Living the Good Samaritan: Gospel Compassion in Action

Remember his question? His question was, Jesus, who is my neighbor? A question requiring more information. By the end of the story, Jesus changes the question to who are you a neighbor to? Who are you acting kindly, generously to? It's a question that requires transformation. It's a question that requires you to do something, not just know something. It's not the question of who is your neighbor. The question is who are you a neighbor to? [00:56:01] (34 seconds)  #BeANeighborToSomeone

The hero is a Samaritan. And it's a shock to everybody. It's as if Jesus was telling this story to a group of American democrats, and the hero was a guy wearing a MAGA hat. Or to bring it closer to my part of the world, it's as if Jesus is telling the story to a bunch of Ukrainians and the hero is a Russian. There's a real tension in the story. And everybody can sense it. Everybody feels it. The Samaritan is the hero. [00:54:58] (42 seconds)  #UnexpectedHeroSamaritan

But God in his mercy, He came down. When he saw you, he felt compassion for you. This visceral, God wrenching, deep compassion when he saw your condition. Your brokenness became his burden. So in Jesus, he comes down. He leaves his seat in heaven to give you a seat by his table in his kingdom. His clothes are stripped from him so that you could be clothed in his love. [01:03:10] (42 seconds)  #GodCameDownForYou

His body is broken so you could be made whole. He pays in blood. Precious blood so that you can have a restored relationship with God the father. You see, this is what motivates us and empowers us to both trust in Jesus for our salvation and trust in Jesus to live in such a way that only the gospel could explain it. It's the gospel that empowers us for salvation and to love others as we love ourselves. We cannot do it apart from him. [01:03:52] (45 seconds)  #PowerFromTheGospel

Where do we get the strength, the power to do that? To love in such a way? To move towards compassion not comfort. To care for others as we care for ourselves. How do we do that? It's when we realize that you and I were on the side of the road, not half dead, but completely dead in our sins and transgressions, as Paul says. We were the people on the road, hopeless and helpless. But God. [01:02:37] (33 seconds)  #WhoIsGodCallingYouToHelp

And the question is, who is God calling you to be a neighbor to this week? This month? Who is God calling you that by his power, you're able to move towards compassion, not comfort? To make your own self care the standard of your care for that person? And to love in such a way that demands a gospel explanation by the power of God. Who is God calling you to be a neighbor to? [01:05:13] (35 seconds)  #CompassionOverComfort

How do we act on our way to heaven? How do people act on their way to heaven? I'll mention three things. First of all, we move towards compassion, not comfort. You see, was very comfortable for the Levite and the priest not to do anything. That was comfortable. But the Samaritan chose the way of compassion. Katlin, the girl I told you about, and her husband Marco chose to have leave comfort and open up their home to some strange kids. [01:00:07] (34 seconds)  #SamaritanCompassionInAction

But this Samaritan feels this way about a stranger who's even a person who's supposed to dislike or even hate. The Levite and the priest felt nothing. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. So he bandages his wounds. He pours oil and the meaning is he's lavishly pouring oil and wine on his wounds. [00:53:14] (41 seconds)  #NeighborIsWhoCrossesYourPath