Are You A Good Neighbor?

“Are You A Good Neighbor?”

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Jesus was the greatest storyteller who ever lived! Two of His greatest stories the story of the prodigal son, and the story of the Good Samaritan are told in the gospel of Luke. The story of the Good Samaritan teaches us what it means to be a good neighbor, and how we are to love others.

Many of us are familiar with this story, but let’s not forget the context in which Jesus tells the story.

Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan to answer a question that was asked by a lawyer.

V:25-“Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

When you think of a lawyer in the Bible, don’t think of a person arguing a case in court. A Bible lawyer was an expert in the law of God, he is a man that would be considered a theologian today.

Were told in V:25, that this was not a sincere question, but rather he was testing Jesus, trying to trip Him up, and discredit Him.

The man’s motive was not sincere; but the question he asked was the greatest question of all time!

V:25-“how can I have eternal life?”

What question could be greater than this?

How do I go to heaven and live eternally?

Everyone needs to know the answer to this question!

This man is asking how to have eternal life in heaven.

Jesus knew this man’s motive was not sincere; so Jesus answered his question with a question,

V:26-Read. Jesus said to him you’re an expert in the Law of Moses, you tell me what you think it says. Jesus points this man back to the Bible, the Bible has the answer for how to have eternal life.

The lawyer knew the answer:

V:27-Read.Box around head, wrist , Shema.

1st Love God with everything you are.

2nd love your neighbor as yourself.

This answer summed up the 10 Commandments.

Jesus answered him in V:28, you’re exactly right, do this and you will have eternal life.

This answer nailed this religious man right in his heart. He knew in his heart he did love God perfectly, or his neighbor perfectly; which is what the law demands. The law revealed to this man that God’s perfect standard was too high for him to keep! So what does this lawyer do? He begins to try to lower God’s standard, V:29-“but he, willing to justify himself…. He begins to try to justify himself; by asking who is my neighbor?

Why is he trying to justify himself? Because he is guilty of not loving his neighbor like himself, because he’s not loving God with all that he is.

Jesus brought him to the place to see he is a guilty lawbreaker, a sinner! Jesus in love and grace is revealing to this man that he could never love God and his neighbor completely as the law of demand.

Jesus said, do this and you shall live… Hold up the Bible!

There’s no one who can completely obey the commands of this book, and fully satisfy a holy God; no one, except the sinless, perfect son of God!

The Bible makes it clear in by the works of the law no person is justified in the sight of God; but by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The law was not given for us to keep; the law was given to show us that were guilty lawbreakers, sinners. What that lawyer should have done was fall on his knees and say to Jesus, help me Lord Jesus I am a sinful man. I cannot love God the way He demands to be loved, and I cannot love my neighbor as myself. Tell me how a sinner like me can be saved! His problem, is our problem! We can never fulfill the requirements and demands of the law of God. No person can be saved by keeping the law; because no person can perfectly keep the law.

The lawyer under conviction seeks to justify himself. You can never justify yourself in the sight of God, but if you put your faith in Jesus Christ, he will justify you in the sight of God!

This lawyer went there to put Jesus on trial, but now he is on trial? He is charged as a guilty sinner who has broken the law of God. Real conviction involves the knowledge of your sin; that you are a transgressor, a sinner. This lawyer knows he doesn’t love God with all of his heart, or his neighbor as himself.

When conviction, guilt of your sin comes; you have a choice whether to admit before God you are a guilty sinner; or try to justify, make excuses and try to get out from under the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

That’s what this lawyer does. He tries to justify himself, find a loophole, and squirm out from under the guilt of his sin.

V:29-“But he, willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, and who is my neighbor?

He’s trying to separate people into two categories, neighbors and non-neighbors. Surely God doesn’t expect me to love everybody. Surely God means I am to love people just like me.

Many of the rabbis in Jesus day taught that your neighbor was a fellow Israelite, a member of the covenant community, and not people from neighboring nations. To this man; some people counted as neighbors, and some people didn’t.

He thinks if I’m loving the people that I consider neighbors, then I am all right, he’s making God’s commandment more manageable for him, he’s seeking to redefine the law of God; so he is not guilty. But guess what; he is guilty!

In response to this lawyer’s question Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan; which demonstrates what a good neighbor is, and how were to love others. This story is not so much about who is my neighbor, as it is am I a good neighbor. This parable also teaches us that you cannot separate your relationship with God, from your relationship with your fellow man. Who is my neighbor? Who am I to love? What is my attitude to be toward others?

In the story Jesus introduces us to several characters, and teaches us who is not a good neighbor, and who is a good neighbor.

Obviously, the thieves who rob this man are not good neighbors; their attitude is:

1. What’s Yours is Mine, and I’ll Take it.

V:30.

This man is traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho. This is a trip of about 17 miles that drops 3600 feet, it is a winding, narrow, dark, desolate road. There were lots of cliffs, crevices and places for thieves to hide. It was especially dangerous during this time.

Because Herod had laid off some 40,000 workers from the temple and many of them became thieves on the Jericho Road. The Jericho Road became known as the bloody way, because so many men had been beaten and murdered on this road.

This man is traveling the Jericho Road and thieves mug him: V:30…

· They strip him-clothes, money…

· They wound him-beat, hit and kick him.

· They leave him half dead-they leave him in a pool of blood dying, he is half dead.

These thieves give us a picture of the attitude that some people have toward others. There are some people whose attitude is what is yours is mine, and I’ll take it. They are the people who abuse others, the takers in life. This is the philosophy of the rapist, robber, child abuser, crooked businessman, and the person who would steal your identity.

They live to take advantage of other people; a thief is a person who looks at other people, not as people to be loved and helped; but rather as things to be used and abused. God has given us both things and people. God has given us things to use and people to love. But when you start loving things and using people, you become a thief!

There are more ways to rob someone than to break into their house, or hold them up at gunpoint.

When you take advantage of someone, physically, emotionally, financially you are robbing them.

When an adult abuses a little child they are the worst thieves on this planet; and they need to cry out to God for mercy and forgiveness; and he will forgive them!

If you’re in a dating relationship, and you take advantage of a young man or young lady, and you use and abuse them you are a thief! If you’re in a relationship, and the person that you’re dating is a taker, taking from you; you should do yourself a big favor and break up with them. You don’t want to be in a relationship with a person who says what is yours is mine, and I’ll take it. Asked yourself is this relationship making me a better person, or a worse person? Is this relationship making me love my parents and family more, or less? Is this relationship making me a better Christian, or dragging me away from the Lord Jesus? Every time a good friend, good neighbor comes into your life you are better because of it, not worse because of it.

These thieves are picture of the attitude people have that says: what is yours is mine, and I’ll take it.

This man is a picture of mankind, we are all this man that was robbed, beaten, and half dead. The Bible tells us that Satan is the thief that kills, steals and destroys. Today we live in a world of spiritually wounded, half dead people; physically alive but spiritually dead, without the strength to save or deliver ourselves. This beaten man is a picture of us; robbed by Satan, and left to perish.

As Jesus told the story about this man being robbed and left for half dead, everyone is on the edge of their seat. Jesus has their attention, because danger and abuse and victimization is something we all are familiar with. Next Jesus introduces into the story, the priest and the Levite, these two illustrate not takers, but keepers.

Their attitude was:

2. What’s Mine is Mine, and I’ll Keep it.

V:31-32

The priest comes by first, he sees the man beaten, robbed and barely alive; but what does he do? He moves to the other side of the road and passes by. This man was a leader at the temple; a preacher, a Baptist preacher passed by this man on the other side. What was this guy thinking? He’s probably thinking I’ve been at the temple serving for weeks, and I’m headed home and I am not stopping to help this man who’s going to die anyway.

And if he is already dead, I can’t touch him or that will make me ceremonially unclean. He’s thinking I’ve been to church and served, I’m going home, and I’ve done my duty.

The next guy who comes by is a Levite, V:32, he walks over to the guy and looks at him and then passes by on the other side.

Let’s called him a Baptist deacon, some deacons are nosy, but don’t want to get their hands dirty.

The Levite had also been ministering at the temple, teaching his Sunday school class about soul winning and tithing. He sees this poor man laying stripped, beaten and barely alive, but hurries on his way to something more important.

These men both have religion, but they don’t have spiritual life, they don’t love God or their neighbor, even though they were involved in religious work. These men could recite the law, and had offered sacrifices to God: but they had no compassion or love in their heart for their neighbor.

Doing religious work, does not make you right with God! Now remember Jesus is talking to a religious man, an expert in the law, a religious man who does not perfectly love other people.

If you’re not careful you can hide behind religion, and not truly love God or other people!

Religion never has gotten anyone to heaven, and never will! Only Jesus Christ can get you to heaven!

You say pastor, I am a dyed-in-the-wool Baptist; you better be of washed-in-the-blood Baptist!

Being a Baptist won’t save you, being a member of Crossway will save you. Somebody says, you’re so narrow-minded you think only Baptists are going to heaven. I’m a lot more narrow-minded than that; I don’t even think a lot of Baptist are going to heaven.

On the person you know Jesus Christ as their Savior is going to heaven! These men had religion, but they didn’t have a relationship with God! They had been to church, but they were going home unchanged! They had no love for God of the fellowman in their heart! Asked yourself this question: Am I any different when I leave church?

You sing the songs, pray, hear the Bible taught and preached, and worship with God’s people; but does anything happen in you? Does anything happen that changes your heart toward God and other people? Do you love God and others more because you’ve been to church?

These two guys walked out of church with the attitude, what’s mine is mine and I’ll keep it.

And they avoided helping this wounded dying man. They had excuses to defend their lack of love and involvement.

· I’ve been serving at the temple.

You can’t excuse personal ministry to people because you hold a church office, or teacher class, or serve on a committee. It’s about helping others, and loving people and reaching people with the gospel! People all around us are spiritually wounded and dying. The priest could have said, let the Levite coming behind me help him. The Levite could have said, the priest didn’t help them neither am I. You can always find someone to point to as an excuse for your own neglect. These guys are bad guys, they’re good guys they’re just busy, and don’t want to get involved.

One of the greatest problems we have in our churches, is we have churches with priest and Levites in them. A Gallup poll survey discovered that only 10% of American church members are active in any kind of personal ministry, and 50% of all church members have no interest in serving in any ministry. In other words, 50% of the church is saying loudly and clearly, we just don’t want to get involved. People who say I will only do what I have to do, I won’t stick my neck out, or go out of the way for anybody. If you only do what you have to do in life, you are not a good neighbor.

What can a neighbor are you? Do you step up to help the hurting, suffering and lost; or do you passing by on the other side?

If were not careful, we can retreat and our own homes pull down the blinds, and turn on the TV and shut the world out.

Like the person in ministry that said; I really love ministry, I just don’t like people.

That person clearly doesn’t understand what ministry is all about! Is about people, wounded, hurting, bruised, battered, bleeding and dying people!

As we look at this priest and Levites were reminded that religion can’t do a thing in the world for you! And false religion, and self-righteousness will make you a bigot, false religion will make you cruel, hardhearted person, who doesn’t truly love God are others. Religion didn’t do a thing for this poor man, and religion can’t do a thing for you! You need salvation, not religion! The problem with both the priest and the Levite is not what they did. They didn’t beat the man up, or Rob him, or leave him for half-dead. Their problem was what they did not do. Can I tell you the quickest way you can shut this church down; the quickest way you can kill this church; the quickest way you can make sure we don’t even have a church; just do nothing!

When we call a prayer meeting, pass it by.

When the offering plate is passed, pass it by.

When the door of worship is open, pass it by.

When the average anti-for ministry is available, pass it by.

Let’s not be like the priest in Levite who said; what is mine is mine and I’ll keep it.

As Jesus continues to tell the story, he introduces the last character and his story.

Here’s where the story gets interesting, because the good guy, the neighbor, the hero in the story is a Samaritan. The minute Jesus said, V:33-“ but a certain Samaritan…You could probably hear the sound of wind sucking down to Egypt.

Remember Jesus is talking to a religious man, a Jew; and the Jews hated the Samaritans. No Jew would be a neighbor to, or receive help from a Samaritan. Back in , when a Samaritan village would not receive Jesus; James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven and burn them up.

, the disciples were surprised that Jesus talked to a Samaritan woman. The proud Pharisee in his morning prayers thanked God that he was not born a Samaritan or a Gentile. The last person you would expect to help a Jew would be a Samaritan, yet that is who Jesus picked.

The Lawyer, religious man was forced to ask himself, would he be willing to stop and be a good neighbor to a Samaritan. The question for us is do we love everybody the same, do you treat everyone the same, do we have prejudice in our hearts toward any person or group of people?

The Samaritan sees the man, comes over to the man, and helps the man. Now what is the attitude of the Samaritan that makes him a good neighbor?

3. What’s Mine is Yours, and I’ll Share it.

V:33-35-Read.

The Good Samaritan stopped to help this wounded, bleeding, dying man; and gives us an example of what it means to be a good neighbor.

Jesus puts people in our path, who we can help; God puts people into your life who he knows you can help. As you walk down the path of life be on the lookout for people you can help.

Why do you think God has given you money, gifts, abilities, given you that job, put you in that school, given you that personality, put you on that team? Because there’s someone there that you can be a good neighbor to, someone you can love and lead to Jesus, who is the great physician!

Here is the attitude of a good neighbor, what’s mine is yours, and I’ll share it.

This man is a picture of what love is, and what love does, what it means to be a good neighbor. Today the good Samaritan stands as a symbol of love and generosity; there is a Good Samaritan hospital or clinic in almost every major city. I saw a good Samaritan Hospital in Bethlehem.

What are the characteristics of a good neighbor?

1. Compassion.

V:33-“When he saw him, he had compassion on him”.

The word for compassion expresses strong feelings of pity and tenderness. The word is often used to describe the pity and tenderness that Jesus feels toward us. It means to be deeply moved within your inner being, to feel pity and tenderness toward another person. A good neighbor sees people who are in need and who are hurting, and feels for them. Our hearts are to be touched by the hurts of other people! To have a heart that goes out to someone else. Our church is in a city of thousands of people who do not know Jesus. People who are going to die and go to hell if someone doesn’t reach them with the gospel! Do you have any compassion in your heart for the people around you who need to hear the gospel? God help us to have a heart of compassion for those who need Jesus!

The second characteristic of a good neighbor:

2. Contact.

V:34-“And went to him, and bound up his wounds…

The Samaritan was not afraid to become personal involved. He touched the man, cleaned out his wounds, picked him up, and put him on his own donkey, and steadied him while they journeyed to the Inn. The same robbers who attacked the traveler could have attacked him when he stopped. He was willing to risk his own safety for the sake of another. There is no real love without contact—physical, spiritual, or emotional. You can’t love and minister to people from a distance; you have to get up close and personal.

Another characteristic of a good neighbor.

3. Cost.

It cost the Good Samaritan to be a good neighbor, and love this man. He gave a part of himself, and his money to minister to this man.

He gave his wine and oil, he poured it on him. He gave his beast and let the man ride on him, he gave his feet, and walked beside him. He gave his time to clean, bandage, carry him to and Inn and stayed overnight with him. He gave his money to pay for the room, food and care for him.

Jesus paints a beautiful picture of love in action. When we love we give ourselves to the person we love, regardless of the cost. We give time, money, skills, involvement; whatever it takes to the person in need. The same should be true in marriage and in ministry—in any endeavor where love is required, there will be a cost. Jesus said if you want to be a neighbor, you must love sacrificially like the Samaritan.

The last characteristic of a good neighbor:

4. Commitment.

V:35-“take care of him; and whatever you spend more, when I come again, I will repay you”

The Good Samaritan was committed to this man; he had saved this man’s life, now he was committed to making sure he got well. A good neighbor follows through by doing whatever it takes to ensure the health and growth of the one who has been rescued.

Then Jesus looks at this lawyer and asked this question, V:36-“Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among thieves?”

The answer was obvious, so obvious the lawyer could not deny it, V:37-“the one who showed him mercy…

It’s like he can’t bring himself to say the Samaritan, so he says the one who showed mercy on him, then Jesus said unto him, go into likewise”.

Jesus tells this lawyer, and us to do want the Good Samaritan did, and show mercy to people.

Yes this parable does teach us about being a good neighbor. As believers in Jesus we are called to love our neighbors, and when we do, our lives would demonstrate the love of Christ.

It’s not about who is my neighbor, it is about “who can I be a good neighbor to”

But at the heart of this parable, is the truth that we cannot love God, or our neighbor as he commands. This lawyer knew this, that’s why he tried to justify himself. He knew in his heart but he didn’t love God or his neighbor perfectly; that he had broken the 10 Commandments, and was a Sinner.

This is where the gospel comes in; we cannot do what the law demands, we are incapable. When Jesus said to this man go into likewise; it was a call to admit, he didn’t have that kind of love in his heart.

Don’t think for a minute that Jesus was saying if you love like the Good Samaritan, you will have eternal life.

Jesus is telling us, no one can love like this, without having the love of God in their heart!

It is a call to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus, that the love of God might be put in your heart by the Holy Spirit estimation point

To love God and your neighbor you must have Jesus as your Savior! When you have the love of Jesus in your heart; everybody regardless of race or place is your neighbor, and you will love them.

The wounded man is a picture of humanity, broken by Satan and wounded, dying in our sin.

The Good Samaritan is a picture of Jesus, who came to help us, not just crossing the road, but coming from heaven to earth. Jesus didn’t just take a day or two of his time, or a couple of coins from his pocket. Jesus gave his body and blood on the cross to purchase our salvation! Would you by faith receive him as your Savior today? Christians let’s be good neighbors and show the love of Jesus to people we meet along the road of life. Who is a person who needs your help? A coworker, a child in your class, a person in your neighborhood, someone in the church, or maybe someone in trouble halfway around the world. Jesus came and showed you mercy, we are to go and do likewise.