Last time we looked at a different way to look at loving God, and now we want to check in on loving each other, but from a different angle. The parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25-37, has rightfully been considered the marquee text for loving others, and we too be looking at this text.
When Jesus told this story, He deliberately challenged both class and race barriers in His time. He challenge some cold hearts from the upper classes (priests & scribes for walking past a man in need), and he challenged is own people to look beyond their race barrier by using a Samaritan to be the unlikely hero in the story. One of His aims was to change ‘who’ might receive love, but the parable also gives us great clues on the ‘how’ we can love as well, and that is our focus now.
My goal is to greatly elevate how we love people, while at the same time simplifying what an individual aspect of loving another might look like. Just like how the Great Commission was given to a company of disciples (not just to an individual), so too loving others should be a team sport, not just something we do in isolation from each other.
Four points on how to love each other
He saw him
“and when he saw him, he had compassion” ~ Luke 10:33
1) My wife used to ask if I noticed the people on the street, in the restaurant, or even at church? Did I actually see them, or were they just moving and speaking objects in the background of my day. You can’t love people you don’t see, and best way to start seeing people is asking the Father in heaven how He sees people here on earth.
He bandaged his wounds
“bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.” ~ Luke 10:34
2) He provided some immediate, and tangible help in the situation. Maybe we don’t treat wounds each day, but many times food, clothes and blankets would be an immediate remedy of love for someone. Do we keep such spare items in a place for love encounters? Do we have extra supplies in our cars, always ready?
A maturing love, is a prepared love. A love of action and resources, not intentions and good thoughts.
Brought him to an inn
“he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn” ~ Luke 10:34
3) Here is where it starts taking a team, and we can shed the ‘I have to do it all’ mindset that sometimes scares us away from loving people as much as we should. The “if I am nice to this person, I am inviting them over dinner, and hearing all their stories, and then I have to put their lives back together”, and so on. It seems the crush of the commitment to love someone is just too great, so we never get started.
But the Samaritan took the man to an inn, and paid the innkeeper to take care of the man! That is actually a loving thing to do, to hand a person off to a better care taker, and then it is OK to continue on your journey.
Your journey in life isn’t supposed to be burdened with the ‘extra baggage of one more person you loved following you around’. They can stay at the inn to get healed up. Love doesn’t mean stopping your whole life for long stretches (unless God shows you to do this), but stop and love long enough to provide comfort and get to them to the next place in their journey (the inn).
The big question, is where are the inns inside or around the Church of Christ. Gladly, a friend of mine has tackled this question in detail, so go read his thoughts.
In short, you don’t have to do it all, your small group, church or other equipped ministers can help as well. What a relief!
When I come back
“I will repay you when I come back.” ~ Luke 10:35
4) Commitment is the last item we see in this story. He didn’t drop off the man at the inn and forget about him, but promised to return and pay for any expenses incurred. The Samaritan was either going to see the man again when he returned, or at least would settle accounts with the inn keeper regarding the expenses. Either way, he was making a prolonged commitment to the welfare of the man he had dedicated himself to love.
Love isn’t about just point in time deeds, but to a longer continuum in time. Again, there is no guarantee for a life long commitment, but at least one checking back in on the situation, but there is some longevity in this story.
Similarly, we should check back in with love, if not with the person in need, at least with the inn keepers we leave them with.
What isn’t in the story
- No short/simple prayers that God fix things
- No encouragements that things will get better, no platitudes regarding the character of God
- There was no teaching the person to avoid getting robbed, or to not be homeless, or to get a job.
True love always has actions. Jesus story doesn’t say that we should ask God to help the person. No, we are to be the help in love for the person.
2) This whole parable has no miraculous events in it. It is very true that at times we should expect the power of God to show up (Acts 3, Peter heals a lame man, which was a very loving thing to do), but at times we beseech God to move in miraculous power, what He expects us to solve with loving good deeds (giving away food, providing clothing, spending our money for medicine and such).
Jesus absolutely commanded his disciples to heal the sick, cast out demons, cure the lepers, and other such loving displays of his power, but in this parable there is nothing miraculous at all.
There are times to ask for heaven to open up and intervene, but many times God’s provision has already been sent to earth. It might be in your bank account, or the car in your drive way, or that extra bedroom, and the food in your pantry.
Some might say, this story is a miracle of love displayed in every day actions!
I challenge all of us to be prepared in love, to do the good deeds of love shown in this parable. As Heb 10:24 says, we should consider how to stir each other up in love and good deeds, and the parable of the Good Samaritan gives us a very good start to do this!
So consider how:
- You can ‘see’ more people in love
- You can provide immediate relief to their suffering
- You can deliver them to an appropriate ‘inn’ to care for them
- You can ‘come back’ to complete your love story in their life
