Compassion

Living the Parables
-Part VI-

#13 The Good Samaritan
Luke 10:30-37

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

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 neighbor as yourself.'"

"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins 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.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

Popularity
This is probably 1 of the 2 most famous parables
This story has become part of our culture & vocabulary
This is probably the most practical of all parables

Geography
Jerusalem & Jericho were only 17 miles apart
To go toward Jericho was a 3,300 descent
The terrain was ideal for bandits
The road was nicknamed ‘The Path of Blood’

Background
In 720 BC the Northern Kingdom was destroyed
The remaining members married foreigners
In 586 BC the Southern Kingdom was destroyed
Those remaining members maintained their Judaism
In 440BC the Southern Jews began to rebuild Jerusalem
The Southern Jews refused the help of the Northern Jews
In 128BC the Southern Jews destroyed the Northern Temple
The Southern Jews now referred to Northern Jews as Samaritans
In AD6, the Samaritans scattered human bones in the Temple
The feud during Jesus’ day was at its peak (John 4, Luke 9:51-56)

Context
The expert was testing Jesus (25)
The expert wanted to justify himself (29)
The expert asked a common question (29)

Common Excuses for Not Caring
Our religion requires us to be ‘clean’
Our fear restricts us from risk
Our selfishness seeks personal comfort
Our laziness leaves the job to others
Our cynicism creates a cold heart

The Basics of True Concern
A truly concerned person has compassion for the hurting
A truly concerned person connects with the hurting
A truly concerned person cares for the hurting
A truly concerned person pays a cost for the hurting

The Points of The Parable
Our neighbor is anyone in need
Christ is more concerned w/who we are than who our neighbor is
Christ commands us to help the hurting

...........


Each time we encounter a person or persons in need we make a choice. We either help or we don't. I suppose the 'spiritual' thing to say is we should always make the choice to help. But I don't think that's possible or wise in the real world. Maybe I'll take a hit for having this opinion, but here are some principles I use for making these choices.

7 Principles for a Good Samaritan

1. Consider the manner of the request
If a person is overly aggressive in their request or uses a high pressure environment to provoke a hand-out, I'm less likely to give. If they are interested in cash and not in conversation, I'm less likely to give.

2. Consider the quantity of the problem
How many people are involved in this need? Are there 200 needy people in 1 place? If so, I'm less likely to give to any of them and more likely to take the problem to the church to develop a larger scale ministry.

3. Consider the quality of the problem
Is the problem specific? Does it require immediate attention? If so, I'm much more likely to choose to meet the need. I'm much more interested in providing shoes to a bare foot man than a quick $20 to a healthy young male.

4. Try to connect/converse
I feel like if I can converse with the person in need, I'm able to get a better sense for what action is wise. Plus, connecting provides an opportunity to minister more fully.

5. Try not to give cash
My policy is it's always better to meet the need specifically than to just hand the person/people cash. Do they need gas? Fill their car up for them. Do they need heat? Pay their bill. We are called to give, but we are also stewards.

6. Try to limit the risk
Should I pick up that hitch-hiker? A good policy is to keep the risk to a minimum. What time of day is it? What's the reputation of that road? I am not sure a woman driver should make a habit of picking up male hitch-hikers.

7. Let the Spirit lead you
Most important, seek the Holy Spirit's guidance. He is all-wise and will help you make wise choices. The first 6 principles take a back seat to principle number 7.