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TITLE: Good Samaritan By Lisa Rose 11/06/06 |
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Luke 10:25-37
Lack of love is often easy to justify
To the thieves (v30) the wounded man was someone to use and exploit. Perhaps the man had a handicap. How many people worry about rather or not they give a handicapped person the right change back. “They will never know the difference” is the reasoning.
How easy it is if we are not careful to take advantage of other people. Imagine being in a grocery store and looking down to find a wad of money, maybe $50. There is no one around – no one is looking. You pick it up and into your pocket it goes. “I can use it more than the police – or if the other person wanted it they should have been more careful.” How many other excuses or ways do you try to justify what you know in your heart to be wrong?
Now imagine a step further – imagine the $50 belonged to a young mother. Imagine it was all she had to buy food for her children. Does your crime seem so easily justified now?
The Bible says in John 13:34 “Love one another as I have loved you”.
To the religious man (v. 31-32) the wounded was a problem to be avoided. When I think of this I am reminded of Job’s plight in the Bible and the words that his “friends” spoke to him. This attitude was one of he deserves what has happened. Serves him right for his sins (of course Job’s problems weren’t caused by sin) and so it is often times in our midst. When a brother or sister in the Lord is going through a hard time the words that flow from our mind (if not our mouths) go something like this: “Well if he would just – or maybe we say – here we go again. This person is always needing help”. Often we avoid a person who is going through a trial, we don’t have time to get involved. We have our own problems. The Bible says “Love thy neighbor as thyself”
The the lawyer (v. 25) the wounded man was an object of discussion not a person to help. But a means to justify his own actions. The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:8 “Finally be ye all of one mind having compassion one of another love as brethren be pitiful be courteious.”
The the innkeeper (v35) the wounded man was a customer to serve for a fee. How many times does it happen in churches that a person with financial difficulty gets only the “have to say something” treatment. Well they are here at least our numbers will be up today. But since they don’t have any money we won’t associate with them anymore than necessary.
Lets bring it on down. Perhaps a person comes to our worship service with no shoes – torn clothes and a bad smell. Do we go out of way to avoid contact with that individual or are we willing to stretch out our hand and perhaps even our purse to let that person see God’s love? Matthew 25:40 says “In as much as you have done it to the least of these my bethern, ye have done it unto me.”
To the Samaritan (v. 33-35) the wounded man was a human being worth being cared for and loved. Sometimes we look at a situation and think what can I do to help. Torn with an answer too often we walk away and do nothing. Even though in our hearts we long to help.
I remember hearing a faculty member from CDR once on the radio. She had recently been diagnosed with cancer. She told of the various ways different ones had helped her over the months. The one thing she mentioned over and over was those who came and just sat with her and held her hand. They didn’t try to give some theological reasoning to why she had cancer, but just sat and gave her comfort and love. There is so much that can be done. When someone you care about is hurting you can’t do everything, but at least you can do something.
And to Jesus – All of them and ALL of us were worth dying for. You will find if you read every record of His life that He never turned His back on a person due to lack of money, or sickness or disease, or because a person complained too much or had too many sins or hardships. But rather He loves us with an everlasting love.
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