started vomiting.
I don’t know how long I laid there because I slipped in and out of consciousness. I then heard some noise and thought the robbers were coming back to finish me off. I had a difficult time focusing but I could make out a priest coming my way. Surely he would help me because he had just come from the Temple. I saw him glance at me and then look away as he moved to the opposite side of the path where he picked up his pace and vanished around a corner. A few minutes later a Levite came upon me. He slowed down and gazed at me. I was relieved because surely this religious man would help. He seemed grossed out by my wounds and quickly scurried to the other side of the road and was gone. I thought I was a goner.
By now the sun was starting to go down and I couldn’t get up. I was just starting to shut my eyes and drift off when I saw a blurry image of a man on a donkey. I could tell by the way he was dressed and by his features that he was a Samaritan. Our people hated people like him and he hated people like me. Our animosity went back generations to when his ancestors intermarried with pagans. My forefathers burned the temple of the Samaritans to the ground and they responded by sneaking into our temple and defiling it. The very reason this road to Jericho was so long is because Jews used it as a detour so as not to travel through the land of the Samaritans. This was the Samaritan’s opportunity to spit on me or finish me off. You don’t really have an exact equivalent in your culture but it would be similar to having a member of the Taliban as the one who stopped to help you.
I couldn’t believe what happened next. I saw compassion in his eyes. He jumped off his donkey and came right over to me to see how he could help. He then took his precious wine which served as an antiseptic and poured it on my wounds. Then he showered my sores with expensive soothing oil. He then ripped some of his clothes off and used the strips as bandages. When the bleeding stopped he lifted me up and put me on his donkey and walked next to me for miles until we came to an inn. He stayed up all night taking care of my needs, bringing me water and trying to get me to eat something.
The next day he took out two silver coins (which represented two days’ wages) and gave them to the innkeeper and urged him to look after me until he could return. That might be hard for you to grasp in your economy but that was enough money for about a month’s worth of food and lodging. He even told the motel manager to put any extra charges on his credit card and he would settle up when he came back.
Two Points of the Parable
I see at least two main points of this parable. The first has application to those of us who are already born again. The second application, which gets to the main purpose of the parable, is for those who have yet to be converted.
1. For believers. In verses 36-37, Jesus presses home the point of the parable to the religious man: “‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’ The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”
The question is not “Who is my neighbor” but rather, “Am I being neighborly to everyone, even my enemies?” The law expert put the emphasis on whether a person was worthy of love; Jesus put the emphasis on the one who does the loving. The lawyer wanted a definition and a limitation. To ask “Who is my neighbor?” is to look for a loophole by focusing on what claim others have on my time and energy and resources. To ask “Whose neighbor am I?” is to focus on what I owe to the suffering people all around me.
The law-expert answered correctly when he said that the neighbor was “the one who had mercy on him.” Notice that he couldn’t even say the word “Samaritan.” He’s told to go and do as the Samaritan did. Not just once, but as a lifestyle of loving servanthood.
Brothers and sisters; be careful about allowing “religiosity” to become an excuse for excluding those you don’t like. The ironic thing is that the priests were to serve as public health officials and part of what Levites did was to distribute funds to the poor and needy. Listen. The religious people in this story gave the right answers but they didn’t apply what they knew. They spent all their time worshipping and praising but didn’t work it out practically. They came from God’s presence but somehow God’s presence never got through to them. We can sing “Praise to the Lord” and “Great is our God” in worship and yet walk right by injured people made in the image of God.
Notice also that the priest “happened to be” going down the road when he came across a need. I believe that things don’t happen “by chance.” God orchestrates our days and activities and provides opportunities for us to meet needs. Ephesians 2:10 says: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We need to make sure we’re ready. I’m saddened when I think of how many “good works” I pass up everyday. Will you pass by when God purposely brings people across your path?
Practice acts of kindness and compassion. Proverbs 21:13: “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.” When the Samaritan saw the man, he took “pity” on him. This is a very strong word in the Greek referring to the inner recesses of the stomach and bowels. It’s the idea of being deeply moved. One of the best definitions I’ve heard for compassion is this: “Your hurt in my heart.” His emotion led to motion. Compassion must lead to action. Seeing led to sympathy which led to service.
* He saw
* He felt
* He came near
* He helped
* He sacrificed – the word for “pouring” has the idea of lavish generosity.
* He gave
* He followed-up
Every part of the Samaritan gets involved – his eyes, heart, feet, hands, thoughts, time, possession, speech and money.
Though we cannot be saved by good works, those who are saved will practice good works. Good works are not a condition of salvation but they are certainly the fruit of it. True love says, “All the world is my neighborhood and all the hurting are my neighbors. I will do what I can to help whoever I can whenever I can by using whatever means are available to me, with God’s help.”
Let’s go back to the lawyer’s question: “Who is my neighbor?” In light of this story, we can answer the question this way: My neighbor is anyone in need whose path I cross whose need I am able to meet. In that light you never know when you’ll run into a neighbor. You will find neighbors everywhere you go. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, liked to say, “The world is my parish.” With this story Jesus is teaching us to say: “The world is my neighborhood.”
Do not say, “I will do more when I know more.” You know too much already. Act on what you know and God will bless you. Do not say, “If I am ever going down a lonely road and happen to see a dying man, I will stop and help him.” No, that person is all around us. He or she is young, old, rich, poor, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, a homosexual, a child, a beggar, a divorcee, a cancer victim, an AIDS patient, an out-of-work engineer, a persecuted believer in North Korea, a single parent, a lonely widow, a new arrival from another country. She doesn’t look or act or sound like you but God has put her in your path. You can’t avoid him. What will do you? Will you walk on by? Start with the need that is near you and God will give you grace. Your religion is empty if it does not compel you to reach out to those who are hurting whose path you cross.
Several years ago the news reported about a man who was standing near a hole that had been dug as part of a large excavation. A number of workers were in the hole removing dirt when the walls collapsed around them. Rescuers began running from everywhere but the man just stood by and watched the scene with detachment. Suddenly a woman called out from a nearby house: “Jim, your brother is down there!” Instantly he stripped off his coat and began digging frantically. Why? His brother was in mortal danger and he must get him out.
Who is my brother? Who is my neighbor? My brother is anyone in danger, anyone in need, anyone in pain, anyone in trouble. Look! Your sister is sick, your brother is dying, your brother has lost his job, your sister is homeless, your brother is lost, your sister is discouraged, your brother lies beaten and wounded by the roadside. Do not walk by on the other side. (This section comes from Ray Pritchard: www.keepbelieivng.com)
All around us men and women are dying. We have plenty of pastors and a truckload of Levites. Where are the Good Samaritans of Pontiac Bible Church?
There are three groups presented in this parable. Which one represents you?
* The robbers: “What’s yours is mine and if I want it, I’ll take it from you.”
* The religious: “What’s mine is mine and if you need it, you can’t have it.”
* The redeemed: “What’s mine is yours and if you need it, I will give it to you.”
This week all of us will walk the Jericho road. Sooner or later we are bound to meet someone in need. Do not ask, “Who is that man and how did he get there?” Do not ask, “Is this friend or foe?” Do not ask, “Do I know this person?” Do not ask, “What did he do to deserve this?” Do not ask, “Is he of my religion? Is he of my color? Is she of my family, my tribe, my background, my language, and my people?” If he or she is in need and you can help, he or she is your neighbor.
The religious guys had a number of excuses to not help. Once again, Spurgeon is spot on: “I never knew a man refuse to help the poor who failed to give at least one admirable excuse!” Here are some that come to mind…
* I was in a hurry
* I wanted to get home
* Blood turns my stomach
* The needs are greater than I alone can meet
* Let someone else do it
* The robbers might come back for me
* He was going to die anyway
* If others see me with him, they’ll think I committed the crime
* I didn’t want to be defiled
On Friday Bridget Zeller posted a quote from Charles Wesley on her Facebook status that I really like: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” We should pray something like this: “Oh, God, don’t allow me to come into contact with anyone in need and leave him or her no better off than they were before I met them.”
2. For unbelievers. The question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” is easily the most important question any person can ask. The primary purpose of this parable is to convince those who think they’re good enough to realize that there is no way to inherit eternal life by doing good works. Forget trying to trick Jesus or justify yourself. It won’t work. Matthew 5:18: “You are to be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.” You’re not good enough, but there is One who is good enough. Put your faith and trust in Jesus. Don’t be like the religious man who, instead of being justified by throwing himself on the mercy of God, tried to justify himself.
Don’t miss the main message of this story. If you are not yet a believer, don’t run out of here and try to just do a bunch of good works, thinking that will somehow get you into heaven. Doing good works cannot save anyone, because no one can keep the Law completely and perfectly. Jesus is the only one who kept the whole Law and then died to satisfy the death penalty which the Law pronounced upon sinners.
It’s impossible to live up to God’s standards. Are you ready to admit that right now? The demand of God’s Law still stands. The Law doesn’t save but shows us that we need saving. There can be no real conversion without conviction. That’s why you need a substitute, one who will take your place. That’s exactly what Jesus did. I love how Charles Spurgeon puts it: “What the Law demands of us, the Gospel produces in us. The Law tells us what we ought to be and it is one objective of the Gospel to raise us to that condition.”
Once upon a time a man fell into a pit and couldn’t get himself out. A sensitive person came along and said, “I feel for you down there.” A practical person came along and said, “I knew you were going to fall in sooner or later.” A Pharisee said, “Only bad people fall into a pit.” A mathematician calculated how he far he fell. A news reporter wanted an exclusive story on his pit. An IRS agent asked if he was paying taxes on the pit. A self-pitying person said, “You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit.” A mystic said, “Just imagine that you’re not in a pit.” An optimist said, “Things could be worse.” A pessimist said, “Things will get worse.” Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit!
I like how Ray Pritchard captures Christ as the “Good Samaritan.” Finally, in this story we see the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ever since Eden, the human race has been on a journey away from Jerusalem. We’ve been going down, down, down into the Jericho valley. One day we were attacked by Satan and left for dead. He robbed us of our dignity and stripped us of our righteousness. We couldn’t help ourselves and religion left us on the side of the road. Along came the Good Samaritan himself—the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to us in compassion and bound our wounds, he carried us to safety, he paid our debt, and he guaranteed our future. He has shown mercy to us when we were left for dead by the side of the road.
Here is a message for those who are still lying by the road, wounded and bleeding, forgotten and abandoned. This is for those who feel hopeless and helpless, not half-dead but completely dead and destroyed by sin. Jesus comes to help you. Will you not give him your heart? Will you not love him and trust him and serve him? Will you not believe in him?
Invitation Prayer: God, I confess that I fall way short of loving you and loving others. I am not only selfish; I admit that I am a sinner. I can’t help myself and nothing else seems to work either. Please rescue and redeem me so that I can be healed and forgiven. I believe that you sent your Son Jesus to fulfill the requirements that I cannot keep and right now I receive what He has done for me. I ask you, Lord Jesus to save me from my sins and it’s my desire to follow you for the rest of my life. If there’s anything in my life that you don’t like, please get rid of it. And help me now to go and do likewise for those who have fallen on the path. Give me your compassion and enable me to put my faith into action by serving others.
Closing Song: There is a Redeemer (Dan)
