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THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD - "The Good Samaritan" - January 11, 2015 - Pastor Scott Christenson

Added Jan 12, 2015 •

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St. Paul's Lutheran Church Orange, CA

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the following is a true story a few years ago now in Rhode Island a nurse volunteered her time to staff a first tent at an outdoor Music Festival where food was being sold and serve to the public by the festival promoters what are the Fest patrons sample the seafood gumbo the gumbo just happened to contain shellfish to which the man had an idiopathic allergy he went into anaphylactic shock and soon died it was just the nurse and a physician at what's the first aid tent both of them were unpaid volunteers  when it was reported that there was a man in distress The Physician quickly ran to is a physician quickly recognized that he was in anaphylactic shock told someone to call the emergency paramedics and gave the man the only dose Bedford nephron that he had in his emergency bag  as soon as someone else I came to staff the first aid tent so she could leave the nurse also ran to the man's assistant she stayed with him a while they were waiting for the paramedics then he went into respiratory distress The Physician and the nurse did CPR but sadly they could not revive the man  and so he died on the way to Hospital  and how do you suppose the family of the deceased responded to this tragedy thank the nurse and the physician for doing all they could for their dad do they get angry and say how could dad be so stupid as to seafood gumbo when he knows he's allergic to shellfish  no friends this is America the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the physician and the nurse who had tried to help stop there's a good ending to the story The play Court of Rhode Island use the Good Samaritan law to throw out the wrongful death lawsuit saying that the volunteers were rendering gratuitous services in an emergency situation and there was no proof that they were guilty of gross willful or wanton negligence so how about that what's saved this physician and nurse from thousands maybe millions of dollars in Damages was a little store that Jesus taught nearly 2,000 years ago  in fact I think it's really amazing how well known this little story it's practically the only part of the Bible that you can openly emulate today and still be politically correct  Steven and are nearly biblically illiterate society in which we live today almost everybody Christian and non-Christian knows what a Good Samaritan is or do they  see this couple things you have to know to truly understand Jesus parable of the Good Samaritan and first of all you need to understand what an oxymoron the phrase Good Samaritan was in Jesus Day the song the New Testament for example take a look here at what John says in his gospel in chapter 4 as Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem John says this how he had to go through Samaria  he had to go through Samaria  John feels the need to explain can do his readers what in the world Jesus was doing in Samaritan country at all  why because in Jesus day it was customary choose to go way out of their way to avoid being in Samaritan land you'll see her on the map the typical Jew traveling from tell me in the north to Jerusalem in the south in Jesus day would have actually crossed over the Jordan River to the other side just to avoid going through Samaritan land  few versus later John explains for those of us not in the know that Jews do not associate with Samaritans  and to understand why that was you have to understand the origins of the Samaritan people stuff you know your Old Testament history you may remember that way back in 721 BC the Assyrian army under Sargon II came down shut the Northern Kingdom of Israel and as you see on the map most of the Israelites were dragged away back into exile but then the Assyrians settled some of their own people in the land of Israel and with time those Gentile settlers intermarry with the remaining Israelites they're forming the people that became known as Samaritans so the Samaritans in Jesus day we're not only considered a Corruption of true Jewish blood they were viewed as traitors do the people who had married the enemy  and so that's why Jews in Jesus day hated Samaritans by the way in John 848 when the Jewish leaders attack Jesus they accusing you see of being a Samaritan and demon-possessed which is base see to them saying the same thing twice  even the 12 disciples of Jesus we know we're deeply affected by this kind of you can check out these verses from Luke 9 it says and he Jesus sent Messengers on ahead who went into a Samaritan Village to get things ready for him but the people there did not welcome him because he was heading to Jerusalem when the disciples James and John saw this they ask Lord do you want us call down fire from heaven to destroy them  but Jesus turned and rebuked them James and John saw Jesus credible power and they said you know what in essence Jesus that's great that you're using that to heal the sick and raise the dead but could we use just a little bit of it to torch a few Samaritans to  and if you see this attitude even in the parable of the Good Samaritan itself does Jesus ask the man which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers and did you notice the expert in the law the Jewish man cannot even bring himself to say the words the Samaritan keep completely avoids that word and says I think very reluctantly  the one who had mercy on him any Jew living in Jesus day would have said there's no such thing as a good samaritan  the other thing you have to understand about the pair will the Good Samaritan is this that this Parable does not stand on its own  in in order to truly understand the turbo you have to see that this story was told by Jesus in response to a very specific question an expert in the law try test Jesus by asking what must I do to inherit eternal life which if you think about it is really a very odd position of terms doing and inheriting really don't go together do they this man I may have been an expert in the law but basically missed the forest for the trees eternal life is an inheritance it's a gift of God and as such it can't be earned by what do right  so you see an order to understand the parable of the Good Samaritan it's imperative to see that this parable was not told by Jesus to make us all a bunch of do-gooders  in fact it was specifically told judged the self-righteous attitude of a man who thought he already was a do-gooder  Jesus of course responded brilliantly  he does the old answer a question with a question routine  you're trying to test me how about I test you  what's written in the law Jesus says how do you read it the expert answers correctly Jesus says inessence good answer go do that and you'll live see now the expert looks like kind of a dummy right and if you really was an expert he shouldn't have had to ask a question quite that basic and so now he asks a follow-up question as if to say well and you know that just sort of the set up to the real question I want to ask the real question is old but who is my neighbor  but see Jesus no that's not the real question that needs to be asked the real question is not who is my neighbor the real question is will you be a neighbor  and to whom  it's so he tells this little story a man very likely a Jewish man which is significant later he gets beat up and left for dead as he travels from slum to Jericho  a priest for there's a man who was always doing good things right a priest passed him by as she was going down the same road it says which is very significant I think because of course this priest Behavior would have been despicable no matter what right Jesus doesn't leave us the possibility that he was on his way up to the temple  no he was walking away from Jerusalem what's like the man was so it's not like another word to keep passed by the man because he got something very important to do  no he passed by him because he didn't care  he was a priest but he didn't care  do care but one of his own Brothers in been a levite another guy always doing good things you do the same thing and in fact people some Scholars think that his behavior was even worse than that of the priest because something some Scholars think that the specific language here in the original Greek text who's that the Levi didn't just pass by some people think it's specifically means he went over and looked at the man and then passed him hi  then came the Samaritan  and he was quite different the robbers all the wounded man is someone to use and exploit the priest saw him as a problem to be avoided the Levi viewed him as a subject of what does Samaritan of all people the Samaritan saw the wounded man as someone to love and to serve now there's several things about the Samaritans behavior that stands out let's list them on the screens here first he was filled with compassion it sets no one else cared about this man but the Samaritan and says when he saw him he took Kitty on him and the word there in Greek for taking pity is my absolute favorite Greek word of all-time it's the word ash blonde kenise day takes a while to learn how to even say Esplanade fish why is it important because the little rude inside splog is the word for your guts a spark a nice day literally is trying to convey deeply felt emotion it's not like you cared a little bit  it literally it would be he had got friendship compassion for this man second thing that stands out about the Samaritan he took the initiative  yeah it is just wait for the neighbor to be dropped in his no it says he went over there what out of his way to help the man  third we could say he got his hands dirty this man must have been a bloody mess  but he himself it says bandaged his wounds and then at the end he himself took curve him  next he soothed and cleanse you know it says he poured oil and wine on the man's wounds which may sound very change to our ears but we have to understand that oil was used in the first century to soothe suffering  add the alcohol haunted of the wine was used as an antiseptic be like a doctor to him next he sacrificed man did he sacrifice that sound like much to us when it says that the Innkeeper got two silver coins what does that couple of pennies dimes now Jesus day that was enough money to put this man up in the end for over 2 months that's amazing that's a lot of money that's a significant sacrifice  finally we can say he made a long-term commitment to the man he not only stayed overnight with him but even when he had to leave the next day it says he planned to return and he told The Innkeeper I'll pay more money to you later if necessary and then after all that  Jesus turn to the expert in the law and said now you go and do likewise you go to that what's Jesus really saying there see we've kind of ruined it in our day Jesus was not sane now you NBA do-gooder to  if we think a good Samaritan is just anybody who does some nice thing for somebody we really are trivializing the that Jesus told yes the Good Samaritan did some nice things for the man but don't you see we have to understand this Samaritan did much much more then a couple good deeds here in there been really even what that nurse and doctor in Rhode Island did quickly pales compared to this guy I mean if the extent of this guy's love and service his commitment his personal sacrifice for a man didn't even know and who probably hated his guts  it's just a standing  the story of the Good Samaritan if you read it correctly is actually a very convicting text  when's the last time you really heard of anyone doing something like that not just a nice good deed here or there but a long-term very sacrificial commitment to someone who even like them  I think the real question that this story is just begging to be **** is there anybody who is really like the Good Samaritan and the answer is Ashley rich  but there's only one only Jesus Christ is really like the good certain  did you see Jesus Christ looked at you in all of your woundedness and he was filled with compassion just a little bit but deeply felt gut-wrenching compassion and even though you didn't have to do anything what's your condition he took the initiative didn't e  he got his hands dirty we might say he entered this sinful world as and so that he could choose you and cleanse you and he sacrifice and not just a few coins but everything he had even his own life in order to will you  and the servant Love Of Christ of course didn't just end at Calvary he has made a long-term commitment to you he said he will be with you always to the end of the age he will never leave you never leave you or forsake you and don't forget he did all of those things for you even when you show off and treated him like Jews treated Samara see that's the real point of the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus didn't tell this story to instruct the X in the lock to go and be a do-gooder he actually told this story to crush this man's self-righteousness hypocracy  he told the parable to show him and now that the level of love that God calls us all to is something you can never accomplish by our own striving if you think you can accomplish it just by doing a few good deeds here and there when it's convenient for you you are kidding yourself  the story of the Good Samaritan was told to show the expert in the law and now off of Art fruit need for Jesus and his love which is the only love like that and she this is the beauty of it  when we do actually trust in Jesus and not our own Good Deeds turn on righteousness then something truly miraculous happens we're not just forgiven for our self-righteousness in hypocrisy don't just inherit eternal life but more and more day by day little bit by little bit God begins to change our hearts without even realizing that we are being conformed pulses to the likeness of God Son being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing Glory which means that as Christ lives in us and works his amazing love through us we really are play becoming more and more what we could never be through our own striving God actually is making us off to be like that Good Samaritan and show the woundedness of others  that we used to be indifferent to  now begins fill our hearts with deeply felt compassion  and it moves us to take the initiative to do something and if it means we have to get our hands dirty even if it means great personal sacrifice of our time or our money even if it requires a law term commitment of us we begin to look at the wound in this of others and we say and pray God let me be there oil and wine let me be the one who sues and cleanses them  and friends God must look down on us and those moments and smile  because this is the way he has always wanted it to be because the very first good written law was not written in Rhode Island It Was Written thousands of years before even before the time of Jesus by God himself it said simply this  love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all mind and with all your strength  and love your neighbor as yourself

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THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD - "The Good Samaritan" - January 11, 2015 - Pastor Scott Christenson

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