Showing Compassion and Love

Title:   Showing Compassion and Love By Pastor Lohn Johnson

Text: Luke 10: 25  On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  26  "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"  27  He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"  28  "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

INTRODUCTION My dear friends in Christ, Years ago I liked a show called Early Edition.  This show is a fantasy in which the hero, Gary Hobson, gets the Chicago newspaper a day early.  He then is supposed to help people because he knows what is going to happen – a real Good Samaritan.  Gary’s sidekick, Chuck Fishman is always trying to get at the paper for personal gain, a no--no.  If you know what team or what horse is going to win you can make a lot of money.  But Chuck is always thwarted in one way or another.  In one episode he fails miserably and someone mentions to him that he really should change.  He should try and help people too, like Gary.  He says why not and tries it. He helps an old bag lady across the street.  The next day the woman’s representative comes to Chuck with a huge reward check.  It seems that the woman poses as a helpless bag lady to see who would help and then rewards the Good Samaritan. The check changed Chuck’s life.  And the message from this episode seems to be: “Be a Good Samaritan and it will change your life.”

I. Now it would be easy to encourage each of you to go out and emulate Chuck Fishman and also the Good Samaritan of our text – Be a good neighbor, it will change your life.  But I’m going to resist that temptation, because that’s not the real message of this parable.

A. Yet the lawyer who approached Jesus saw himself as a Good Samaritan.

1. And with regard to his life, he was a decent, God-fearing man--a Good Samaritan from many perspectives.  But he approached Jesus to test Jesus--to trap Him with a well devised question. And this spells out for us the heart of the problem.   2. Really Good Samaritans do not see the need for Jesus. This lawyer had no need for Him, nor does anyone today who sees himself as a Good Samaritan.

B. Now I think it's true that we would much prefer to see ourselves as Good Samaritans.

1. Like Chuck we are quick to point out when we are a Good Samaritan to our neighbor.  We sleep better at night when we dwell upon all the ways in which we have helped others.    2. But allow me to burst your bubble.

a. Not one of us are Good Samaritans.  We're not even close.  Nor does God want you to be a Good Samaritan.   b. When Jesus told the lawyer to go and do likewise, He wanted him to learn firsthand that he was a failure at being the Good Samaritan.

II. And of course God doesn’t want us to be like those awful robbers, in our text.

A. They were selfish, greedy, caring nothing about their fellowman. They waited for a traveler to pass by and then they beat him up and left him half-dead on the road.   B. And of course none of us would liken ourselves to those awful robbers.

1. But if you search your own heart you're going to find that same selfishness, that same greed.

a. This does not mean that you and I ever lie in wait to rob and beat up other people on the road.    b. But if you have ever acted in selfishness; if greed has ever caused you to act in a sinful manner; if you have ever treated your neighbor in an unkind way then you are like them.

2. You and I are closer to being those robbers than we might want to admit.

III. And of course we never think of ourselves as if we were like the Priest and the Levite in our text.

A. They see the dying man, yet they do not stop.  They offer no help whatsoever.

1. They committed sins of omission.  By their refusal to help they were just as guilty as the robbers were of breaking the Fifth Commandment.    2. These guys can’t have any connection to us can they?  But it’s true; isn’t it, that almost daily you and I resemble the Priest and the Levite

a. Whenever we neglect our neighbor's needs; whenever we could help someone whom God has set before us, but we pass by on the other side, we become the Priest and Levite in the story.   b. Whenever we withhold our offerings; whenever we let the plate pass us by, giving little to nothing, we like the Priest and Levite, fail to be people through whom God could work for the welfare of our neighbor.

B. The attitude of the Priest and Levite has taken up residence within each one of us.

1. We don’t have much compassion within our hearts.  We think that our agenda is the most important; our schedule is busiest; our needs are most urgent, and others will just have to wait.   2. It all plays out like this:  Some of you remember the Seinfeld show.  It was popular several years ago.  The main characters were Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer.  In its final Episode, aired several years ago, Jerry and his friends were stuck in Lakeland Massachusetts. Killing time wondering around on the sidewalks in this quaint New England town, they become innocent bystanders and witnesses of a car jacking.  Being New Yorkers and the kind of people they are they make fun of the guy who is being robbed. Kramer, who has a camcorder in his hands, films the incident as a curiosity. They never lift a hand, never shout out; they are 10 yards away, and could care less. They just stand there and casually watch! The robber speeds off with the car and the police arrive late on the scene. With the excitement over, and the poor victim standing dazed in the street, Jerry turns to his friends and suggests they go get something to eat.  They turn to walk off when the officer stops them and says, "Alright, hold it right there."  Jerry: “What?”  Officer: “You’re under arrest.”   Jerry: “Under arrest, What for?”  Officer: “Article 223 dash 7 of the Lakeland county penal code.”  Elaine: “What, we didn’t do anything.”   Officer: “That’s exactly right. The law requires you to help or assist anyone in danger as long at its reasonable to do so.”   George: “I never heard of that.”  Officer: “It’s new, it’s called the Good Samaritan Law. Let’s go.” The series ends with them serving time. We can learn a lesson here.   In a way we are like Jerry and his friends, destined for jail not only for failure to help but also for failure to love.

IV. Really we have to step back for a second and see that the story begins with this victim encountering robbers, and so does ours.  Yes, more than any other we are the helpless man.

A. We have encountered the most ruthless robber of them all—the devil.  Even before birth he robbed us of everything.  Satan took from us all of God’s good gifts, including our place in heaven.

1. We are born in sin, robbed of innocence, an enemy of God.

a. No one could help.  All the world can only pass us by on the other side.  There is no one who can save us from hell.    b. The world cannot restore to us what Satan took from us.

2. Reading this parable, it’s important to take note of who is doing the action.

a. The robbers acted to destroy the traveler; the Samaritan acted to save him.  The Priest and the Levite didn’t act at all to help.   b. But the man in the road could not act; he could do nothing to act on his own behalf.  Again, that’s our story.  We do not save ourselves by what we do for God or for others.  He saved us by acting on our behalf.

V. If you look carefully at this parable there is only one Good Samaritan -- Jesus. The story of the Good Samaritan is all about Jesus, who sees us in our wretched state and comes to our aid.

A. Jesus sees you lying wounded in the road, dead in your trespasses and sins.

1. He climbs off His donkey and goes to the cross for you.

a. He allows that vicious robber, Satan, to strip Him of all that He has.  He allows him to take away even His own life.  He is beaten and left for dead, but He rises from death.   b. He does this so that your sins become His; your sufferings He takes; your punishment He endures; He dies your death; and all that was His becomes yours.   c. Jesus is your Good Samaritan even though we do not deserve Him. He is your Good Samaritan even though we do not like to see ourselves as the dying man lying in the road.

2.  In your baptism He pours on you His healing oil and wine.  He carries you to His church where He takes care of you with His Word and Sacraments.

a. And He tells the innkeeper, your pastor, to take care of you preaching and teaching His words of life into you, until that great day when He shall return.   b. Even though our lives are a broken, bloody mess, He pours out for you the cup of salvation.  Jesus comes to you in His Supper not because you are so good and decent, but because you are a broken sinner.    c. Those people who don’t think they need Jesus’ grace and forgiveness are not usually found here where Christ comes to us in Word and Sacrament.  But if you are here because you need your Savior, then rejoice, because He is here for you.

B. Our Good Samaritan is full of compassion for us. He does forgive us all our sins. And here in the inn of His church He is taking care of us until He comes again.

1. And once we know this; once we believe this; once we admit the truth that we are not the Good Samaritan, but that we are the man who was robbed and beaten, then He brings us to be grateful and thankful that our Good Samaritan, has acted for us--then He, day after day, acts through us.  We are not the Good Samaritan, but the Good Samaritan lives within us and through us.    2. So now, as recipients of His love and mercy, we will be Good Samaritans to others because it is Jesus living His life through us.  We can serve in church, we can tithe with our offerings, we can be kind to our neighbor, not to inherit eternal life by being a Good Samaritan, but because we have a Good Samaritan who has saved us from sin, death, and devil, and He now lives within our thankful hearts.

CONCLUSION: This parable teaches us that the Good Samaritan walks the streets and sidewalks right here wherever we display Christ by how we live. He is the Good Samaritan who has saved us.  He is the Good Samaritan who, through us, is reaching out in mercy and compassion to those around us.  So now through us the hands of the Good Samaritan reach all over the world. Amen.