Continuing Michael's message, the parable of the Good Samaritan, is Jesus’ illustration to answer the lawyer’s question, “who is my neighbor?”. The Jews hated the Samaritans. They considered the Samaritans half-breeds who had interbred with pagan heathens. In contrast, the lawyer thought that he was righteous for keeping the Old Testament law. He thought that he was required to keep himself pure by keeping his distance from Samaritans and other non-Jews. In every culture there are ingrained prejudices. The culture indoctrinates the so-called “politically correct” to hate what the culture identifies as “enemies.” The lawyer, a politically correct proud Jew, thought that Samaritans were enemies. He could not conceive of a hated Samaritan as his neighbor.
In this parable, a man was on the road descending from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the highway, he was attacked by robbers who stripped him of his worldly possessions, and left him for dead. A Jewish priest and a Levite, although they were “professional clergy,” called to minister to God’s people, had avoided the dying man. They both “passed by on the other side of the road”, going out of their way to keep their distance.
The Samaritan when he passed by felt compassion for the man who had been robbed and left for dead. The Samaritan poured ointment on the beaten man’s wounds, bandaged him, put him on his beast of burden, and took him to an Inn. He gave the innkeeper enough money to attend to his wounds and his medical needs. He said, whatever it costs to take care of him, I will repay you.
God calls us to challenge our preconceptions. We’re challenged every day to pray for our so-called enemies. When we receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we understand what it means to forgive the unforgivable and to love the unlovable. For we ourselves were unforgivable and unlovable and judged guilty before Jesus Christ intervened on our behalf. Like Jesus died for our sins, we must crucify our prejudices and hatred of those we consider our enemies. We have to die to self and our own so-called self-righteousness in order to live for our Lord Jesus Christ and manifest His righteous of Christ in us.
Jesus had said, if my word abides in you and you abide in me, then you shall bear much fruit. The root word for the word “neighbor” is “nigh” or “near.” To be a good neighbor to others, we must first position our hearts in close proximity with our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus had said, “In that ye have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” When we position our hearts inside of God’s will, then God will work in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. Then when we intercede for others, God can intervene through His son, for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Only Jesus Christ can balance grace and truth. Jesus Christ holds perfect justice and perfect mercy side by side. According to 2 Timothy, we’re called to gently correct those who have been called to the knowledge of the truth. We’re to have compassion on those who are taken captive by the devil and his ungodly, worldly doctrines against their will. According to 1 Peter 4:8, Love covers a multitude of sins.
Jesus said love your enemies. He said blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. We’ve been called to a higher standard, to die to self in order to live for Christ. The Apostle Paul said, be not drunk with wine, but be ye filled with the Holy Spirit. When we show God’s love, compassion and mercy to our neighbors whom God has placed in our close proximity, then it is Christ’s heart behind our heart, His compassion behind our compassion, and His mercy behind our mercy. When we deliver God’s compassion, love and mercy to a neighbor who is dead in trespasses and sins, then we also will be good Samaritans. As Jesus said to the lawyer, “go and do thou likewise”, that we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
No comments:
Post a Comment