OK, so we all know this parable – the parable of the Good Samaritan. I’ll admit that when I was charged to lead my small group through a discussion on this passage, I wasn’t very excited. I mean, we can all see the moral of the story coming a mile away, right?
Wrong.
First of all, tsk tsk for moralizing the Bible. The Bible isn’t a collection of stories that teach you to be a good person. The Bible is about a God who loved a lost and dying world, and the Savior who died so that we wouldn’t have to. Whenever we read God’s word, we should be looking for what He’s revealing about Himself. How does this story point to Christ? What does this say about God’s love for us? Then, motivated by that love, you can apply what you see in the passage to your own life, and make the changes that the scripture challenges you to make. Not compelled by guilt, but propelled by Grace.
When I read this passage, I realized something pretty staggering. Instead of trying to figure out how to be the Samaritan, I realized that I was that man who fell into the hands of robbers. I was the man laying in the road, half-dead, incapable of helping myself and in desperate need of a savior. The things I trusted in this world had passed me by on the other side of the road, embarrassed to even look at me.
But God had compassion when he looked at me. He picked me up when I couldn’t stand. He bandaged my wounds, carried me, and set me on solid ground. And this is where the gospel becomes so clear in this parable:
“And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.” – Luke 10:35 [ESV]
If you miss this, you miss the whole passage: this is Christ, saying to the Father “Whatever he owes, put it on my account. I’ll pay for it.” We owed our lives to God for our sins, but Christ has paid for them in full. Christ took our sins, and in return, God now sees us through Christ’s finished work on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 8). Jesus Christ is the Best Samaritan.
It’s in the light of this mercy — in response to this love — that we’re able to be more like the Samaritan. Christ commands us to do just that (v:37). Remember the order of operations here – the Samaritan had compassion for the man, and then he stopped to help him. Remember that we’re capable of loving others because God has shown us love (1 John 4:19). So if you’ve experienced the mercy of God, it’s natural to feel mercy for others. Remember how in your most desperate situation, Christ was your only hope. Now, go and share that hope with somebody who has none.
The Summit Church (along with other churches in the area) is gearing up for a Week of Hope (July 8-15), during which we’re taking time out of our lives to bring hope to those without it. We’re doing it because Jesus did it for us. I would encourage you to be a part of this. The church is actually giving $100 to every SummitLIFE group for the purpose of doing their own project for the Week of Hope, so there’s really no excuse. More information at summitchurch.cc and hopefordurham.com.
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