TELL ME A STORY - The Good Samaritan

Tell Me A Story
Unpacking the Power of the Parables

The Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37

Neighbors. Growing up in rural Alabama, my closest neighbor lived one quarter of a mile down the road. In my subdivision today, I have neighbors right next door and across the street. But are we closer just because we’re close? What makes a neighbor neighborly? And who really counts as my neighbor anyway?

One day Jesus was asked that same question by a Jewish lawyer trying to weasel his way around God’s Word. The guy tried to test Jesus by asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus countered the lawyer’s query with a quiz of His own. “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”

The man quickly (and correctly) quoted two of God’s commands from the Law given through Moses. “He said, ‘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.’”

“Right on,” Jesus replied. “Live like that and you’ll get what you’re looking for.”
Instead of admitting he could never live so perfectly, the man arrogantly wanted to be sure – and to show - he had met the legal requirements for loving. So he inquired, “And exactly who is my neighbor?”

This lawyer wanted a general category, but instead Jesus gave him a story. The story of a specific man with a serious need. The story of the very ones who had all the reasons to help, but didn’t. The story of the one who had all the reasons not to help, but did. The story of the Good Samaritan.

“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 to, 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 innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.”’

As Jesus finished his story, surely the man was already cringing at the certain-to-come follow-up question. “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” He couldn’t bring himself to even say the word “Samaritan,” so, “The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’” Jesus didn’t point out the man’s prejudice because He knew He had made His point. Jesus simply told him, “Go and do likewise.”

“Go and do.” Greek verbs whose tenses tell us “as you are going and going and keep on going in your life, be doing and doing and keep on doing this.” What’s ‘this’? ‘This’ is being a neighbor.

Start neighboring. Don’t stop neighboring. And neighbor everyone in need. Being a neighbor has nothing to do with where you live and everything to do with how you love. Love isn’t checking off a list, but this story shows us several stages of “going and doing likewise.”

AS YOU ARE GOING
Let’s stop right there and start. “Go.” “As you are going….” Note that none of our travelers that day were on a pre-determined mission of mercy. All three were simply trekking along the road of life. The eighteen mile descent from Jerusalem northeast to Jericho was steep, winding, and unsafe. People went that way because it was the only way. Jericho was a favorite residence of religious leaders, so many priests and Levites journeyed to and from the temple at their scheduled times of service. “A priest happened to be going down the same road….” “…A Levite, when he came to the place….” We’re not told why the Samaritan was on the highway, “but a Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was….” Jesus didn’t say to be “on the go.” He said, “As you are going….” Each part of every day is part of our path of life. On each path we will meet people who need a neighbor. People who need us to see.

SEE
See What’s Going On

“A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw…” v. 31
“…A Levite, when he came to the place and saw him…” v. 32
“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was; and when he saw him…” v. 33

First, we must see – see what’s going on. Look up from your lane at the lives around you. The beaten man on the side of the road couldn’t easily be missed. All three travelers saw him, and all three saw his needs. “A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw…” v. 31 “…A Levite, when he came to the place and saw him…” v. 32 “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was; and when he saw him…” v. 33
Like this victim’s, some needs are obvious and easily apparent. Many are camouflaged behind smiles or schedules. Others are hidden because of shame or fear. As you walk your path with God, ask to see others through His eyes, and He will show you their needs. In 2 Corinthians 5: 16 Paul talks about how he looks at others. He says that since he came to know Jesus and His love, “from now on, we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” Philippians 4:2 says, “Each one should look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others.” Don’t just look, see. You’ll be surprised at what you notice when you focused on the people, not just the path.


STOP
Stop What You’re Doing

On my husband Steve’s Facebook page he put a quote he heard many years ago which changed the way he lived. “DEVELOP THE ABILITY TO BE INTERRUPTED.” That’s why he spent yesterday afternoon and evening making student council posters in his unsweaty workout clothes. He never made it out the door because our middle-schooler needed his help. He stopped what he was doing so he could see what she needed.

Look at how the men in the parable responded to what they saw.
“A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side…” v. 31
“…A Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side…” v. 32
“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him…” v. 33


They all saw. They all slowed. Only one stopped.

Stop what you’re doing. Jesus stopped going with Jairus to raise his dead daughter so he could heal a sick woman. He stopped his travel through Jericho and ate lunch with Zaccheus. He stopped listening to the report of a mission trip to make lunch for 5000 plus.

Perhaps fear that it might be a trap, concerns that they didn’t know what to do, thoughts that the man was beyond help, or just their own schedules and responsibilities kept them from stopping. Your agenda is not more important than God’s adventure. Don’t miss out because you’re in a hurry to get somewhere else. Stop and see what’s going on before you go on.


STEP IN
Step In & Do What Needs To Be Done
“Hop off your donkey and help”

And then step in and do what needs to be done.
“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came to 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.” V. 33

Hop off your donkey and help. Yes, you will be inconvenienced. Yes, it will cost you – time, energy, maybe even money. Pouring on oil and wine – cleansing and comfort – requires your own getting dirty in the effort, but stepping in is what we need to do. It’s what we ought to do. It’s what we want to do as we follow Jesus.

Who was a neighbor? The one who had mercy – who had mercy and help with mercy. Not the ones who should have helped but didn’t, but the one who could have given many reasons not to help but did. We have no excuses for not helping those who hurt us or those we don’t like. We should show mercy with mercy.

GO AND DO LIKEWISE!!
You’re going to keep going, so keep doing as you go. Don’t ask Who is my neighbor ? Ask to whom can I be a neighbor? See. Stop. Step In. And you’ll be a really Good Samaritan.