The Good Samaritan
Welcome aboard The Clarion Express, because we are going to talk about the Good Samaritan.
The last several months we have been looking at love. Luke 10: 25-29 tells us this, “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Yeshua. ‘Teacher’, he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘What is written in the Law?’ He replied. ‘How do you read it?’ He answered, ‘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.’ ‘You have answered correctly,’ Yeshua replied. ‘Do this and you will live.’ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Yeshua, ‘And who is my neighbor?”
This seems to be a question for the centuries. Who really is my neighbor? The one who lives next door to me or on my block or is it the person I work with or go to school with or someone else? I mean, how can I love someone who lives clearly on the other side of the planet? Yeshua tells this story as Luke 10 continues.
“In reply Yeshua said: ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.”’
This story sounds like the world we live in today. With all the crime that goes on, so many people not only want to walk on the other side of the street, but they do not even want to travel on so many different streets today. But the story continues.
“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense
you may have.” I guess there has to be a hero in every story. This good Samaritan had compassion and he showed mercy and kindness to this man. He gave not only of his time but of his resources. Time and money seems so cold and distant even though it was a kind act, but this man went beyond, he told the innkeeper to give the man whatever he needed and he would pay on his way back. Look after him and take care of him, no matter the cost, no matter what time you have to take. Now he was getting the innkeeper involved by making him show mercy and kindness and compassion.
The story continues with Yeshua having a little teaching lesson here and asks the question. “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.’ Yeshua told him, ‘Go and do likewise.”’ Our neighbor is not just our neighborhood, not just the people at work or school but our neighbor is our fellow human being, no matter if they are here or there or anywhere. We need to love everyone, everyone, who has breath and life, because we all belong to each other in the Messiah. Like the body is all one so is all of humankind. We all live on this planet and so we are all responsible for each other.
Jackie DeShannon sang this song years ago called “Put a little Love in Your Heart.” Think of your fellow man, lend him a helping hand, put a little love in your heart. You see it’s getting late. Oh, please don’t hesitate. Put a little love in your heart. And the world will be a better place. And the world will be a better
place for you and me. You just wait and see.
Love is an action word and action must be taken if you are going to love. God is love and we are His children so we must love as God loves and God gave and so we too, must give as God gave…the life of His Son and so too, we must give our life, as He died, we must die to ourselves in loving one another, whoever thanother is.
Tweet this!