For the next three days let’s examine the Parable of
the Good Samaritan as found in Luke 10:25-29:
25 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.”
Jesus said the greatest thing you
could do was love God and then love your neighbor as yourself. But, Jesus had a
teacher of the Law who was trying to trick Him with a question about eternal
life. Jesus got him to answer according to Scripture. We are to love God with
all we have and our neighbors as ourselves. Then came the eternal question: Who is your neighbor?
The answer is everyone, but
sometimes we just can’t get involved. Some of us are too busy, don’t want to
get involved, or just don’t care. People in distress need us to get involved
even if they could be described as “half-dead” in their current circumstances.
We see them around us every day – if we are willing to look. Let’s pick up the story in Luke
10:29-37 – 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 was
attacked by 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, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 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.’ “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.”
The truth is half-dead people still
have possibilities – they can be nursed back to health. We need to have
compassion and love for our neighbors. Amen?
