Luke 10:25-3725 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”26 “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’”28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:25-37 WHAT WE CAN DO TO SHOW LOVE Springford Baptist Church: February 26, 2023.
There was a sign on the 401 Highway near a service centre exit that read: “REBUILDING TO SERVE YOU BETTER”.
This got me to thinking about this whole crucial matter of loving our neighbours.
Loving our neighbours is a natural outcome of loving God.
If we are loving God, we won’t just fixate on that, but will have eyes and hearts to see what’s happening with people around us.
So I realize that we already know we are to love our neighbours. The man who asked this question of Jesus (Luke 10:29) knew this too and it seems he was trying to wriggle out of his responsibility. He was wanting to limit this to caring about people he already liked and with whom he felt something in common. He appears to have wanted to justify himself for the times when he did not love someone and to think that was okay.
Jesus responds with this story that has some surprising twists and I think it can help us to better understand and live what it means to “love my neighbour.”
It can help each of us determine how we need to rebuild our attitudes and reactions in order to better serve. We can see here what it means to really love people in keeping with the way God intends.
Now I wonder if each of you in your minds can think of someone you find somewhat annoying, possibly a lot annoying. It may be that you actually try to avoid seeing or talking with this person.
For the Jews and the Samaritans there was a long standing hatred. Yes, sadly they did hate each other. It was more than mild annoyance. They would have been happy to have nothing whatsoever to do with each other. Hold that thought.
As Jesus begins the story, He describes a common scene for this time of a man travelling by foot. When was the last time you walked 17 miles (27.4 km)? That’s how far it was from Jerusalem to Jericho and the road ran through rocky desert country where there were places for robbers to overtake defenseless travellers.
This is just what happened and the robbers left this man badly beaten and lying at the side of the road.
Now when you see someone pulled over in a car you might wonder, do they need help or are they just making a phone call or checking directions.
But there was no way of escaping the fact here that this man needed help!
He might well die if he didn’t have someone stop to help.
Oh good, here comes a priest-a man of God. Surely, he will stop and help, but NO!
Well maybe he was busy. Maybe he has a good reason for not stopping…
Now here comes a Levite-another religious man. I can’t imagine that he won’t take time to assist. He spends all his time talking about following God’s Law.
Really? He didn’t stop either!
What is going on here?
This would be like a minister and then someone who goes to church every Sunday coming to the scene of an accident and speeding on past. It would be completely inconsistent with what they say they believe!
This would be like any one of us reading in the Bible that we are to love our neighbour, but then when someone really needs us, just not being there.
Jesus is making a point here! It is one thing to talk about our faith and quite another to live it!
It is surprising that the ones we would expect to show concern and even to go out of their way to help, did not!
Instead, who comes along but a despised Samaritan-literally the last person in the world with which a Jewish person would want any association.
What is going to happen to this helpless man who may well bleed to death?
There is no way that a Samaritan will stop to help a Jew. They hate each other. It just won’t happen.
But wait, what is going on?
He’s crossing over the road. Probably only to have a closer look, but you watch he won’t do anything either.
This man laying in the ditch is not a friend or neighbour. Actually, they really can’t stand each other.
Can you believe this: he’s bandaging him up and putting him on his donkey since he’s too weak to walk!
Well, that will be all he’ll do. You watch, he’ll take him into town and then leave him to figure things out for himself.
They’re stopping at an inn? And the Samaritan takes care of him and stays overnight to make sure he’s alright? Unbelievable!
Apparently, he even gave the innkeeper money to take care of the man and said that if there was extra expense, he would cover it.
This is extreme isn’t it? It is not just doing a small Act of Kindness, but it is going to great inconvenience and expense to respond with love and compassion.
Any one of us would be likely to react in this way for a close family member or long time friend, but come back to that thought about that someone or someones you find annoying and awkward to be around.
Love is seen as authentic when it is expressed for someone that would not be our choice to serve.
The expert in the Law was able to identify who was a neighbour to the man in need. Obvious isn’t it? The one who had mercy on him.
If we are rebuilding to serve better, then it begins with our capacity to love-to really care about people and consider each one a neighbour.
Sure, it is easy to love people who are good to us-simply returning the favours.
Rebuilding requires more of us as followers of Jesus. It involves awkwardness and inconvenience and expense, but it also involves the irreplaceable gift of being able to make a difference in someone else’s life and to allow that person to know that God loves him/her and so do we!
Will we limit our opportunities to love our neighbours or will we allow God to keep rebuilding us to serve people better by BECOMING more like Jesus??