The Law Of Mercy In The Good Samaritan

Well, good morning church, I didn't get to say this to you last week, but Merry Christmas.

I Just got one back.

Merry Christmas guys.

All right, and a Happy New Year.

Well church.

And I'm so glad to have you here this morning that worship with us to hear the preaching of God's Word.

And if you're so able and inclined, please do turn to Luke chapter 10 is this will be our main text

this morning.

We'll be working a little bit backwards.

You know, sometimes it's easy to forget what the preacher preached.

Sometimes I forget as well what I preached so I gotta go look at my notes and last time I

preached I preached in Luke chapter 10 verses

17 or actually from like 13 to 20.

And so I should be preaching from verses 21 to 24, but I'm actually gonna be preaching that in the afternoon.

So I'm gonna do the order a little bit in reverse.

So this afternoon I'll be preaching from Luke chapter 10 verse 21 the 24.

So please do stay this afternoon to not only hear the preaching of God's Word again.

But also to be edified in our spirit and inner man and praying with us this afternoon.

But today's message is going to be from Luke chapter 10.

Starting in verse 25 to 37 when you have that please do stand for the reading of God's Word.

Again the text is Luke chapter 10 starting in verse 25.

Hear ye this morning the word of the Lord and Behold a lawyer stood up to put him to

the test.

Saying teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

He said to him what is written in the law?

How do you read it?

He answered you shall love the Lord your God of all your heart of all your soul of all your strength.

With all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.

He said to him you have answered correctly.

Do this and you will live.

Verse 29, but he desiring to justify himself said to Jesus and who is my neighbor?

Jesus replied a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho.

He fell among robbers who stripped him and beat him and departed leaving him half -dead.

Now by chance a priest was going down the road when he saw him he passed by on the other side.

So likewise a Levite when he came to the place and saw him pass by on the other side.

But a Samaritan as he journeyed came to where he was and when he saw him he had compassion.

He went to him and bound up his wounds pouring on oil and wine.

Then he set him on his own animal brought him to an inn and took care of him.

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.

Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among robbers?

He said the one who showed him mercy and Jesus said to him you go and do

likewise.

This is the word of the Lord.

You may be seated

Father God we do approach you With great joy and anticipation.

Lord that you would open our hearts and our minds To the lesson that is taught here

in the story of the Good Samaritan.

That we may indeed receive Insight by your spirits into this law

this law of mercy.

Which you set before us in which you have invited us to participate in.

Lord may you bless your people now with the hearing and the proclamation of your word.

May you anoint the lips of your servant the preacher?

To bring forth your word in a way that would be edifying to your people and bring glory to your name in

your name.

We do pray.

Amen.

Well beloved you've heard the story many times whether from scripture or

from Retelling by a preacher or someone else the story the parable of

the Good Samaritan.

There's a lot of lessons to be learned in this parable.

A lot of lessons to be learned not just in the story itself of the Good Samaritan.

But also in the interaction that led to this story telling from Jesus.

Let me set the stage for us and what we see in the first several verses of the scripture reading is

that a Person comes up to Jesus.

He's not just any ordinary person.

He's a lawyer.

He comes to Jesus and he begins to ask him pretty important questions

life defining questions world defining questions.

And he begins to ask these important questions such as this teacher.

What shall I do to inherit eternal life?

You're following in today's lesson in the answer.

I want you to write this a lawyer.

Was an expert at the law now know this about first century lawyers.

First century lawyers were adept in the in Judea to deal with

mosaic law.

They're not a lawyer for the Romans.

They're a lawyer examining God's Word and examining the laws the

precepts and all that it entails and how to.

Then.

Adjudicate someone who either follows or does not follow this law.

And so this lawyer who is an expert at the law? Asked Jesus this very

important question How to receive eternal life once you put that in the bulletin as well

How to receive eternal life.

Now lawyers have a way of words.

In order to be an effective lawyer One must learn and be proficient in the art

of language and basic psychology.

Lawyers are trained to ask the right question in order to elicit the response that they're

looking for a.

Good lawyer often make good Psychologists because they're able to look at

the human mind the human condition and they know how to elicit the right responses that they're looking for.

Oftentimes when you're studying law There's an element of psychology that goes along with the study of law.

Why?

Because they must learn the ins and outs of how people think and how people react

emotionally to information and.

So here you have a lawyer asking a question in this case.

We have a legal expert in the mosaic law asking the Son of Man what seems to be a

simple and sincere question.

But it's actually a loaded question and It is a

question with malicious intent.

You see this lawyer was not humbly seeking the way to eternal life.

But was asking this as a test to see he could get Jesus to admit or say

something Unorthodox so that he could get he could then use the law to punish him.

There's a term for this in the legal world, it's called entrapment.

Here is some sound biblical advice I want to give you today, okay church listen up.

You can write this down if you want.

Here's some good.

Here's some good sound biblical advice.

Don't talk to a lawyer unless he's your lawyer.

Amen.

Don't talk to a lawyer unless he's your lawyer.

Because again what a lawyer does is he's trying to enlist a response from you to then use the law

Against you similarly to what is happening here in this place here in Scripture.

You have a lawyer a scholar of the law who's coming he's asking Jesus what seems to be a sincere

question.

But it's actually a loaded question because his intent is not to learn or to receive from Jesus.

But it's to entrap Jesus in order to use the law against the Son of Man.

And so notice again the line of questioning that happens here in verse 25.

Teacher What shall I do to inherit eternal life?

What is the intent again sound sincere sounds like a good question.

Later on we see what his intent actually is.

So if you didn't get the last part to this he's attempting to entrap Jesus.

Motive is what differentiates between malicious and sincere intent.

This is why we must we must be as Christians discerning about the motives of others not necessarily in here

distrusting.

But also.

Being.

Patient being wise.

Being.

Discerning.

Often people can people that we think can be trusted or friends are actually intending bad

or harm for us.

You see Jesus had the benefit of being able to read the thoughts and the intentions of the heart a Luxury that you and I

do not have.

Therefore we must be as wise as serpents as Jesus says in

Mark.

In Matthew chapter 10 verse 16.

Must be wise as serpents, but innocent as does.

Wise.

Cunning a serpent is wise as cunning.

It's is able to to sneak and to detect danger.

But also as innocent as doves meaning that we have no harm no intent to to bring harm

upon Others, so we must be discerning wise but innocent as doves.

Now what does Jesus do in response to this question?

He says in verse 26.

What is written in the law?

How do you read it?

You see what Jesus is doing here.

Jesus brilliantly turns the question on the questioner.

A Fantastic method and tactic to unveil the true intent of the questioner.

Therefore we see the lawyer has the correct answer in his possession.

Notice what he goes on to say.

He answered in verse 27.

You shall love the Lord your God of all your heart with all your soul of all your strength.

With all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.

So the question Get turned around on the questioner and the

lawyer knew the right response.

So then it begs the question if he knew the right answer, why did he ask it?

Let me tell you as a pastor.

I feel that all the time.

You know how many times you guys ask me questions that you already know the answer to.

I'm looking at some of you right now.

You know the answer what's the motive.

What are you trying to get up?

Sometimes as as sheep.

We just want to have some things reaffirmed.

That's perfectly fine.

But there's other times in which I'm dealing if as a pastor with people who are not so sincere.

Who maybe have more malicious intent?

Just this past week.

I get to celebrate Christmas as my family.

It's a very weird one as I told some of you already had Dropped Jehovah Witness and he grew up celebrating

Christmas the first time I got to celebrate Christmas the same household as my sister Who's now believer?

But then also her ex -husband was there and some comments made because he's still believes in Jehovah Witnesses and.

Some comments were made as I'm doing family worship and talking about the reason for the season being Jesus.

And questions are being brought up that are very insincere.

And so I understand the motive here.

Isn't to get at truth, but rather it is to try to indict.

Don't you know that Christmas is pagan?

Don't you know that Christmas is a commercial holiday?

The intent is not to find common ground or understanding but rather to contradict

and to harm and.

So Jesus has to deal with some of a similar motive.

He's looking at the circumstances hearing the question.

He knows the heart of the questioner.

He turns it around on the questioner.

He says Really brilliantly.

He says He says this what is written in the law?

So he's asking.

Okay.

What do you know the scripture?

What is written in it?

And how do you read it or rather?

How do you interpret it?

How do you interpret it?

You see good pastors and good theologians know to use a similar tactic as Jesus.

Maybe if you're out there in the world and you're talking to a Jehovah Witness a Mormon an atheist.

Don't have questions for you.

And maybe you should use the same tactic and say well What is it that it says in Scripture

and maybe they'll have the answer.

Well, doesn't it say this and then you can say?

Well, how do you understand?

How do you read that?

What's your interpretation?

And then all and then from there you you build on that notice what it goes on to say.

The man rightly quotes from Deuteronomy chapter 6 verses 1 to 5.

Pointing and so the Lord has a correct answer pointing to Deuteronomy 6 1 to 5.

And he points out that the whole of the law can be summed up in two things love for God and love for neighbor.

So if you're following on the notes, I want you to turn Write this.

Jesus turns the question to the lawyer.

He answers to love God and neighbor.

And so again the man understood What the scripture said and he

rightly applies it or maybe not rightly applies it yet.

But he certainly knows what it says.

He goes on to say in that in that interaction quoting from Deuteronomy chapter 6.

It can it sums up the whole law in the prophets that Jesus says elsewhere the first four of the Ten Commandments.

Dealing with the relationship between us and God.

Having any other gods before Yahweh reverence for his name reverence for his

name worship.

Reverence for his holiness.

Then the other six Commandments of the Ten Commandments deal primarily with our relationship

with man, but both are dealing Intrinsically with God and with man all ten of them

have overlapping values in relation to our interaction with God and with

Humanity image bearers of the Most High God.

Jesus gets the Lord to answer his own question here.

You don't know what Jesus just accomplished here he exposes the intent of the

lawyer as He demonstrated that he already knew the answer and was looking to

entrap Jesus.

Jesus said that he was correct and that if he lived by it he

would live.

But that wasn't enough for the lawyer.

Notice what he goes on to say again, verse Verse 28 and he said to him Jesus

has him you have answered correctly.

Do this and you will live.

Verse 29, but he the lawyer Desire to justify himself there.

His motives is is is now brought to bear.

His motive is to justify himself and he said to Jesus who Is my neighbor?

So he hears Jesus he answers the question correctly as Jesus brings the

question to the questioner and then he asked almost the small Alec response.

Well, who is my neighbor?

And this is something that comes up even today in modern readings of this text.

When examining this teaching this parable from Jesus on the Good Samaritan, who is

then my neighbor?

And what is what law is?

At play in the Story of the Good Samaritan.

You're following your notes write this as well.

The lawyer asked who is my neighbor?

And notice what Jesus goes on to say in response to that question in verse 30 Jesus says

a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and he fell among robbers.

Who stripped him and beat him and departed leaving him half -dead?

So Jesus starts to set the stage for this scenario for this great parable for this great teaching

there's a man who was traveling and Travel in the ancient world was a

dangerous affair.

It was not safe to travel especially alone.

What marked the ancient roadways of the ancient world were robbers?

People who are ready to exploit you human traffickers very similar to other places in the world that are far more

dangerous than here in The United States, but even so even here there are parts of town that you probably

don't want to walk alone in in the middle of the night.

Travel back then took time.

It wasn't so simple to get to from point A to point B.

You couldn't just order an uber you had to travel on foot or on a donkey

or another burst another beast of burden and However, because it was so dangerous

people would often only travel when it was they and They would try to find an inn

or a place off the road so they can be secure at night.

Here what you see in the stories?

It doesn't tell us whether it was day or night.

But this man who was traveling from Jerusalem the Jericho fell among robbers and these robbers stripped

him.

They beat him and they put the part leaving him half dead.

They had no care for his person they had no care for his well -being

and so again what we see is.

Jesus.

Deciding to cut through the noise and The man's wicked intent.

And instead he gets to the intent or the heart of the law by teaching this parable

on the truth between God and Neighbors.

And it starts with the story of the Good Samaritan this man who's on a journey.

And he is left beaten to death.

So you're following the notes who is my neighbor.

Jesus begins the parable of the Good Samaritan.

To reveal the intent of the law.

Earlier we examined how Jesus is now how Jesus Cuts through the

intent of the lawyer by asking the right questions.

Now he is going to bring out the intent of God's law from Deuteronomy chapter 6.

In the parable the man is going from Jerusalem to Jericho.

Write this in the notes as well.

And he was robbed and left for dead.

Now know this a trip from Jericho to Jerusalem was only about 10 mile journey.

But within that distance the terrain was incredibly harsh.

There's altitude dropped about 3 ,500 feet in sections between

Jericho and Jerusalem, so it wouldn't be just a straight easy pathway to

Jerusalem or to Jericho.

There'd be tough terrain that you'd have to navigate.

High altitudes going down to lower altitudes.

In this parable the man is robbed.

He's left for dead as you lay there robbed beaten bruised hanging on a dear life.

What happens next?

Verse 31.

Now by chance a priest was going down the road when he saw him he passed

by on the other

side.

I Walk it down.

I'd be like yes finally someone here to help me.

But what if that priest?

Seen you in your state of beating this he sees you and then he goes the other way.

How would you feel?

Probably had no good priest.

He's supposed to help me and Instead he turns a blind eye to me.

Okay, well surely.

Someone else should come and help.

We see then in verse 32 so likewise a Levite when he came to the place that saw him pass by on the

other side.

Oh Levi.

These are the ones who were set aside for temple worship.

Certainly they're not only are they're well versed in Scripture they're well versed in mercy because these are the ones who are to

administer God's mercy to God's people and Yet what happens when the Levite sees the

man being half to death on the road.

What does he do?

He also passed by on the other side.

Now I have a kinment to the store of the Good Samaritan.

I grew up in a rough place Hartford, Connecticut, you might not think to yourself how rough could that be.

There's no rap songs about Hartford, Connecticut.

It's so bad that there's no rap songs about Hartford, Connecticut.

That's how bad it is and I grew up in the north side north end of Hartford this predominantly

like 98 African American.

I was a little white Hispanic boy that went to Martin Luther King jr. School okay, and They

used to have a couple names for me.

I Won't repeat them, but they had some names for me and it was a tough neighborhood and

I somehow miraculously Never got to beat up at school or in my neighborhood until I was

around 14 years old.

Decided one day that I would I would go walk in the middle of November to you know

a shopping place with no friends of no one to back me up and I decided to walk in the dark seedy part of town

underneath the the the bridge where the highway meets and As I'm walking I see these two

gentlemen not very gentle.

And they're a lot bigger to me.

They look a lot stronger than me and they're on the same side and so I remember just getting that pit in

my stomach.

Oh boy.

This doesn't seem good.

So I crossed the street.

They crossed the street too.

All right, well here it comes and sure enough they came and they salted me they they took

whatever little money I had and.

And then they left ministry and I remember cars passing by and I'm a 14 year old kid.

I'm like hoping surely someone's gonna stop this.

Surely.

Someone's gonna see this injustice and do something about it.

And to my dismay No one stopped.

No one cared.

And I got beat up and left there on the ground and then I had to run all the way a couple blocks to my Cousin's house so we can

call the police.

And surely there was nothing they could did either because that you know.

Nothing they could do.

And here you have a story We're a good Samaritan or where this person traveling

is being left for dead.

No one cared.

No one batted an eye.

Mercy Was not at play and the priest.

Nor in the Levite those who were entrusted to be ministers of mercy

Failed to administer mercy when it was due time.

And so again.

When we see here's the priest saw him he passed from the other side.

Well, maybe the priest had somewhere to go maybe the priest had a service to attend to.

Next the Levite saw him pass the other side.

Well, maybe the Levite thought that the man was so wicked and deserved what came to him.

You know a lot of times religious folks think that way don't we?

We look at someone who is suffering you say surely maybe.

They're cursed.

Maybe they did something wrong.

Maybe they deserved what they got.

But we certainly don't know that to be true.

What a desperate situation this poor man who is being must have been in and again I can relate with just a

story that I shared with you.

But something changes in the story here is verse 33.

It goes on to say but a Samaritan as he journeyed came to where he was and

when he saw him he had compassion now We have this scenario.

We have the man traveling beaten then we have the priest.

Then we have the Levite and then we have another person in the story a Samaritan.

Now why these identifications important.

One because there's a victim and two those other two individuals that came were the ones who by all

accounts should be the ones Who would administer help and mercy?

And then you have the unlikely one of the bunch the Samaritan now if you know anything about ancient

Contentions in the first century the Samaritans had a bad rap in the first century as they were a mixed

group between Jews and Syrians so there existed a certain racial strife and

tension between the two races and these two people groups were widely suspicious of one

another and So much show that they had a different culture and worship

styles and beliefs.

The ideal of a good Samaritan was a Contradiction for many of the Jews

in that day.

There was no good Samaritan, but only a good dead Samaritan in the in the eyes of many

ancient Jewish people Good Samaritan that there's an oxymoron to them yet.

It was the Samaritan who stops and Sees this person who is most likely a

Jew as he's traveling to to Jericho to Jerusalem or from Jerusalem to Jericho, so he's most

likely a Jew and He stops.

Despite the racial strife and division despite the difference in culture customs

and beliefs this Samaritan Stops and sees this man who is beaten he has

great compassion for him in verse 34.

He went to him bound up his wounds pouring on oil and wine.

Then he sent him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

Not only does he stop and Sees the plight of this man who's just been beaten

his compassion leads him to action.

It is one thing to have pity on someone.

It's another thing to have compassion.

The difference between pity and compassion.

There's a fine line between it and that line is action when we pity someone We merely feel

bad for them and we look at their state and we say we'll pour you pour them.

But to have compassion means that not only do we see their state but we're going to do something about

it and That is the compassion that Jesus calls us not only to one

another but also to our neighbors.

Amen.

Not enough.

Amen's now.

You need to know.

This is what God has called you to this is the action the life of

Mercy and compassion that the Lord Jesus calls us all to

See the Samaritan who is considered inferior once you write this in the notes.

And the Samaritan who is considered inferior again because of the racial strife and the differences in and

Culture and beliefs due to being a mixed race.

Saw him and had compassion.

See Jesus is making a spiritual and a cultural statement.

He's making a spiritual and a cultural statement with his with this parable.

It wasn't the Jewish priests who stopped.

It wasn't the Levite who stopped.

It was a Samaritan who saw beyond the race and the differences of the person in need

and was able to see his common Humanity in the man and had a great compassion.

I think what is Failing us today even as Americans.

Despite all of our cultural differences political difference religious differences racial differences is

having a plight of common humanity.

That regardless of your skin color Regardless of your back and regardless of who your parents were what your

religion was or maybe That we have a common humanity because we are all image

bearers of the one eternal God.

And.

This good Samaritan saw that stamp saw that image saw that common humanity and had a

great compassion.

Jesus is highlighting that the law is to be viewed and accomplished through the lens of compassion and

not tyranny.

The law is to be accomplished through compassion and not tyranny.

We see this even today in our Culture the culture wars that's being fought.

One side and the other side fervently opposed to one another because of our cultural differences and

Sometimes Christians we get caught up in the muck of it.

We get caught up in all the the nonsense all the noise in the culture.

Friends our job is not to get in the muck of it, but the sand above it.

We're called to be outsiders.

We're called to be a conscience to this culture.

Not merely to win it but also to speak life to those who are

fighting in the midst of it.

Here again we feet we see.

That compassion is God's rule and heart for his law.

It was on to say I Get in verse 34.

He went to him bound up his wounds.

Not only does this man have compassion for the one who is beaten.

He now he bounds up his wounds.

He anoints him with oil.

He sent him on his own animal and then he brings him to the inn and he doesn't just leave him there.

He begins to take care of him.

He also makes a financial investment it says that he took out two denarii and these are a Day's worth

of wages and gave them to the innkeeper saying take care of him.

Whatever you spend I will repay you when I come back.

So he makes an investment in this man in his well -being.

Imagine that I mean think of it today in terms of Insurance if you're being half to

death, you don't have insurance.

You know, how expensive that hospital bill is.

Sometimes I feel that way and sometimes it's I understand why some people rather just die then go

to the hospital.

Because we have such an unjust system in this country.

In which people are left to die because of profit and so again.

This man makes a financial investment into this into his neighbor and it says

That he's also willing to pay back what is spent truly demonstrating

mercy truly demonstrating goodness truly demonstrating compassion.

Verse 36 Jesus concludes of this.

Which of these three do you think speaking to the lawyer?

Provide approved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the

robbers.

The man answers in verse 37 the one who showed him.

Mercy and.

Jesus said to him you go and do.

Likewise.

You do and go likewise.

Jesus is demonstrating here in this parable the universality of being good of being a good and loving

neighbor and that it extends to all Those we come in contact with not simply those who literally

live besides you and so there's a way in which this can be, you know, if you're

Examining this question on its face value merit.

Well, who is my neighbor?

Well, the person lives to the left or the right of me.

That's my neighbor.

But what does Jesus do.

Jesus doesn't just look at your Geological location or to your geographical location.

He doesn't just look at those who live to your right or to your left he looks to all those to whom you come in contact with

because the at the heart of God's law is Not just a treatment of those to your

left or your right But of those who are your fellow humans your fellow Humanity those who

have that common image of God all Those who you come in contact with in that sense

who bear that common humanity in that common image.

That's your neighbor.

That's your neighbor.

The guy who is really testing your patience at the self -checkout line.

That's your neighbor.

The person who just cuts you off in the highway.

That's your neighbor.

The person who just Hurled slurs at you.

That's your neighbor.

Your neighbor is all those to whom you come in contact with who share in that common humanity and have that

image of the invisible God.

What Jesus is now demonstrating is he's elevating us to a higher calling if you were just taken

literally.

Of course your neighbors those who live closest to you.

But Jesus saying the one who true who proves to be a true neighbor is The one who lives

out the mercy of God and who lives out the compassion of Christ.

Wherever he goes.

Everywhere you go is an opportunity for you to show love and fidelity to your maker.

To your God and to those who share in his image all those

whom he has created.

You and I at the heart of this question.

And at the heart of that law in Deuteronomy chapter 6.

Where we are called to love the Lord your God of all your heart of all your soul of all your

mind of all your strength.

This is a love which motivates us to higher degrees of compassion

higher degrees of mercy not just a Religious or

civil obligation to do that, which is right.

But a spiritual call an obligation to do that, which is right.

Why.

Because what is at stake here?

Again.

The lawyer understanding rightly what the Word of God says and teaches from Deuteronomy chapter

6.

He says you shall love the Lord your God of all your heart of all your soul of all your strength of all your mind.

What would that look like?

What would it look like if I loved God with all my strength with all

my Mind of all my heart of all my soul of all my being what would that look like?

Would it look like the priest?

Would it look like the Levites or would it look like the Good Samaritan?

It's the Good Samaritan.

That's what it looks like.

Not that anyone even on this side of eternity can truly perfectly love God in that way.

No one truly can.

You know in the Old Testament you see whether it's in Chronicles or in the book of Kings you

have the statements as as the the writer brings up these Kings in succession and usually

starts by saying King so -and -so and it gives us a quick summation of his life

and it says.

And he reigned for 40 years.

And then what was right in the eyes of the Lord?

Until such -and -such time.

There's only one King in Scripture of which it is said that he loved the Lord is God of all

his heart.

With all his soul.

Okay, but all the other Kings fell short and truly there was only ever one

King Whoever truly did love God in that way, and it was Jesus Christ.

Jesus.

Demonstrates for us what it looks like to love God with all our heart our

soul our mind of all of our being.

He lays before us his teaching his example for us to walk in now.

We're gonna walk in it imperfectly.

We won't always get it.

Sometimes we'll we'll talk back to that neighbor who threw a slur at us.

Maybe we'll try to cut The guy who cut us maybe we'll try to do harm to

those who harmed us but this is where God causes to a higher degree to a higher calling and a call of

mercy a call of compassion a law of mercy and a law of compassion.

This is God's law for us.

It's one of mercy.

So if the last part of the teaching this morning the true neighbor is to one who lives out the law

of mercy.

With those around him here in the story Jesus is also

demonstrating the depths of mercy that should be extended to all people regardless of race regardless of

differences.

So why did the others pass by and only the Samaritans help?

Because of the heart.

Because the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.

When law is without mercy when law is without compassion

it is insufficient.

But the sufficiency of God's law is that it must be operated from a place of

compassion and mercy as Jesus has demonstrated through his parable when

someone is a neighbor.

It's important that you at least be cordial, isn't it?

It's important that you at least share that some cordiality.

Why.

Because you share a property line.

You're likely to see each other often and again and to have to deal with mutual Interests and mutual

problems and mutual challenges.

You both got skin in the game when you're dealing with a neighbor and with neighborhood issues.

Likewise as Christians we must choose to look at those around us as image bearers of

God and Live out the mercy and compassion of Christ in such a way

that we win them over.

To faith in Jesus Christ.

Why.

Because that's our skin in the game is that we want to proclaim Christ we want to

be Light on to this dark and dying world and we want to be heralders

proclaimers of God's kingdom.

That's our skin in the game.

Therefore when we meet people we want to treat them with such dignity.

With such respect.

That we win them over to the one who won us.

Even Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Here in this story we see principally this Christ love his

mercy his compassion for the others for the others one.

For the one who was beaten and left dead.

The Good Samaritan is a picture of Christ himself.

Tending to the wounds of those who've been hurt and forgotten and How ironic then

that Christ would use the picture of a Samaritan an other an outcast?

To picture his own mercy his own kindness and his own love towards his people.

You see Jesus is in the business of saving the outsiders.

You're felt like a nice outsider before I felt like it and.

Jesus.

Makes a place for us outsiders To come in to be accepted to be loved

and to be made up of this community of neighbors.

Who know and love God and love their neighbors?

And that's what the Lord Jesus calls all of us here today this morning in this afternoon to do likewise

to love God of all of our heart of our soul of all of our being and to also

allow that love to Motivate us to push us to challenge us

to love our fellow image bearers to love our fellow neighbors as ourselves.

Therefore fulfilling the law and the prophets and loving God and loving our neighbors.

You can know this love you can receive this love even today.

The Bible says this and it recognizes this about our following condition.

In state all Have sinned and fallen short.

You and I.

We've all failed to be that good Samaritan in one point or in one place or another.

No lies.

We've all failed to be that good Samaritan.

But what Christ.

Acknowledges is that we're all sinners.

That we've all fallen short of that call.

We've all shortened a fall short of that mark yet He beckons and invites us to repent of our

sins to trust in him to trust in his ransom sacrifice Which was for all

so that by means of faith in his name We may be forgiven and be endowed with

the love the power and the spirit of Almighty God.

So that we can now live in such a way in which looking and living like the good Samaritan Isn't

so strange after all you can have that love you can have that assurance even today

If you would so repent of your sins and trust in the Savior.

My hope and prayer is that for those of you who have not yet done?

So that you would do so today.

And I hope for all of us who are believers that we will recommit ourselves To this law of mercy

to this law of the good Samaritan to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus we come in agreement This afternoon that you are good.

That your law is good.

That your mercy is good and it endures forever.

Lord may you now shower us with the presence of your spirit?

So that we may live out that which we have just heard with our ears.

That we may be able to put it into practice of our hands.

There are eyes may see its fulfillment in the way that we treat one another.

For you have said Oh Great Shepherd of the sheep.

But by this.

You will know my disciples if there is love.

Oh Lord Jesus may there be love in this place.

There may there be love in this house.

May there be love in our hearts.

May there be love in the brotherhood.

May there be love in our marriages.

May there be love in our families.

Let there be love here Lord Jesus.

Move in our hearts in such a way that we live out this love love for you love

for our maker and Love also for our fellow man for our

fellow neighbor.

Lord Jesus may these things be true.

May they ring true not only in our hearts, but may they become true in our action.

That we not be like those who in times past have overlooked those in need.

Overlook those who are in harm's way.

But Lord God that by the power of your spirit by the conviction that you give through your spirit you would motivate us

to action.

Lord God forgive us for where we fall short.

May we walk in your way of love mercy and compassion?

So that your name may be made great even among the Gentiles even among those who do

not know you.

So that Lord Jesus you may win for yourself a peculiar Distinct people of all tribes nation and

tongues and we pray this on to your name and glory.

Amen.