Who is My Neighbor
Notes
Transcript
We’ve been learning about our call to serve others over the last few weeks. We started our started in 1 Peter 2 where we learned all believers are called into a holy priesthood that offers spiritual sacrifices of our life and our service to the Lord. Then we learned in 1 Corinthians 12 we are all part of the body of Christ and that there are many parts. All of them are important and we should learn how God uniquely created us to fill an important role in the church. Last week we studied Galatians 6 and learned about the call to carry each other’s burdens.
Today, we’re going to look at Luke 10 and learn about the Good Samaritan. The parable of the Good Samaritan is one we’ve heard since we were kids, but its message takes on a deeper meaning when we think about how it applies to us as adults. When Jesus told this story, he was answering a what seemed to be a simple question: “Who is my neighbor?” The answer Jesus gave challenges our comfort level about responsibility, compassion, and what it truly means to live a godly life in today’s complicated world.
Think about how busy our world is today. Just look around - everyone is rushing somewhere, checking their phones, or hurrying to their next activity. It’s like we’re all on a fast-moving train that never stops.
In this rushing around, we often miss seeing people who need help. It’s similar to when you’re watching a movie and you’re so focused on the main character that you don’t notice what’s happening in the background. That’s what happens in real life too - we get so caught up in our own activities that we don’t see the people around us who might need assistance.
What kinds of help do people need? Sometimes it’s big things, like when someone loses their job or gets sick. Other times it’s smaller things, like needing help carrying heavy bags or just wanting someone to talk to when they’re feeling lonely. These needs are everywhere, just like air - we might not see them, but they’re all around us.
Let’s read the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 to learn how we can help others the way God wants us to.
25 Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.”
28 “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead.
31 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.
34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’
36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
Let’s talk about the setting of this parable. Jesus was having a conversation with a Jewish expert in the law of Moses (also known as a scribe). The man asked him a question that was often debated by the Jews. It was a good question, but the scribe had bad motives. He was trying to trap Jesus, but Jesus turned the table on him.
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25 Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.”
The scribe asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus pointed the man to the law, not because the law would save him, but because it shows us how to be saved. The Ten Commandments and the other laws gave to the nation of Israel convict us of sin against God. You can’t be saved unless you understand you need to be saved from God’s judgement against sin.
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28 “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
The scribe knew the correct answer, but he didn't use it in his own life. He didn't admit that he didn't love God or his neighbors enough. Instead of asking God for forgiveness he tried to make excuses for himself. He played a trick by asking Jesus who was his neighbor. You see, the Jews had a very narrow definition of who was their neighbor.
The scribe probably only considered other Jews from his own community and social class as neighbors. Jesus used the parable of the Samaritan to teach that our neighbor is anyone in need. Let’s look at the story.
30 Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead.
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho where this story takes place wasn’t just any path - it was notorious for its danger. The 17-mile descent dropped about 3,000 feet through desert terrain, with plenty of hiding places for bandits. To put this in modern terms, imagine a stretch of highway known for carjackings, or a part of the city where people warn you not to walk alone. The traveler in our story chose this risky route, maybe because of necessity or because of his poor judgment. We don’t know why he chose to go that way.
The man was stripped, beaten, and left for dead. Today, we might think of victims of violence, but we can also think about people who have been stripped of their dignity, beaten down by life circumstances, or left half-dead by addiction, depression, or crushing poverty. The physical violence in Jesus’s story serves as a symbol of the many ways people can be broken in our modern world.
Now we come to the first two people to find the man after he was robbed and beaten.
31 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
The priest and the Levite were the religious professionals of their day. Some scholars estimate there were over 10,000 priests and Levites living in Jericho. These men were very familiar with the Word of God and worked within the Temple. The priests and Levites would have been a constant presence on the road between the two cities.
Being a priest and a Levite, these men had the potential to be a great help to the traveler. They had the truth of God and all the resources available to them from the Temple. They could have helped the man while he was in a very difficult situation.
But the priest saw the man and quickly moved to the other side of the road. He didn’t want to be bothered with the man. The Levite also saw the man and was curious enough to look. But just like the priest, he moved to the other side of the road and continued on his way. These men decided the poor, beaten traveler wasn’t worthy of their time. They quickly moved on without any concern or a second thought.
Think of all the excuses they could have used:
This road is too dangerous for me to stop and help the man.
He might be a decoy for an ambush.
I’ve got to get to the temple and perform my service for the Lord.
I’ve got to get home and see my family.
Someone really should help that man.
If I’m going to serve at the temple I can’t get my clothes bloody.
I don’t know first aid.
It’s a hopeless case.
I’m only one person; the job is too big.
I can pray for him.
He brought it on himself, he should have never been alone on such a dangerous road.
He never asked for help.
But all of these are simply excuses. Charles Spurgeon said, “I never knew a man refuse to help the poor who failed to give at least one admirable excuse.”
Before we judge them too harshly, let’s put ourselves in their shoes. Are we guilty of seeing a need, but being too busy or unconcerned to help? Do we overlook a hurting person because we’re too busy looking at our phones? Do we avoid someone at church because they’re going through a difficult situation at home? Do we ignore a phone call or text message from someone that always seem to have a problem? Do we avoid working with children or youth at church because that’s someone else’s responsibility?
We’re all guilty of crossing to the other side of the road sometimes. We have our reasons: busy schedules, fear of getting involved, concern about our liability, or simply feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of others’ needs. The priest and Levite probably had their justifications too - maybe it was their ritual purity laws, maybe it was the fear of being trapped in a robber’s scheme, or maybe it was some important appointments at the temple.
Now we come to the Samaritan.
33 But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.
This was a shocking twist in the story to the Jews who were listening. You see, the Jews hated the Samaritans. When the Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians, many of the Jews were deported and the land was repopulated with foreigners. The newcomers married the remaining Jews and became a mixed race. The Jews of the Southern Kingdom thought they were watering down the pure bloodline of Israel.
The Samaritans also worshipped differently. They had their own version of the Hebrew Bible called the Torah and built their own temple on Mount Gerizim instead of worshipping at the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. The difference in their ethnicity and religion boiled over into politics. They truly hated each other.
This is where the story gets uncomfortable for us too. The Samaritan in our world represents whoever we see as “them” or “other.” It might be someone from a different political party, a different religion, a different social class, or a different cultural background.
Jesus deliberately chose a character who would have been viewed with suspicion and hostility by his audience. He was teaching the Jewish scribe that even those society looks down on can do great things and serve God. God judges by the heart and not our looks or language. He died for everyone, so anyone can be saved and used by Him for His glory.
Let’s see what the Samaritan did:
34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’
Let’s break down the what the Samaritan did. The first thing he did was see the need and feel compassion for the beaten stranger. The Samaritan reacted a lot differently than the priest and Levite. He didn’t notice the man’s need and leave him in his situation without offering help. He had compassion on the man, he bound up his wounds and treated them the best way he could for the moment.
He had the courage to face the possible danger of being robbed and beaten himself. He risked helping a possible enemy and losing his reputation with other Samaritans. He risked associating with someone who had a different status.
He put the injured man on his animal and brought him to a place where he could be cared for. His compassion moved him to act in response to the need of another. It didn’t matter who the man was. He was moved by compassion to help.
I think we struggle with this in our age of information overload. We don’t really see other people’s pain. We’ve gotten really good at filtering out the things that make us uncomfortable. I think we’ve become numb by seeing so many tragedies on the news and in our social media feeds. We don’t want to be bothered by another person’s pain because we’re overwhelmed by it all around us.
But having compassion is what it means to be a Christian. Jesus was moved with compassion many times and cared so much for us that he was willing to bear our sin, suffer the judgement we deserved on a cross, and die in our place.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
Are you willing to open yourself up to the pain of the people God has placed in your life? Whether it’s a family member, someone at church or work, or a stranger God puts in your path, we should be compassionate and willing to stop and help with their need.
The next thing we see the Samaritan do is take immediate action. He didn’t form a committee, write a proposal, or wait for someone more qualified. He used what he had - oil and wine - as first aid. Sometimes, we get frozen in our tracks thinking about what to do. Sometimes we think we’ll get around to helping later, but never do.
When we see God at work around us, we always have to decide whether we’ll step out in faith right now. Experiencing God calls it a “crisis of belief.” Are we willing to adjust our life to meet the need God placed in our path? Are we willing to do what we know we should?
17 So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.
Have you ever heard the saying, delayed obedience is disobedience? I think about the times I told my kids to clean up their room and waited for them to do it. They said, “I’m going to do it, Dad!” but hours would pass while they played with their toys. It’s the same way with us when we know God wants us to do something and we tell Him we’ll do it a little later.
27 When it is in your power, don’t withhold good from the one to whom it belongs.
28 Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go away! Come back later. I’ll give it tomorrow”—when it is there with you.
16 Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.
The next thing we see the Samaritan do is he invested personally. He used the resources he had and took care of the man. The Samaritan used his own transportation (his donkey), his own time (staying overnight), and his own money (two denarii - about two days’ wages). It’s easy to be selfish with what we have. We can think “I worked hard for this, I make the right decisions, I didn’t mess up like that person did.” God has called us to help the poor and helpless.
17 Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord, and he will give a reward to the lender.
How often do we see someone in need, but think we don’t have the resources to help? How often do we think that it’s someone else’s responsibility? When God calls us to do something, He equips and empowers us to complete the task. We just have to have faith that He’s with us. I’m sure the boy with two fish and five loaves of bread couldn’t feed the crowd of 5,000 but he gave what he had to Jesus who took care of the rest.
Do you remember the story of the widow who came to the temple to give what little she had?
41 Sitting across from the temple treasury, he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums.
42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little.
43 Summoning his disciples, he said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
44 For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had—all she had to live on.”
We should be willing to use whatever God has given us to help those He has shown us. What are you holding on to that could be used by God to help someone in need?
The last thing we see the Samaritan do is he made a long-term commitment. He gave the innkeeper enough money to take care of him for two or three weeks and h e promised to return and take care of any extra expenses. It shows that sometimes real help requires us stick around. Sometimes God wants us to do more than drop a dollar in a beggar’s hand. Sometimes he wants us to make the commitment to help someone walk through the valley.
Who has God placed in your life who is on a long journey through sickness, grief, a broken relationship, or financial struggle? Are you willing to stand by them as long as they need help?
After Jesus finished telling the parable, he turned the spotlight back on the scribe.
36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
Notice that the scribe wouldn’t call the Samaritan by name. He despised them so much that he said “the one who showed mercy to him.” Jesus said “Go and do the same.” That’s our challenge today. Go and do the same as the Samaritan by showing mercy to those in need.
This is more than something we do every once in a while. This is a lifestyle of service to others. How can we develop a lifestyle of loving our neighbors?
The first thing we can do is ask God to see people through His eyes. There’s a song I love called “Give Me Your Eyes” by Brandon Heath. Here are some of the lyrics:
I‘ve been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just move and pass me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well, I want a second glance
So, give me a second chance
To see the way You’ve seen the people all along
Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Next, we need to be prepared to serve. What resources like food, clothes, and cash can you save so that you’ll be ready to help someone in need? How can you change your schedule to make yourself available? What are some ways you can check on the people in your life? Text message? Phone Call? Facebook Message?
Are you willing to be a Good Samaritan? Let’s pray.
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