David's Sermons - Luke 10 - Good Samaritan

Luke 10 v 25-37

And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

The Good Samaritan is one of the best known of Jesus' parables. The story can be seen as a picture of salvation. Jesus tells the story when He is asked "Who is my neighbour?". In His answer, He not only shows us who our neighbours are, but how we should treat each other, and the love that He has for everyone.

The story is set on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. This was a rough road, and prone to muggers, so the man being mugged isn't a surprise. The road runs downwards from Jerusalem to Jericho, reflecting man's downward walk into sin, and away from God.

The muggers are like sin. At first they may have seemed harmless, no danger to the man, but they suddenly seized him, stripped him and beat him. Sin may seem to be harmless, even pleasant, but it takes us by surprise, strips us of our dignity and leaves us wounded, without a care for us.

The two men who pass by are pictures of religion and of the law. Some turn to religion as an answer for sin, but religion can't help. Some turn to the law for justification, but the law only condemns.

The Samaritan that comes represents Jesus. He came across a person who hated him and yet he didn't stay separate. He came to where the man was. He came with compassion, cleaned the man's wounds and soothed his pain. Jesus came amongst us who hated Him. He came in love, giving His blood to cleanse us from sin, and giving the Holy Spirit to comfort us.

As the Samaritan takes the wounded man to an inn, and pays for his keep, so Jesus, when He saves us, puts us in a place of fellowship. He provides for our every need, and promises to come back again.

Summary

Like the man on the road, we walked a downhill journey, and were left disabled by our sins. We may have looked to the law, but it only condemns us. We may have looked to the church, but it has no power to help. Our only hope is in a person, Jesus Christ. He has come, healed and cleansed us, and given us the means to care for fellow travellers on the road. What are we doing with the gifts He has given us? Are we caring for others, feeding and encouraging young Christians? He will come back again, and our reward will be based on what we have done for Him while here on this earth.