A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. It was known as a dangerous stretch of road and, true to its reputation, he was attacked, beaten, robbed and left for dead. As he lay by the side of the road, a priest came by. He saw the wounded man and passed on the other side. Later a Levite, a worker in the synagogue, came down the same road. He too saw the wounded man and passed by quickly. Finally another traveler arrived. But seeing the wounded man, he rushed to his side and, realizing his condition, put him on his donkey and took him to a nearby inn where he cleaned his wounds and saw to his needs. The next morning, he left but covered the stay of the Jewish man, instructing the innkeeper to care for him, taking responsibility for any extra charges required for his recovery. This story, in itself, is a remarkable tribute to kindness and self-sacrifice. But the amazing part of the story is that the man who stopped was a Samaritan, ethnically and religiously estranged from the Jews.
Jesus told this story as an explanation of a Jewish commandment. When asked what was the greatest commandment, He had replied “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength.” Then He added “And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.” Pressed to identify who should be considered a neighbor, Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan, the one least likely to attend to the needs of the wounded man. Jesus does not explain why the priest and the Levite failed to stop but our imagination and our own experience might help us understand. Perhaps they were in a hurry. Perhaps they felt their responsibilities outweighed the needs of the bandits’ victim. Perhaps they felt the man brought this disaster on himself or that he might pose some threat to them and what was rightfully theirs. Whatever their reasons, they passed without helping and, by Jesus' standards, failed to keep the second most important commandment.
Most likely, we won’t be passing down the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. We probably won’t even be walking down a dangerous road in Atlanta or a questionable area of our hometown. But that doesn’t mean that our paths won’t cross those in need of a Good Samaritan. The story Jesus told was not just about who acted as a neighbor but recognizing who was in need of a neighbor.
In this parable, Jesus identified the connection between the love of God and the love of others. After the resurrection, He asks Peter three times if he loved Him. And each time He follows with a directive of service. Feed my sheep. Feed my lambs. Often when reading this account, we become so caught up in the number three – reminding us of the times Peter denied His Master – that we forget the purpose of the questions. Jesus is telling Peter that he should show how much he loves by his service to others. Loving God is not enough. We must love like God.
The love of God is forgiving. But it is also supportive, giving us the strength and vision to rebuild from the ashes of our mistakes. Paul speaks of the love of God in his letter to the Corinthian church. It is a love “that knows no limits to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope. It can outlast anything. Love,” he reminds us, ”never fails.” And it is on this love that we are called to pattern our understanding of and our relationships with our fellow man.
How would a life patterned after loving as God loves evolve? Would our actions be self-sacrificing? Would each day be filled with joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness? Would our outlook be strengthened by faithfulness, our encounters by gentleness and self-control? Could this love be so powerful that our perception of self shifts and our purpose in life is fulfilled?
God so loved the world – those He had created in His image – that He was willing to send Jesus to redeem us unto Himself. Our worth comes, not from who we are or what we have accomplished. Our value is based on the cost of our salvation. If this is the way God loves, then we must reflect that love to others.
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