Go and Do What He Did

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

July 14, 2013

Luke 10:25-37

Go and Do What He Did

In the name of Jesus.

I.

When you see someone who seems to be in need on the street or on TV, you want to help. But most of the time, you don't help them. There're good reasons why you don't—you're late or you don't know if they are really in need. But I think it's safe to say that if you did see someone in a ditch, dirty and dying, I know that somehow you'd help them.

And then we see these Jewish priests passing by. Let's assume that they wanted to help, but couldn't because they also had some good reasons to keep walking. As men of the Temple they were obligated to remain ceremoniously clean—their sense of the law required them to keep their distance from the messiness of death. So even if they wanted to help, they were bound to their sense of the law. In effect, they pitted their way of loving God against loving their neighbor.

II.

And then the Samaritan arrives and he helps. Everyone else in this story had to do something—except for him. He was under no obligation to help. Indeed he was expected to stay away from Israelites, no matter what.

But the Samaritan gets close. He saves this man who was as good as dad. The only one in the parable who is not under the obligation of the law is the only one who does it.

The law is clear and simple: love. Jesus made it explicit through the words of an expert in the law.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

(Luke 10:27)

The Samaritan loved his neighbor. He loved him as he loved himself. He risked time and money to care for his neighbor, just as he would have risked time and money on himself.

A pastor this week told me that he had been asked for help from a homeless man and eventually the pastor got this man a place to sleep for the night, only to discover that his neighbor had run up a bill on the pastor's credit at the motel. It got messy. The Samaritan was taking the same risk. He didn't knew if he could trust this man; but he helped.

Who is your neighbor? Anyone who needs help. You'll get your hands dirty. You'll get taken advantage of. You'll throw some good money after bad. Jesus knows this—yet He still calls you to show mercy to your neighbor.

III.

This is exactly what He did. He showed mercy to His neighbor. Who is Jesus' neighbor? You, because you're in need. You were dead and He came and found you. He was under no obligation to help. He should have walked on by. There would have been no shame in it. Justice demanded that you be left there. He knew that helping you would get Him dirty and bloody and dead. Yet He still showed you mercy by taking your place in the ditch.

IV.

Go and do what He did. Jesus is the Samaritan who saved you without demanding repayment, without putting you under obligation to Him.

Go and do what He did. Be a Samaritan who helps those who need help. Help them without feeling obligated to and without making them obligated to you. Treat them as you would treat Jesus, your Savior.

Then [Jesus] the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry

and you gave Me something to eat;

I was thirsty

and you gave Me something to drink;

I was a stranger and you took Me in;

I was naked and you clothed Me;

I was sick and you took care of Me;

I was in prison and you visited Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’

“And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

(Matthew 25:34-40)

In the name of the Father

and of the † Son and

of the Holy Spirit. Amen.