Be the Man!

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

When Jesus Christ walked through the streets of Jerusalem, His presence commanded immediate attention. He spoke with an authority that captivated crowds, leaving many who heard Him truly amazed. Word spread quickly, especially as some had even experienced His miraculous healing touch. Naturally, this generated a wave of positive interest and curiosity. However, not everyone welcomed His influence. For many, Jesus represented a direct threat to their established way of life and power structures.

In this case, the lawyer was an expert in Mosaic and rabbinical law. His question to Jesus could have just been an honest attempt to get an answer from Him, hearing how Jesus spoke with such authority. “What can I do to live forever?” the lawyer asked Jesus.

Jesus answered the man’s question with a question. “You’re the expert in the law, what do you think God’s Word says?” The lawyer gave Jesus the textbook answer. “Love God with your entire being and your neighbor as yourself. “Correct, counselor. Do both of these things perfectly and you’ll live forever.”

The lawyer was sure he did his job of loving God well enough, but he was interested to hear who Jesus considered a “neighbor.” Jesus understood that humanity, by its very nature, could not consistently love God with perfect devotion. He also knew that if the man didn’t realize who his neighbor was, he couldn’t fully love his God, either. This is God’s grand theme in His Word: Love Me, love your neighbor. This is everyone’s “Daily Double.”

The story begins. There was a Jewish man who went on a journey. He travelled alone down a well-known, but dangerous road. Savagely, he was attacked, beaten bloody, robbed, and left for dead. A priest, a religious official, made the same trip and saw his fellow Jew lying bloodied and beaten on the side of the road. His mind must have been flooded with excuses for not getting involved. “I’m all by myself. What could I do? Besides, he looks pretty bad, and I don’t even know First Aid. I’m going to mosey over to the other side of the street.”

Another priest, this time a Levite, one who had the privilege of serving in God’s temple, walked down the same road and saw the beaten man. More excuses; more rationalizations. “This might be a trap! I need to get home and see my family. Besides, later I’m going to the temple and I can’t get blood all over me. Say, what’s that over there on the opposite side of the road?”

Then a Samaritan, a dirty, filthy enemy of Israel, comes upon the beaten man and shows him compassion. That word must have made the lawyer’s ears burn. “Compassion? Are we talking from a Gentile to a Jew here?” The Samaritan cleaned and applied soothing oil to the man’s wounds. He bandaged him and put the man on his donkey. He then took him on foot to the nearest hotel and cared for him. The following day, the Samaritan gave money to the hotel concierge to care for the injured man. “If the money runs out,” he said, “I’ll pay whatever the difference when I return.”

"So, Mr. Attorney, which of these three acted as the 'neighbor' of the beaten man?" The lawyer couldn’t even say the name, “Samaritan.” He answered Jesus, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus realized He had made His point. “You’re absolutely correct! Go and be that man!”

We can only imagine how this short story affected the lawyer. How did Jesus’ words impact his outlook on the future? Did he walk away and resolve to change how he treated his fellow man? Or was he inextricably bound to the culture of legalism and peer pressure that imprisoned him in a cage of self-importance?

This Glory Story of Jesus asks us these same questions. Should we continue on our journey of the status quo? Or should we “go and be that man?” You decide.

But, wait! There’s more...