10.11.11

by Stephen Scholtz

Luke 10:25-37

And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “YOU SHALL 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 YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.” But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

Can you really blame the priest and the Levite for passing by? They likely had meetings to attend, family awaiting their arrival, probably were hungry and tired from the journey, possibly had a party with friends that night, and many other things that typically fill a person’s schedule. Plus, the man was bloody, had broken bones, was dirty, smelly, and demobilized. It’d take a lot of time and effort to help this man. But in God’s eyes, can these reasons really justify their action of leaving this man to die on the side of the road?

I love how Jesus reversed the question asked by the lawyer. The lawyer wanted to know who his neighbors were. God never meant for his people to love only their literal neighbors.  He knows us too well to leave loopholes in his commandments. So Jesus placed the emphasis on being the neighbor. As followers of Christ, we’re called to have compassion and to show mercy to everyone, especially the needy ones. The responsibility is placed on us. Yes, Jesus commands us to be the neighbor who helps even in the most uncomfortable and even gruesome situations.

Living in 21st century America, our lives can be so consumed with things. We love instant gratification. We have easy and quick transport, communication at the touch of a button, microwaves to nuke our food, entertainment in our hands with the cool, high-tech phones, and so on. The Good Samaritan didn’t, though. He had no phone to call for assistance. His beast’s top speed was probably around to 10 mph. To take time to help the man would have been very sacrificial. He attended his wounds, gave him the beast to ride on, walked to an inn and even said he’d come back to check on him. How many of us are willing to drop everything and dedicate our time to help another? What if it took your entire weekend in which you had to give up a family vacation? Being a neighbor is costly, intentional and hard work.

Being a disciple of Christ is also financially expensive. In this parable, the Samaritan gives two denarii for the man to stay at the inn. A denarii was a day’s wage. That’s quite a bit! Then he also said that he’d come back to repay the innkeeper if he spent more than two denarii.  Let’s just assume in our society that’s $200. When was the last time you gave $200 to assist someone in need? How about $100? It’s tough to give away money we’ve labored for. Addressing our heart, God desires for us to cheerfully give out of what he has blessed us with. I picture the Samaritan being grateful for the innkeeper’s service, sincerely caring for the man, and happily handing over money to attend to the needs of this poor man. What an example!

Of the three characters in the parable, which one would best characterize you? Do you devote time to be a loving neighbor? Or do you get entangled with stuff in your life that causes you to ignore the needs of those God has placed in your life? Be honest with yourself. You can’t fool God. If you can honestly say that you’re a great neighbor, then that’s awesome. Help encourage others to do the same. If you struggle with it, then I challenge you to reflect on what’s important in your life and reprioritize. Jesus charged the lawyer to mimic the Good Samaritan. That charge extends to us today! “Go and do the same.” -Jesus