Social Needs vs Personal Priorities
Luke 10:33-35 (ESV)
33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
The above story is the story of the “Good Samaritan.” It is the story about a priest and a Levite that would not care for a Samaritan who had been beating, robbed and left for dead. But that a Samaritan would. However, before looking into some very practical lessons about caring for the needs of others, it would be wise to understand how the world, at this time, viewed Samaritans. Just one chapter back, we read this:
Luke 9:51-55 (ESV)
A Samaritan Village Rejects Jesus
51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them.
Even Jesus’ disciples wanted to bring fire down on the Samaritans. This was a group of people that were hated by both Jew and Gentile. To say they were racists toward this group would be an understatement. That is what makes this story so compelling in our modern discussion about social justice. Jesus uses this story to give us insight about our showing mercy and grace to others and how it impacts all aspects of life. Here are some lessons from that story we might want to apply to our walk today:
1. The Good Samaritan put himself at extreme risk to be an out-layer. As a result of his actions he would be identified differently by those who discovered his mercy. Granted, that is the point of the story, but there would be some who saw him as an out-layer. If we want to break the social norms of a society we have to be willing to be that same type of out-layer. We are not told the “nationality” of the man he cared for, but we don’t need to know. Because the Samaritans were hated by all, for him to help this beaten man, he would have had to cross over society’s norms. He helped a man that would probably NOT help him if the situation was reversed.
2. The Good Samaritan put himself at extreme risk of financial loss. To care for this man, the Samaritan gave the innkeeper two denarii. One denarii was equivalent to one day’s wages. So, he paid substantially for this care. That would cost him. That would also tell other robbers that he was a man of wealth. These roads would often be subject to robbery, violence and dangers. This man was not afraid to give sacrificially to this stranger and put himself at risk of future loss.
3. The Good Samaritan put himself in the position to be cheated. He tells the innkeeper that if the man, while healing, incurs added costs, he will meet that cost upon his return to the inn. He would have to trust the innkeeper to be truthful with him. Putting yourself at risk to help someone at the exact time of their hurt is one thing. But, putting yourself at risk for future costs is quite another. This is a great example of follow-up. The Samaritan did not start a movement and then leave. He provided follow-up and follow-through. This was not a program, it was a practice of life.
4. The Good Samaritan did not lose sight of his own purpose. This is probably one of the greatest lessons in this story. We are not told why the Samaritan was on the road. But, it was for a purpose. With this kind of money at his disposal (carrying it on him) we have to believe he was a man of means. Having found the beaten man on the road compelled him to care for the man, but it did not get him away from his main purpose in life. We are tempted in our lives to turn from the Gospel message to be social justice oriented. Social justice is the Gospel worked out in real life, but this Samaritan did keep his commitment and move on to his purpose. One could ask, why did he leave the beaten man for SOMEONE else and not care for him by himself? We learn from Christ’s story that purpose still has a place in the times of mercy.
The Good Samaritan is a story we should live out in our lives everyday. We should not assume that others will care for those in need. In fact, they often walk right past them. Showing mercy to others will and should put us at extreme risk, but it should not alter our purpose and responsibilities. The fact that he stopped to help showed his mercy. The fact that he moved on to his purpose shows us his accountability. We should be able to do both if we do them right.
