Today at Church we had a guest speaker who was apart of a group called Team Impact. It is a group 15 Body Builders and Athletes that go around the world to put on a show to show their strengths and talents. In their show they bend Rod Iron poles, Putting Nails though Frying pans, Breaking bricks, ect. But also in their show they take time to share their testimony of God and the Power that He has to change any life. Shonn Keels Spoke at chruch to incourage us to bring others to the show tonight. While he spoke he shared one of my favorite Pariable ,the Good Samaritan.
The Basic starts with a Lawyer asking the Lord Jesus Christ how he could gain Eternal life in Heaven. (Luke 10:25)
Jesus answered him with a question... What do the Scriptures say? (Luke 10:26)
The Lawyer answered , Thou shalt love the Lord the God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbor as thy self. (Luke 10:17)
The Lawyer then ask Christ who he should consider his neighbor? (Luke 10:29)
Now this question of “Who is my neighbor” was very important back then. The Jews taught that only fellow Jews were Neighbors. The Followers of Christ were not all Jews. SO to Answer the Lawyers question the Lord teaches him though the parable of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-35)
Verse 30
Tells about a Man on the road from Jericho who was Robbed, Beaten, striped of his clothing and left half dead.
HISTORY: The road that the man was traveling on was notoriously dangerous, Very Narrow, Very Rocky and had sudden turns with places for others to hide out. The road was called “The Red” or “Bloody Way”. People were often robbed and beaten on that road. One would had to have been foolish to travel that road on foot or alone.
Verse 31
A Priest came upon the half dead man on the road. When the Priest saw him laying on the side of the road he went to the opposite side of the road and Passed him by with out stopping.
HISTORY: A Priest takes a Vow of Purity and a Vow that does not allow him to Touch the Dead. If he would have stopped to help him he would have had to go back to his temple to undergo a 7 day ceremony to again purify himself. The priest moved to the other side of the road. To get as far away from the half dead man as he could so he could remain pure
Verse 32
A Levite came upon the half dead man on the road. He did stop to look at the man but did not touch the man and moved to the opposite side of the road and passed.
HISTORY: It was well know that one would have to be careful on that road. Because there were many turns in the road and many places for others to hide. Robbers would lay and pretend to be hurt to lure others over to help them and others would jump out and ambush them. A Levite was know for their “Safety first”
Verse 33
A Samaritan came upon the half dead man on the road. When the Samarian saw the half dead man, he had compassion on him.
HISTORY: Samaritans were hated by Jews and considered unclean people. Jews would even pray for the Samaritans to go to Hell so they would not have to spend eternal life with them in Heaven. At this time Samaritans were hated so much that if it were him on the side of the road he would probably be the least likely to receive help from anyone. To be a Samaritan you could have been born a Samaritan or one could been just a person that was a heretic and “breaker of the Ceremonial Law” Jesus in fact was called a Samaritan in John 8:48.
Verse 34
The Samaritan Bound up the Man Wounds and put him on the animal that he was riding and Took him to a Inn. The rest of that night he care for him.
HISTORY: If you were traveling in a group on this road the most dangerous place to be was on the ground walking. Most people would have tended the wounds and left the rest up to God to heal. They more than likely would not have taken the man with them to care for.
Verse 35
In the Mourning the Samaritan gave the Inn keeper Two Pence to keep the man and care for him. And Told the man he would return and if more money was needed for the care of the man that he would pay him.
HISTORY: Two Pence would have been enough for 22 days of care for the man. If the Samaritan had not done this the Man could have been sold into Slavery for his debt. The Samaritan more than likely not only saved this man from death but from a life of Slavery.
After Christ told this story he asked the lawyer who he thought had been a good neighbor. (Luke 10:36)
And the Lawyer answered the one that showed mercy. And Christ said to do likewise (Luke10:37)
I love this story because we all go down roads that we know are dangerous. We can get hurt or spiritually be Half Dead. And even though it was though our Carelessness and not heeding wise counsel we end up on the side of the road hurt. And we need someone’s help.
And sometime we are the person that could help. But as the Priest did we put the Ceremonial law before a soul or child of God. Maybe if we help them it would be put us out and off our schedule, like the Priest.
Sometimes we are like the Levite. We are scared to get hurt it we do help. Maybe we are scared that helping the person is too much and against our first instincts to protect ourselves first.
And sometimes we are the Samaritan. One that even though the person needed the help would never help you... They may even hate you and pray for your demise. You help anyway... You not only help but you go above and beyond what others may consider normal duty. And you walk away with out any praise from the person you helped.
There are so many lessons in these small 5 verses that it may take me a life time to learn them and practice them perfectly. But I pray that I will one day be that perfect Samaritan.
Ginny and I
Jeanelle, Me and Sonni
Ginny and Kevin
