A Demanding Application (Part 3)

Today we close our look at the good Samaritan, and see Jesus draw out the application to his parable. It is an application both unexpected and unwelcome, not only by the lawyer but often in our generation as well.

“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?”(v.36)

Jesus turns the tables on the lawyer. He had asked, “Who is my neighbor.” Jesus responds, “Whose neighbor are you? Who acted like a neighbor?” Notice the response of the lawyer:

“The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” (v.37)

He can’t even bring himself to say “Samaritan.” Jesus, in effect, demands that the lawyer rethink his previous answers—and attitude. His view must shift from trying to limit who is his neighbor to determining whether or not he himself is displaying the heart and spirit of a neighbor. The example stands before him, as the ultimate Neighbor, Christ Himself, poses the question. Christ, whose compassion for all—regardless of ethnic background, gender, or social status—was in contrast to the heartless rigidity of the self-superior religious leaders.

The lesson? Warren Wiersbe says that the point is simple—you cannot separate your relationship with God from your relationship with your fellow-man. As Herbert Lockyer wrote:

Nearness does not make neighborliness. The priest and Levite were both near by race and by office, and the Samaritan by race and office was remote. People my live divided only be a narrow wall and not be neighbors. People may live with no intervening walls and not be neighbors. Only the eyes and spirit of the Samaritan make neighborliness. As we make our journey through life, those we come upon in dire need of help (regardless of race, age, gender, social status)—these are our neighbors that the Great Good Samaritan Himself would have us assist.

The old hymn says, “Love Lifted Me.” Will the love of Christ expressed through us lift anyone else? How will we? Or, why won’t we? Answers anyone?