In Luke 10:30-37, we read the story of a traveller who ignored danger to help a total stranger who was bleeding and dying. He is known as The Good Samaritan. It’s a story that challenges every one of us and shows us how we need to care for people in need, no matter what their background. Jesus had been teaching that the two great priorities of life are to ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and all your strength' and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
So who is your neighbour? The simple answer is that everyone is our neighbour. Your neighbour may live next door or nearby, be in your work or school or church community. Your neighbour may be a person or a people in trouble far away or someone from a completely different background like the Jewish victim in this story who was helped by a racially despised Samaritan. In a few powerful sentences, Jesus showed how we must never become too busy or self-absorbed to care for one another as we go about our own business in life. There are three aspects of the kind of selfless love that we witness in this story which we need today to bring healing to our world:
1. Love Sees (Luke 10:30-33)
2. Love Feels (Luke 10:33; Matthew 9:36; Matthew 14:14)
3. Love Acts (James 2:14-17; Galatians 6:10)
3.1. He made direct contact (Luke 10:34)
3.2. He ministered to his needs (Luke 10:34-35)
3.3. He made sure that he would be safely looked after (Luke 10:34-35)
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How easy is it for you to focus on your own life when actually you could be helping a lot more people? How generous is your giving of money and time and effort? The Good Samaritan saw a human being who had been attacked, stripped, beaten, abandoned and left to die. So many people today have suffered physical violence and been robbed not only of possessions but of their hope and peace of mind. Ultimately Satan is the greatest robber of all that is good and godly. Many have been humiliated, stripped of their dignity and self-image by being abused or by wrong actions, cheap relationships and negative words. Others feel beaten and overpowered by enemies, addictions or circumstances, or they feel abandoned and on their own, rejected and cast aside. Many feel in such a bad way that it’s all over unless someone helps. Of course all these experiences were what Jesus went through when He gave His life so that we can have life. But they also describe the experiences of so many people and maybe also where you are at right now. The questions are: do we see the pain in people’s eyes? Do we recognise the tell-tale signs of a victim? Do we recognise the depression that people are struggling with? Do we see evil that is ruining people right before our eyes? For example the growing incidence of sex trafficking involving people working in public places has been called ‘human slavery hidden in plain sight.’ The Good Samaritan is a wonderful example of self-love that begins with really seeing the needs of others: but seeing is not enough. A priest and a Levite both saw but passed by on the other side. Both these characters show how it is possible to have a religious identity without really having a love for people in need. Before condemning them, examine your own heart: How much need do you see without doing anything about it?
As followers of Jesus, how much love do we really have in our hearts for the world and the people all around us? Do we have that ‘burning love for others’ that Smith Wigglesworth spoke of receiving when he was filled with the Holy Spirit? In contrast to the hard-hearted religious people who quickly distanced themselves from this beaten up man, the Samaritan was deeply touched when he saw a fellow human being in such a bad way. So too was Jesus (Matthew 9:36; Matthew 14:14). When the love of Jesus softens and fills our hearts, we too will have selfless love which sees, feels and acts.
Do you show your faith in Jesus through you’re actions as well as your words? Every action of the Good Samaritan showed that he really loved and cared. And we too are to do the same. 'Go and do likewise', Jesus said. The Samaritan made direct contact, he ministered to his needs, he went to him and bandaged his wounds, he made sure that he would be safely looked after. He put him on his own donkey (would you use your nice car to get a bleeding, dirty person to hospital or call a taxi?) and brought him to an inn to take care of him, paying for the man's short term needs as well as keeping an ongoing interest in his well-being. We too must be faithful in ministering to people at all stages of their development. Later Jesus also said that we serve him when we feed the hungry, give the thirsty a drink, look after the homeless, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the prisoner (Matthew 25:40). Real Christianity is about words, but it is also shown by our actions (James 2:14-17; Galatians 6:10). Firstly, we need to model practical Christianity in our families and in the church and from there let it spread to the world. The early church modelled this all-round care for people and that all through history until this present moment many of the greatest social care projects and humanitarian reforms have been led by and supported by Christians. In these long weeks of pandemic, we have as a church been privileged to feed and help many thousands of needy people in Robertson, seeing the need of so many who had no other means of help to stay alive. We were also touched in our hearts by the love of God for our fellow brothers and sisters and human beings. And we have taken action to help. We couldn’t and we can’t ignore the ongoing need of people in plain sight. And as we keep going, you too can show your love by your giving and serving.
Today whether your neighbour is near at hand or far away, let’s really look out for one another, especially in this time of so much uncertainty and difficulty. Remember these lessons of the story and become a Good Samaritan yourself. For real love always sees. Real love always feels. Real love always acts.
