The man likely couldn’t even bring himself to say the word Samaritan, but he got the point. The point was that one man acted. He didn’t allow group identity—being “in” or “out”—keep him from doing the right thing.
Then Jesus ends the conversation by saying,
“Yes, now go and do the same” (Luke 10:37b NLT). ...STILL THE SAME CHALLENGE TO US TODAY
This was NOT a crowd-pleaser story! No standing ovation for this one! Not a FEEL-GOOD message!
This was a story that left people feeling confused, convicted, and probably a little disoriented. Why? Because their group identity was everything. The entire Temple system, which was their religious system, was based on people’s various positions in various groups.
Just like our own current social groups, there were levels of being insiders and outsiders. Their entire world revolved around boundaries of who was in (good) and who was out (bad). And in this one story, Jesus blows up that entire idea. The only group that matters is your “neighbor.”
And who is a neighbor? Everyone. Anyone in need. WHOEVER God brings into our lives (planned or unplanned) as "neighbors".
Chances are, there’s at least one person or group of people that we have some kind of negative feeling about. They’ve probably already come to mind for you.
In this story, Jesus is saying, get over the categories for a minute. The person you can’t stand, and the group you’d rather not interact with? They’re your neighbors.
This is huge no matter what you believe. But if you’re a Christian, this is especially important. Because loving your neighbor isn’t just a good idea; it’s a command. Jesus was crystal clear that if we choose to follow Him, this is part of the deal! No insiders or outsiders. Just neighbors. And our job is to love them.
So how do we do it?
First, decide who’s your neighbor. We’ll never treat people with the worth they deserve if we aren’t first willing to see the worth they already have. Loving our neighbor begins by seeing them as our neighbor. When we see someone as made in the image of God, it becomes easier to treat them that way.
Decide to go one more step, the extra mile. One of the things I love about this story is everything that the Samaritan did:
He could have bandaged him up and left.
He could have taken him to the inn and left.
But he went one step further. He left extra money to make sure the Jewish man got the best care he needed and said he would pay the innkeeper any money he owed next time around.
There will always be a normal and expected amount of helping people. If someone drops their groceries in front of you, you’ll probably pick one up. If they fall, you might reach out your hand. But what would one step more look like for you? What’s one thing beyond what is expected when it comes to the people around you?
Realizing & identifying our neighbors is one thing. But loving them will always require us to take one more step. To act, move, and take what we know to be true on the inside and begin living like it is true on the outside.
I think it could change their world, and I think it could change yours (Win / Win). And I think that’s exactly what Jesus wants for them...& you!
-VIDEO: God so loved the world
**Take-Away: Love your neighbor as yourself
*RESPONSE