An expert asked Jesus a question to see what he would say. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to have eternal life?
Jesus answered, "What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?"
The man replied, "The Scriptures say, `Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.' They also say, `Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.' "
Jesus said, "You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life."
But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, "Who are my neighbors?"
Jesus replied:
As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho (very rugged road commonly called "The Blood Highway"), robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had. They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other side. Later a temple helper came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side. A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, "Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return." Then Jesus asked, "Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?"
The teacher answered, "The one who showed pity and mercy."
Jesus said, "Go and do the same!"
OBSERVATIONS:
When Jesus told this story, who do you think the listeners were identifying with the most?
The crowd (Jewish): the man who was beaten up by the robbers The "Expert" with the spiritual leaders . No one would have identified with the Samaratin, except Jesus forced them to, because he behaved as the Scriptures instructed.
Who do you identify with in this story?
Are you like the man who would view the Samaratin as the "lost" or "broken" one? But would you ever find yourself in the position where you are this desperately in need? Not if you stay in a safe place. Sometimes, we have to go on the "blood highway", sometimes we have to go to the place, where we can get hurt, and left half dead on the side of the road. But most of us chose to stay home safe. We never really discover who really is out there to rescue and defend the one's who are out there being robbed and beaten and killed! We might "happen" to find ourselves in the same place, by turning on our evening news, or driving through a neighborhood, or attending public schools, or taking public transportation.
What do we do when we happen to be on the "Blood Highway"?
Which emotion strikes our heart? Fear? Disgust? Mis-Trust? or Compassion?
What actions do we take? How are the many ways we go on the other side of the street? Or the other side of the tracks? Do we shut off and tune out? Do we turn our backs? Do we kick/throw stones? Do we shoot our guns to ward off any would be robbers from attacking us? Or do we DO something?
And if we DO something is it something to appease our own emotions about the matter? Our pity produces us to quick write a check, or do what I like to call a "One and Done" volunteer activity. Do something that makes me walk away and pat myself on the back and say "whew that made me feel good"?
Consider all the actions done as an example of being a "neighbor"
Jesus ends by asking which of the three are the real neighbor, to spur us on to be real neighbors that behave like this. But by choosing the Samaritan Jesus is reminding us that we just might find we need the very ones we intend to serve, and they have resources and knowledge and skills that we know not of. The "expert" was not the one to fix this broken situation. When we go in to a situation are we coming as the experts or are we coming as fellow travelers on the Bloody Highway, subject to the same brokenness as other travelers on the way....it does require getting out of our protected cocoons but it also requires us, who happen to be on the road to truly engage, invest and persist!
Jesus answered, "What is written in the Scriptures? How do you understand them?"
The man replied, "The Scriptures say, `Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.' They also say, `Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.' "
Jesus said, "You have given the right answer. If you do this, you will have eternal life."
But the man wanted to show that he knew what he was talking about. So he asked Jesus, "Who are my neighbors?"
Jesus replied:
As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho (very rugged road commonly called "The Blood Highway"), robbers attacked him and grabbed everything he had. They beat him up and ran off, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road. But when he saw the man, he walked by on the other side. Later a temple helper came to the same place. But when he saw the man who had been beaten up, he also went by on the other side. A man from Samaria then came traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he felt sorry for him and went over to him. He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next morning he gave the innkeeper two silver coins and said, "Please take care of the man. If you spend more than this on him, I will pay you when I return." Then Jesus asked, "Which one of these three people was a real neighbor to the man who was beaten up by robbers?"The teacher answered, "The one who showed pity and mercy."
OBSERVATIONS:
When Jesus told this story, who do you think the listeners were identifying with the most?
The crowd (Jewish): the man who was beaten up by the robbers The "Expert" with the spiritual leaders . No one would have identified with the Samaratin, except Jesus forced them to, because he behaved as the Scriptures instructed.
Who do you identify with in this story?
Are you like the man who would view the Samaratin as the "lost" or "broken" one? But would you ever find yourself in the position where you are this desperately in need? Not if you stay in a safe place. Sometimes, we have to go on the "blood highway", sometimes we have to go to the place, where we can get hurt, and left half dead on the side of the road. But most of us chose to stay home safe. We never really discover who really is out there to rescue and defend the one's who are out there being robbed and beaten and killed! We might "happen" to find ourselves in the same place, by turning on our evening news, or driving through a neighborhood, or attending public schools, or taking public transportation.
What do we do when we happen to be on the "Blood Highway"?
Which emotion strikes our heart? Fear? Disgust? Mis-Trust? or Compassion?
What actions do we take? How are the many ways we go on the other side of the street? Or the other side of the tracks? Do we shut off and tune out? Do we turn our backs? Do we kick/throw stones? Do we shoot our guns to ward off any would be robbers from attacking us? Or do we DO something?
And if we DO something is it something to appease our own emotions about the matter? Our pity produces us to quick write a check, or do what I like to call a "One and Done" volunteer activity. Do something that makes me walk away and pat myself on the back and say "whew that made me feel good"?
Consider all the actions done as an example of being a "neighbor"
- -being on the same road
- -seeing the man in need
- -feeling for the man in need
- -going over (closer)....crossing over, not crossing away from
- -treated the wounds....getting some blood on your own hands
- -bandaged them....applying available resources
- -gave silver coin....giving of our own resources (notice not the first action)
- -please take care of him....enlisting community support
- -if you spend more....risk!
- -when I return....follow up, engagement...not abandonment
Jesus ends by asking which of the three are the real neighbor, to spur us on to be real neighbors that behave like this. But by choosing the Samaritan Jesus is reminding us that we just might find we need the very ones we intend to serve, and they have resources and knowledge and skills that we know not of. The "expert" was not the one to fix this broken situation. When we go in to a situation are we coming as the experts or are we coming as fellow travelers on the Bloody Highway, subject to the same brokenness as other travelers on the way....it does require getting out of our protected cocoons but it also requires us, who happen to be on the road to truly engage, invest and persist!
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