The Good Samaritan Gospel

We all know the Good Samaritan law – but do you know the Good Samaritan Gospel?  The lawyer who spoke to Jesus knew the law inside and out.  He knew it so well, that his question to Jesus wasn’t for an answer to learn something he didn’t know, but rather to test Jesus to see if Jesus knew as much as he did.  Can you imagine?  The lawyer quoted directly from Deuteronomy 6 “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart and mind and strength and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  It was a part of the Shema, a confession recited twice a day by every faithful Jew.  And the lawyer would be quick to see everyone he met in reference to this law.  We know this because he tried to justify himself to Jesus.  Yes, to stand before Jesus, the Son of God, and justify himself!

Our culture certainly hasn’t changed a bit.  We, too, know the law – especially when we can apply it to others.  “I may not be perfect, but nobody is.  Therefore, I have the so-called cultural right to say – ‘they get what they deserve because of their lifestyle, their choices, their thoughtless acts, their failure to follow the proper steps, their negligence.”  You name it – we can justify it!

           

When we get caught doing something we ought not to do or not doing something we ought to do – we EXPECT mercy.  But for everyone else – LAW.  Most people hearing Jesus’ parable hear law, not Gospel.  We can’t make the same mistake!

           

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is Gospel.  How do we know?  Because Jesus is speaking about eternal life.  Even if we can recite the law word for word, not one of us can fulfill it perfectly.  And perfection is the requirement of the law for eternal life.  If we received what we deserve for our sin, both inherited and thought, word, and deed – we could only receive condemnation.

           

The point of Jesus’ parable is the answer to His question “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”  It is the ONE who showed him mercy.  Jesus is THE ONE.  He demonstrates mercy by taking what we deserve so that we don’t receive it – eternal death!

           

The lawyer didn’t search for a loophole in the Law that commanded him to “love God” because he didn’t think he needed one.  He thinks that he does love God with his whole heart, mind, strength, and soul – and he could probably prove it by pointing to such evidence as worship attendance, giving, devotional time and prayer.

           

But notice, when it comes to “love your neighbor as yourself”, he need a little help.  SO he starts by asking, “Who is my neighbor?”  If he can define “neighbor” minutely enough, narrow enough, then he can justify himself – pronounce himself to be a righteous man.  But just like the lawyer, none of us can justify ourselves before God.

           

Jesus’ parable reveals the sin of omission.  We have sinned against God in thought, word, and deed by what we have done and by what we have left undone.  WE are the ones who pass by.  The Law in the Good Samaritan underscores our sin of omission – our unwillingness to get involved to do what God has called us to do – to be His representatives of mercy to a world in need.

           

The Lord’s parable drives us to our knees in repentance for all the times we have looked at the world around us in judgment, limiting our love and concern to those whom we judge to be worthy to be our neighbor.  But in the revelation of Christ for us – a Savior who did not pass us by but gave us the full measure of His love and mercy to the point of dying on the cross – we live our lives in response to the unconditional love, grace, and mercy of God.  By this very same unlimited mercy that has been and continues to be poured out on us – we have the joy of looking at the whole world as our neighbor – for by God’s mercy and grace, that’s who we are.

           

Sometimes we can hear Scripture a thousand times and never “get it”.  The Holy Spirit helps us “get it” by revealing the only ONE who showed mercy.  Jesus tells this parable to us because there is no one we will ever see who does not need the mercy of God.  The Gospel is clear: Jesus is the one who shows mercy.

           

The Bible tells us that God responded immediately to sin with mercy.  He clothed Adam and Eve who fell into sin and promised a Savior – His own Son to shed the blood that needed to be shed to pay the price for sin.  The Good Samaritan became involved and stayed involved.  Regardless of our pitiful condition, Jesus Christ became involved in a very personal way in our lives as Lord and Savior – and remains involved every day!  We have the Gospel message to share with the world in which we live – God does not pass us by – NEVER – not for any reason!  Talk about a message that’s needed today! 

           
Jesus, our Good Neighbor, answers our question, “What must I do” with the Gospel answer, “It’s already been done!”  Jesus, the Good Samaritan, sees our plight, has mercy, stops and binds our wounds.  He reveals what He has done and continues to do:  He doesn’t meet out sin with what we deserve – but with His mercy!