The Divided States of America:

Luke 10:1–3 (NLT)

The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.

Luke 10:25–29 (NLT)

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

The man answered, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Luke 10:30–37 (NLT)

Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

“By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

The chapter opens with Jesus choosing 72 additional disciples.

Before He sends them out, He gives them a bit of a training and orientation.

First He lets them know in verse 2 the harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few.

In other words, there’s more to get done than people who want to do it. Sound familiar?

He tells them the following about how to operate in verses 4-11:

Travel light - Don’t take much with you.

Don’t stop to talk while you’re walking. (Avoid Distractions)

Declare peace in every home you go into.

If it lives there, it will remain. If not, it will return to you. (Every environment isn’t prepared to receive what you’re bringing)

Don’t move around. Stay in one place, and eat and drink what they give you. (Learn to be stable, consistent, and wait for the results to manifest)

Accept good things. You’re worth it, and understand ministry doesn’t mean you don’t have to have money or resources.

Take what you’re given.

Heal the sick, and share the gospel.

If they reject you, publicly announce the gospel to them, move on, and let them know publicly.

They go out and do work, and return to let Jesus know the demons obeyed them.

Jesus affirms their authority, but then harnesses it properly by redirecting their focus to ensuring their soul is covered.

Jesus then prays a prayer of Thanksgiving, before He was asked an important question regarding the commandments.

The lawyer KJV version (an expert in the Jewish Mosaic and rabbinical law) tested Jesus. The idea behind the ancient Greek word for tested isn’t necessarily mean or evil. This may have been a sincere question from a sincere seeker.

The Biblical understanding of eternal life doesn’t necessarily refer to duration of life, because every person is immortal, either in heaven or hell. It doesn’t refer to a life that begins only when we die. Eternal life is a particular quality of life; a life that comes from God, and a life we can have right now.

In fact, an expansion of his question would likely read, “What must I do to inherit eternal life with God?”

“The first part seemed mildly sarcastic, ‘What does the Law say?’ In other words, ‘You are the lawyer who interprets the Law; you tell me what it says.’”

The lawyer measured himself against both commands. He figured that he obeyed the first command well enough, but his keeping of the second commandment depended on how one defined “neighbor.”

i. His first and perhaps greatest mistake was in assuming that he had fulfilled the first commandment. When we really consider what the words mean, then who among us has loved God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind? It is easy for us to be distracted in any one of these areas even when we worship God; even more so in our daily living.

ii. His second mistake was in thinking that he could fulfill the commandment to love God with all he had and still possibly not fulfill the command to love his neighbor. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.(1 John 4:20-21)

iii. His third mistake was in the way that he wanted to narrowly define neighbor. If only our friends and those who are easy to love are our neighbors, then perhaps this man fulfilled it in an imperfect way. It all depends on how broad the definition is. The Jews in Jesus’ day did believe that you had to love your neighbor; but it was also taught among them that it was a duty before God to hate your enemy. It all depends on who your neighbor is and who your enemy is.

Jesus knows this is His opportunity to address a deeper issue that existed amongst the Jews and Samaritans. I don’t believe it was coincidental. Instead, I believe it was very intentional, because Jesus wanted to be thoughful about undoing this separation that had been fortified by the Jews.

a. A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves: The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was infamous for crime and robbery. It wasn’t surprising to Jesus’ listeners that He set the story on this particular road.

i. “That road was famous for its lurking dangers, especially robbers (see Josephus, J.W. 2.451-75).” (Pate)

ii. “He was an obviously reckless and foolhardy character. People seldom attempted the Jerusalem to Jericho road alone if they were carrying goods or valuables. Seeking safety in numbers, they travelled in convoys or caravans. This man had no one but himself to blame for the plight in which he found himself.” (Barclay)

b. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road: The priest and the Levite (both categories of religious officials) saw their Jewish brother lying in his terrible condition – but neither of them did anything. They both passed by on the other side.

i. “Priest and Levite are mentioned here, partly because they were the most frequent travellers on this road, and partly to show that these were the persons who, from the nature of their office, were most obliged to perform works of mercy; and from whom a person in distress had a right to expect immediate succour and comfort; and their inhuman conduct here was a flat breach of the law.” (Clarke)

ii. Think of all the excuses that 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.”

ii. But all of these are simply excuses.

“I never knew a man refuse to help the poor who failed to give at least one admirable excuse.” (Charles Spurgeon)

c. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion: When Jesus’ listeners heard about the priest and the Levite, they probably expected Jesus to say next that a common Jewish man came and helped. If that happened, this story would be another way. Jesus showed the corruption of the religious leaders in that day. But Jesus shocked them by saying that the man who helped was a Samaritan.

d. A certain Samaritan: Generally speaking, Jews and Samaritans despised each other both racially and religiously. The culture gave the Samaritan plenty of reasons to hate this Jewish man and pass him by.

i. Some rabbis taught that a Jew was forbidden to help a Gentile woman who was in distress giving birth; because if they succeeded, all they did was to help one more Gentile come into the world. They often thought that Samaritans were worse than other Gentiles were.

e. 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: Instead of passing by, the Samaritan loved him sacrificially. He didn’t wait to be asked; to see the need right in front of him was enough to make him do something. He also gave freely of both his time and his resources.

i. The wine, containing alcohol, had an antiseptic effect on the man’s wounds. The oil helped to soothe the wounds, easing the pain. To set him on his own animal meant that the Samaritan himself walked.

ii. He took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper: It seems that two denarii would provide for the man’s needs in the inn for at least two or three weeks.

iii. There are many ways that the Samaritan was like Jesus.

· The Samaritan was an outsider, despised by many.

· The Samaritan came after others failed to meet the need.

· The Samaritan came before it was too late.

· The Samaritan came with everything necessary.

· The Samaritan came right to the afflicted man.

· The Samaritan gave tender care.

· The Samaritan provided for future needs.

“So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

a. Which of these three do you think was neighbor: According to the thinking of the day, the priest and the Levite were neighbor to the man who had been beaten and robbed. But they didn’t act like neighbors at all.

i. “We are arrested by the fact that He completely shifted the ground of the question, and by this reply said, in effect, that the question as to who is a neighbor was not so important as the question to whom he was a neighbor.” (Morgan)

b. He who showed mercy on him: The lawyer knew who the true neighbor was; yet he could not bring himself to say the name “Samaritan.” We might have expected him to be an enemy, but he was instead a neighbor who showed mercy on him.

i. Obviously the lawyer knew that he could no longer justify himself. He did not have this kind of love, a love that went beyond what he wanted to think of as “neighbor.”

c. Go and do likewise: Jesus allowed the parable to answer the lawyer’s question and guide the application. I am to love my neighbor, and my neighbor is the one who others might consider my enemy. My neighbor is the one with a need right in front of me.

i. Spurgeon wrote that “When we see innocent persons suffering as the result of the sin of others our pity should be excited.” He then gave examples of situations that should provoke pity in the believer:

· Children sick and starving because of a drunken father.

· Wives overworked and burdened because of lazy and cruel husbands.

· Workers oppressed in wages and working conditions, just to survive.

· Those afflicted from accidents and disease.

ii. This doesn’t mean running after every need that might present itself. After all, the Samaritan didn’t establish a hospital for unfortunate travelers. But it does mean a concern for the ones plain before us, in both social and spiritual needs.

“The world would be a changed place if every Christian attended to the sorrows that are plain before him.” (Alexander Maclaren)

iii. Many – even most – people don’t have this kind of love for God or others. How then will they receive eternal life?

· First, by refusing to inherit eternal life by doing. Instead, believe on Jesus; trust God that Jesus paid the penalty you deserve for every time you have fallen short of loving God or loving others the way you should.

· Then, having received eternal life – God’s kind of life in you – God will give you the resources to love Him and other people in a much better way. You can’t do it apart from having His life in you.

“Let it never be forgotten that what the law demands of us the gospel really produces in us.” (Charles Spurgeon)

So, what should we learn from the Good Samaritan?

Pray for a heart of compassion.

verse 33 says the Samaritan was moved to compassion.

Compassion is defined as sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it

Be attentive to the opportunities that present themselves.

The Samaritan could have continued moving forward, but instead he stopped to acknowledge pain of the Jew.

Respond to the need.

The Samaritan didn’t just see the need, but he responded. He did something about the need. And notice, he treated the actual needs. He didn’t just do any old thing to say he had done something. He was intentional.

Complete the assignment.

He didn’t just stop at cleaning him up. He added additional provision to make sure he had enough time to be made completely whole.