The nameless Samaritan
Notes
Transcript
INTRO
INTRO
Today we continue our Series “Anonymous Heroes”.
Today we continue our Series “Anonymous Heroes”.
In the previous two weeks, we have talked about Hagar, and about Barnabas, and today we will study a very well known passage of the Scriptures, the story of a man to whom the Bible doesn’t even give a name, it just says he was “a Samaritan”. He’s known as “the good Samaritan”, but we will call him the “Nameless Samaritan”, and He is our “anonymous hero” today!
In the previous two weeks, we have talked about Hagar, and about Barnabas, and today we will study a very well known passage of the Scriptures, the story of a man to whom the Bible doesn’t even give a name, it just says he was “a Samaritan”. He’s known as “the good Samaritan”, but we will call him the “Nameless Samaritan”, and He is our “anonymous hero” today!
MAIN TEXT
MAIN TEXT
Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’
Respondiendo Jesús, dijo:
—Un hombre que descendía de Jerusalén a Jericó cayó en manos de ladrones, los cuales lo despojaron, lo hirieron y se fueron dejándolo medio muerto. Aconteció que descendió un sacerdote por aquel camino, y al verlo pasó de largo. Asimismo un levita, llegando cerca de aquel lugar, al verlo pasó de largo. Pero un samaritano que iba de camino, vino cerca de él y, al verlo, fue movido a misericordia. Acercándose, vendó sus heridas echándoles aceite y vino, lo puso en su cabalgadura, lo llevó al mesón y cuidó de él. Otro día, al partir, sacó dos denarios, los dio al mesonero y le dijo: “Cuídamelo, y todo lo que gastes de más yo te lo pagaré cuando regrese”.
In order to comprehend this passage, we need to know a little bit on the HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE SAMARITANS:
In order to comprehend this passage, we need to know a little bit on the HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE SAMARITANS:
WAYNE A. BRINDLE says that the development of Samaritanism and its alienation from Judaism was a process that began with the division of the kingdom of Israel, and continued through successive incidents which promoted antagonism, including the importation of foreign colonists into Samaria by Assyria after the invasion in 722 BC, the rejection of the new Samaritan community by the Jews, the building of a rival temple on Mt. Gerizim, the political and religious opportunism of the Samaritans, and the destruction of both the Samaritan temple and their capital of Shechem by John Hyrcanus during the second century B:C. The Samaritan religion at the time of Jesus had become Mosaic and quasi-Sadducean, but strongly anti-Jewish. Jesus recognized their heathen origins and the falsity of their religious claims. Samaria was about 700 miles (1100 Km) from Jerusalem.
THE RELATIONSHIP between the Jews and the Samaritans were always strained. Jesus ben Sirach (ca. 180 B.C.) referred to the Samaritans as "the foolish people that dwell in Shechem". There is a tradition that 300 priests and 300 rabbis once gathered in the temple court in Jerusalem to curse the Samaritans with all the curses in the Law of Moses. When the Jews wanted to curse Jesus Christ, they called him demon-possessed and a Samaritan in one breath (John 8:48).
In the chapter 8 of Luke, (just the previous of what we read) the disciples James and John wanted fire to come from heaven and burn a Samaritan village, after some Samaritans rejected Jesus, and in another passage, when Jesus was thirsty and talked to a Samaritan women the disciples were really surprised, because Jews did not have a relationship with Samaritans.
In resume, Jewish hated the Samaritans, to the point of thinking of comparing them with dogs. But Jesus was about to change that!
In resume, Jewish hated the Samaritans, to the point of thinking of comparing them with dogs. But Jesus was about to change that!
Our theme for today is:
Our theme for today is:
THE NAMELESS SAMARITAN
THE NAMELESS SAMARITAN
What does this nameless Samaritan teach us?
What does this nameless Samaritan teach us?
1. THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELIGION AND PIETY
1. THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELIGION AND PIETY
This is one of the most discussed topics in Christianity, of how we are so preoccupied with the theory, but sometimes little concerned with the “practical Gospel”;
VS 31,32 - “PRIEST AND LEVITE”: the Priests and Levites represented religiosity, the services in the temple and the teaching of the law. Priests are also Levites, but priests were direct descendants of Aaron. We must remember that the High Priests, Scribes, Pharisees and Levites were the ones who killed Jesus. Both of them passed by and did nothing!
Even if they were thinking about being impure for touching a (possible) dead body, the Old Testament Prophets and Wisdom literature dwells on the fact that the Law is meant to be understood in righteousness and not in letter only;
They GOT USED to the sacred;
Religiosity alone will always miss the point of the true faith, we can be the most religious person in the world, and still, not do the will of God. That’s why Jesus said to the Pharisees:
Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
¡Guías ciegos, que coláis el mosquito y tragáis el camello!
We do not know the religious beliefs of that Samaritan, what we do know is that his faith was translated into actions.
We do not know the religious beliefs of that Samaritan, what we do know is that his faith was translated into actions.
2. HE FACED A GREAT RISK FOR A GREATER CAUSE
2. HE FACED A GREAT RISK FOR A GREATER CAUSE
Everyone knew that the Road from Jerusalem to Jericho was really dangerous; The majority of those 18 miles would be in desert-like conditions, as you can see in this photo;
We need sometimes to get out of our comfort zone to be a hero for someone; Jesus did that to the Gadarene, in Mark 5 we see that He faced a big storm, and crossed the Sea of Galilee only to deliver 1 person from a Legion of demons, and as soon as He did, He came back to Galilee;
That Samaritan knew that he was at risk, vulnerable to the same thieves that attacked the man he was helping, but he also knew that if He didn’t act immediately, the victim would die;
NOTE: It’s important to understand that when I speak about risk, I am not saying to do things that will harm or attempt against yours or someone’s else life, BUT...
NOTE: It’s important to understand that when I speak about risk, I am not saying to do things that will harm or attempt against yours or someone’s else life, BUT...
When was the last time that you left your comfort zone to help someone, to minister to a brokenhearted, what was the last time that you actually risked something to do what nobody else could do??
When was the last time that you left your comfort zone to help someone, to minister to a brokenhearted, what was the last time that you actually risked something to do what nobody else could do??
3. LIFE MUST HAVE PRIORITY OVER RESOURCES
3. LIFE MUST HAVE PRIORITY OVER RESOURCES
V. 33 says that the Samaritan had compassion towards the man;
His compassion was not shown with empty words only, but with acts of kindness and generosity;
Definition of compassion: The origin of the word helps us grasp the true breadth and significance of compassion. In Latin, ‘compati’ means “suffer with.” Compassion means someone else’s heartbreak becomes your heartbreak. Another’s suffering becomes your suffering. True compassion changes the way we live.
That man did not hesitate in spending his resources to help a stranger in need;
Paul said that our abundance should be to bless those in need:
Paul said that our abundance should be to bless those in need:
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
ILLUSTRATION
Um homem chega com um mega carrão numa boate e consegue convencer o porteiro a entrar sem pagar, dizendo depois eu lhe recompenso. Entrou de fininho e se divertiu a valer, no fim chegou na saída, encostou no porteiro e enfiou a mão no bolso do paletó do porteiro e disse no seu ouvido: - Isso é pra você tomar um whisky, e saiu tranqüilamente... O porteiro sentindo o seu peito ficar frio, enfiou a mão no bolso e tirou duas pedras de gelo… (hielo)
It’s important to ask ourselves: “Where and how am I investing the treasure the Lord gives me?”
One day, the Lord will come and INDIVIDUALLY ask what we did with the resources He provided for us; what are we going to tell Him? Someone once said: “There is no greater call, but there is greater accountability”. Would we rather spend all we have with futilities and earthly things, or do like Jesus said...
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
»No os hagáis tesoros en la tierra, donde la polilla y el moho destruyen, y donde ladrones entran y hurtan; sino haceos tesoros en el cielo, donde ni la polilla ni el moho destruyen, y donde ladrones no entran ni hurtan, porque donde esté vuestro tesoro, allí estará también vuestro corazón.
As I always say, the Lord is NOT interested in our money, He’s the Lord of the universe; but He is really interested in how we spend it, and in how faithful we are with the resources He puts in our hands.
As I always say, the Lord is NOT interested in our money, He’s the Lord of the universe; but He is really interested in how we spend it, and in how faithful we are with the resources He puts in our hands.
FINAL APPLICATIONS
FINAL APPLICATIONS
On a side note, it’s noteworthy that the Lord Jesus brings this word to His church right in the middle of this situation of the incident that caused the death of George Floyd; (White versus Black / Jews versus Samaritans); we must pray that every racial difference in North America may be ended, and we are the agents of it, the same way Jesus was the agent of peace between Jews and Samaritans.
On a side note, it’s noteworthy that the Lord Jesus brings this word to His church right in the middle of this situation of the incident that caused the death of George Floyd; (White versus Black / Jews versus Samaritans); we must pray that every racial difference in North America may be ended, and we are the agents of it, the same way Jesus was the agent of peace between Jews and Samaritans.
The more we study the life of these anonymous heroes, the more we see that their life was completely free of selfishness; the more they got closer to God, the less they were concerned of how well known they were;
The apostle Paul talks about those who don’t have a name:
as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed;
como desconocidos, pero bien conocidos; como moribundos, pero llenos de vida; como castigados, pero no muertos;
One day, however, we will know the name of this nameless Samaritan hero, in Heaven. In fact, all of us will have a new name given by the Lord.
For now, we don’t need to have our names on the spotlights of vanity, we must not let our left hand to know what the right hand is doing, we just have to fulfill the Great Commission, knowing that our labor is not in vain:
For now, we don’t need to have our names on the spotlights of vanity, we must not let our left hand to know what the right hand is doing, we just have to fulfill the Great Commission, knowing that our labor is not in vain:
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Así que, hermanos míos amados, estad firmes y constantes, creciendo en la obra del Señor siempre, sabiendo que vuestro trabajo en el Señor no es en vano.
The figure of the Good Samaritan is a type of Jesus Himself, Who had compassion on us who were beaten by the Devil, took care of us, departed to prepare a place for us, paid the price for our sins, and asked the Innkeeper, the Holy Spirit, to take care of us until His return.
The figure of the Good Samaritan is a type of Jesus Himself, Who had compassion on us who were beaten by the Devil, took care of us, departed to prepare a place for us, paid the price for our sins, and asked the Innkeeper, the Holy Spirit, to take care of us until His return.
And finally, the Nameless Samaritan is a hero because:
And finally, the Nameless Samaritan is a hero because:
1. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELIGION AND PIETY, BETWEEN SPEECH AND ACTION;
1. HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELIGION AND PIETY, BETWEEN SPEECH AND ACTION;
2. HE WAS WILLING TO FACE A GREAT RISK FOR A GREATER CAUSE;
2. HE WAS WILLING TO FACE A GREAT RISK FOR A GREATER CAUSE;
3. HE CHOSE LIFE OVER RESOURCES.
3. HE CHOSE LIFE OVER RESOURCES.
Let’s pray.
Let’s pray.