The Good Samaritan - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. So Jesus wants to get this guy to respond. I can do. In other words, what Jesus is after initial.

I cannot save myself. I cannot. But Jesus realizes that's not the first step will never be safe so that I have to admit I cannot say myself and as I said earlier, religious people that's impossible, because they believe that their religion will save all be saved by doing things in my religion.

And then God will be pleased that I Jesus is not that never ever work joining us today on this additional fellowship in the world Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana when Pastor Bill got for now. Again he shows us God's word meets our work, we romanticize that cement the people in our culture be called good Samaritans.

I'm one of the ministries that we really support Samaritans purse help people everywhere you know why Christian Americans are so good Samaritans of these really good people there not there despicable people, especially to the Jews. It would be like today when he introduced us American it be like today telling a story in Iran and then say in the hero of the story was a good Israelite lot.

You see it's completely.

It's a complete contradiction. Let me give you some background. The Samaritans are part of the 10 northern tribes called Israel after Solomon died in the kingdom was split every Israel was in the north, Judah and Benjamin in the South. Every king of Israel. Every king was evil in the sight of the Lord, every king, they were horrible people. So the Assyrians came God conquered them and left a small portion of the Jews in the land took all the rest back to Assyria. That's when the call the 10 lost tribes and the Assyrians brought people from another province of the kingdom, and put them in the northern kingdom of Israel. So these became half breeds. They married with all of these pagan Assyrian plants and their, and they form their own religion.

A completely different religion such a different religion that they only really honored the first five books of the Bible.

A lot of things ago one could choose hated the Samaritans if you remember know the story of Nehemiah.

When I went back into the land after the Babylonian captivity for the two southern tribes when they got back in the land. It ended up that the Samaritans tried to stop. They wanted nothing to do with the Samaritans and so that turned into something terrible.

Then the Samaritans knew that the Jews hated M&A and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem so they rebuilt their own temple. They built their own temple in my garrison. You see, in Samaria, and had this pagan right worship. There, the Jews hated that so much that in 138 BC they went up and tore the temple because it was such an affront to God. That's why they tore down Jews didn't speak to Samaritans you never speak to us American ever. In fact, choose one walk in Samaria when a Jew wanted to go to Galilee which is north of Samaria from the southern Drive, they crossed the Jordan went up the east bank crossed again and went into Galilee. They wanted were walking away. That's why the story in John four of Jesus and the woman at the well is so extraordinary Jews don't ever walk in this right here is Jesus. Jews never talk to Samaritans ever is Jesus talking Jewish rabbis never speak to a woman publicly here is Jesus speaking to a Samaritan woman but a Samaritan, I needed to be like it if you said like if you said a terrorist or how about a serial killer if I said that that be getting a response when there was a serial killer. Okay, that's the response you get. We romanticize Americans like this is wonderful. The most wonderful people there not you see there despicable people, not from the Jewish point of view and Jesus at this. I'm sure they got everybody route up, but a Samaritan who was on a journey he came upon and when he saw he felt compassion.

The pre-Psalm the Levites. Now the Samaritan sees the priest and Levite, one to the other side. The Samaritan feels compassion while bodily will talk about this is a good one. Compassion is not sympathy and is not empathy. That's not compassion there's something compassion demands that we often forget about if you have compassion for something you have to act upon. You have to act you can't do so much compassion for that poor person what you do want to do anything. I felt this compassion does not compassion, this work compassion is used by about one of the figure in the gospel. Jesus says and Jesus fell compassion and every time he fell, compassion.

He did something you feel compassion you do something you don't just say I have a feeling of compassion you may have sympathy you may have empathy but that's not compassion it's okay he feels in this sense a tremendous amount of compassion. The what what that turns into and it came to him and he banished up his won't. And then he was pouring oil and wine on them and many put them on his own beast, and he brought them to one in and he took care of these are the steps. This is what you do if you feel compassion.

So the first thing he did is he banished up his won't. Obviously with his own clothing or what he was carrying what and then he poured oil and wine wine is to disinfect the wound that oil is the suit that's the way they treat an open wound in that part of the world at that time.

Then he put them on his own beast. So apparently he was probably writing on us, donkey, or something like that. We put that man on the beast. So now he's walking and then he brought them to win in and not holiday okay it's not like that this word in is not that word at all in any sense of the word is if the word he has for in is a word that means all or anyplace. It's just a roadhouse. You see, the only people whatever stay there or someone it's so desperate they have to you once this is in a place go on vacation stay down that road. But what if you get caught in the middle of the night in the middle of the road and stay there. So he takes him, and he does that and it is an amazing thing when you think about what is already done. But guess what he does. He drops them off at the end and then he spends the night with them.

How do you know when the next day. That's what the next verses on the next day he would he want to spend the night with at the end and it took to do Mary and he gave them to the innkeeper and he said take care of him and whatever more you spend, when I return I'll repay you. Now you and I don't know much about that because we don't really we just read the word to an area think I must be some money okay.

Couple things here the word and Mary means one day's wages. Okay to scenario two days wages, but it might be even different in your think they thought archaeologists found in the Roman Empire dating in the Roman Empire. At this time I plaque oven in it was advertising and it on their advertisement on their plaque was how much it costs. The stay at night. 1/32 of the day. Mary begin to do. Mary, 64 days 64 days he paid his rent and then he said oh by the way, if you need more, I'll come back to you and pay you more now the innkeeper thing. When I got 64 days a rent with a guy here is not really in trouble. Could you imagine doing such a thing.

You help a person you fell compassion and you did all these things that he spent the night with member could call back. He could call back to Samaria. No cell phones, you know his wife might be thinking worse.

He you know Naaman and then he decides I'm gonna do for 64 days of rent if you think that seems a little bit you see from your point of view a little bit over the top. It is cheap compassion turns into care, which turns in the commitment. If you feel compassion you have to give caring and you have to be committed to it and this guy is committed almost beyond our imagination who would be committed to helping somebody for 64 days and if he needs more. See, I'll come back and I'll pay now. Is it what it's it seems to me that Jesus is gone way, way, way, way overboard in all of this I would agree.

I would agree. He went way overboard, but watch what happens. Jesus now was going ask question which of these three do you think debris proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers hand. This is brilliant. This man likens himself is righteous, as righteous as a priest as righteous as a Levite I'm a lawyer I'm a scribe of the law.

I'm not righteous. Now when you see those recent comparisons the priest and Levite beaded to the other side of the street and you see what this man does. Who's the Samaritan what's the answer to the question, how can you answer that question know which one of those do you think was more neighborly the wonderful compassion and any took his and what mama bound up all his wounds and then he put oil and wine on them and in many took him going in in any paper he cared form and then he put or two guys walked across the street. Now you tell me which one of them.

Do you think was more neighborly to see you only have one answer.

There is no other answer.

So this guy thinks about it for a moment and he said the one who showed mercy to and then Jesus says something.

Going to the same values and weekly what's going on here. First, he answers correctly. No question about that. But Jesus is now you going to what's Jesus hoping that guy thinks) I can't can't I just can't.

That's exactly what Jesus wants him to think you see that's the whole point he same look love the Lord your God with all your heart mind soul and strength. And if you send them continue doing this. I do it.

He doesn't of course am your neighbor as yourself. So he tries to trap Jesus and seek with and tell me who is my neighbor and Jesus that this was what a neighbor is an ego that I can't hike I hate so many I hate.

I hate all that was a Samaritan that I probably spent walked by. I don't like these people by just said he was the neighbor you see who's the neighbor. So Jesus wants to get this guy to respond. I can do this. In other words what Jesus's afternoon this whole parable was.

I cannot save myself.

I cannot. That's with Chris. Jesus realizes that's not the first step you will never be saved. See that's the whole point. I have to admit I cannot say myself and as I said earlier for all religious people. That's an impossibility because they believe that their religion will save them. I'll be saved by doing things in my religion.

And then God will be pleased that I'll get in and Jesus is know that that will never ever work. So the whole point of the good Samaritan is the total religious person that he cannot keep the law perfectly. Nobody can keep it perfectly and you cannot save yourself, but for us as believers. There certainly application here. What I mean is when you come to the Bible. There's three steps you have to go through if you want to study it. The first step that you go through is called observation. And that means is just doing a Bible and you just read the Bible and you observe it and you see hot what comes before what comes after one of the keywords. How does this work is an observation. The amount of observations in any text are innumerable kinds of observations that you can make about a verse in the Bible.

There's many many observations I taught Bible study methods are mean I graded for Dr. Hendrickson Dallas seminary with Bible study methods and one of the assignments. Dr. Hendrix gave everyone was, I want you men to go to acts chapter 1 verse six and I want you to write 25 observations about that verse just things you see in the text and when I first got the assignment. My first year to score that all because I hope I can come up with 25 minutes, so typical of students of the seminary.

Some the students got 25.

Some got 3035 I had a student had 100 on the first part of the he had 100 observations okay in a psych while the trouble was if you didn't know it the next day you go. He said don't don't handle Zen. I wanted to go back and do 25 more.

Now the guy did understand in what world I did 200 of these things, so there were just tons of, I mean you start doing for you 50 and up of observations of one verse. Acts 16 that's observations are many and the second thing you do is interpret the passage to interpret the passage or how many of those.

There are one. There is only one correct interpretation of every passage in the Bible does not 50.

That's why I get so crazy when I hear people in a Bible study and no say let's read over what you think it says what you think it says what you think it says God spoke, and he hasn't stuttered he wants one thing interpreted out of this passage. You don't make up interpretations of the Bible. So when you interpret this.

This is about salvation is strange thing about this. This is a parable of the 40 parables in the New Testament. Almost every single ones about salvation one way or the other. That's when Jesus spoke in parables, so the one interpretation is he wants this man to know you cannot save yourself. That's the interpretation of third stage is application application is what does this mean to me first. What do I see observation. What does it mean interpretation, what does it mean to me. What can I do with this. That's called application and there are many versus many applications still passage is our people in here.

We all have our own application.

What does it mean to me and there are plenty of Apple applications for us just with this idea of the parable is clearly the point is, if we are to love the Lord our God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbors ourselves. It tells us then how can you and I be neighborly. How can I love my neighbor. The first step is if I see a neighbor in need.

I feel compassion is the bigger something else here.

The question is never raised by Jesus. In fact, it's answered a different way, who's my neighbor.

Jesus answers everyone's your neighbor you mean everyone.

Everyone remembers the love your enemies and pray for them at your enemies. You pray for everyone to neighbor you see know what if I see a neighbor in need should feel compassion you sure you should offer care and you stay committed and it should cost you something.

You see when you have that compassion for someone it's gonna cost you. It just is and from our point of view, it seemed the costless Samaritan more than is logical to submit. I maybe did all that he takes them to a place he stays with them overnight, and anyplace two months rent these again but think of it this way, Jesus sees us as sheep without a shepherd. As sinners lost and he has compassion on us that he do anything about it. Yes, it was across was that big commitment. Yeah, that was a really big commitment to cost them a lot custom is beyond our imagination. Why, because he had compassion on us. He's our masterpiece, our Lord is you go and do likewise.

So, tells us something about this. It's good for us to look at something like the Ukraine and say I'd like to help if I could now the only way you and I can help pipe acceptably left our jobs, food and neighboring country want, but we can send money to people we trust and they could help the Ukrainian people and that that means when I sent the money I was giving them care because my compassion, but how about on the smaller level you ever meet anybody in your life that has need do you feel compassion.

You see, that's a big question because were little bit different here when sometimes when I see people have need.

What or why think I must be a scam that there was a scam and me in a 19 want to do anything. I know that's a scam now. Is it possible to be a scam I shortages but come on, be honest there people you saw that have real need and you know they have need, and if you notice if you say I look, I don't feel compassion for him. That's up to you but if you say you have compassion you are obligated by the word of God to show them care and it's going to cost you something. You see, that's just the way this works.

That's what it means to be neighborly. According to Jesus Christ and so from an application or point of view, that's very important for us God and I know this perfect God puts people in need and they come across our lives.

Sometimes we know they're coming. And sometimes we don't.

And I think every time he does he's testing whether you have compassion or and I can't say to him yeah I have compassion. See you soon I can I just said I feel sympathetic, but I'm on my way.

Compassion always turns the care and commitment and that's his message to us whispering father. This parable which was designed to convince a man that he could not save himself, has great application to us, the good Samaritan represents what it means to be a good follower of Jesus Christ.

When we see human suffering and human need. We should be filled with compassion and that could not compassion of our should turn into action.

We should do what we can to help those individuals and that requires true commitment and sometimes a sense of loss to us. I think you father for this I think you that you look down and you had compassion on us and you sent your son as our solution. I think that he looked at us and he had compassion and he was willing to go to a cross to die for the sins of the world so that people like me can spend eternity with you justified and forgiven.

I just pray father now that I be servant of that compassion and when compassion comes my something to alleviate the suffering. I pray this in Jesus for your pastor broke your heart on the radio ministry of fellowship.

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