Good Samaritan Part 2
Read part 1 first.
Know Your Neighbour
36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Jesus doesn’t ask the lawyer so who is your neighbour. The question is who has been a neighbour to the man. Jesus is being deliberately offensive thus far by making a Samaritan the hero of the story so that he can get to this point, to make it obvious to the lawyer, you are not the hero. While the lawyer is thinking who is my neighbour that I have to go love (because everything is about me), Jesus turns that around and asks who has been a neighbour to you.o who loves me. Stop trying to be the hero in the story.
Let me put it another way for you. When you read the parable, who do you identify with? Do you read it and think don’t be like the priest or the Levite. Be like the Samaritan. Is that what you think the parable is doing? No. We are the one lying on the road half dead. And unless someone comes along and helps us directly, we would all die. No question about it.
What the parable of the Good Samaritan shows us is how wrong it is to think we have the power to somehow earn eternal life. Because if there’s a minimum standard, guess what, it’s perfect love. Do that and you will live. But anyone who is the least bit honest with themselves know that we will never be able to do that. Even the most religious people among us, the priests; even the most moral and law abiding people, the levites; no one can do enough to inherit eternal life. The lawyer knew. That’s why he was trying to lower the bar.
To any Jew back then a good Samaritan would have been an oxymoron. There’s no such thing as a good Samaritan. That would be stumbling block for Jews and foolishness for the Greeks.
But in fact, the hero of the story is a Samaritan. So let’s actually look closely at what the Samaritan does.
33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
The fundamental difference between the Samaritan and the priest and Levite is that he had compassion. And isn’t it the truth that sadly in our world, the people who are the most religious can sometimes be the least compassionate. Religion is never the answer. That’s why I said at the start even if you’re here as someone who isn’t religious at all, you have more in common with Jesus than you think.
34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic.”
Imagine this. The man was robbed of even his clothes. And since it’s unlikely the Samaritan had a first aid kit with bandages, the only way to bind up the man’s wounds is by tearing strips off his own.
Then He sets him on his own animal, which means now he’ll have to walk, and much slower too. You’ve just become more vulnerable to attacks yourself.
35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
“But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”
This is important. Keep in mind, there’s no Medicare back then. And more to the point, there are no bankruptcy laws. If you owe someone money and can’t pay, you can’t just declare bankrupt and life goes on. You would have to sell yourself to become a slave. So what the Samaritan does here goes beyond just paying for his care. He saves the man from a potential lifetime of slavery.
There’s only ever been one person who cares and loves and sacrifices of himself like this Samaritan. His name is Jesus.
And just in case we still don’t get it, look at the next verse.
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
It can be easy to think this is an unrelated story. But no. There’s a reason this account of Martha and Mary is recorded for us here and only here in the gospel of Luke, right after the parable of the Good Samaritan which is only found in the gospel of Luke. They go together. Two people, one working hard but anxious, the other content to be at the feet of Jesus. Two people, two different ways of approaching God. Two ways to live. It’s the clash of worldviews, don’t you see?
That’s what we have in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The lawyer, desiring to justify himself under the law, and Jesus, who shows us a different way. Listen to this from the book of Romans.
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.
The parable of the Good Samaritan is not another reminder to do more. To try harder. To love more people better. If that’s what you take away from it, you’ll end up exactly in the same position as Martha. You’re doing what Martha is doing!
There are many people in church who try their very best to live for God. They never miss a Sunday. They volunteer their time. They give of their own money. But when it comes down to it, they’re never really quite sure of their faith, that they are really saved. They are never able say with absolute confidence that eternal life is theirs. On the outside they’re model Christians, but inside they are full of anxiety and troubled. Or they can be so confident of their own righteousness on the inside that on the outside they’re always looking at other people’s shortcomings. Always critical. Always pointing out what other people are doing or not doing. Martha complaining about Mary.
That’s what will happen if you try to become the Good Samaritan yourself. To be the hero of the story. Don’t do that. The hero of the story, as is the hero in all our own life stories, is Jesus Christ, the ultimate Good Samaritan.
Is anyone here hurt or suffering? He is full of compassion for the wounded. Is anyone here lost or confused? He is full of mercy for the weak. He comes to each and everyone of us no matter where we are, no matter how bloody or dirty we are. He picks us up and carries us to safety. And one day he will come again to bring us home, back to God himself. So that where he is, we may be also.
Do you see the Good Samaritan now? Can you hear him say your name? Put your name where Martha’s name is. Hear him say your name, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Your flesh and your heart may fail, but I will be the strength of your heart and your portion forever. Choose the good portion. Come to Jesus who is your Good Samaritan. He will not disappoint you.