The Parable Of The Good Samaritan

I wanted to tell you a story.. A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away leaving him half dead. A Priest happened to be going down the same road and when he saw the man he passed by on the other side, so too a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he travelled, came to where the man was and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own donkey, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  the next day, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, Look after him ; he said and when I return I will reimburse you for any extra expence, you may have.  Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man that fell into the hands of the robbers? The expert in the Law replied the one who had mercy upon him. And I said go and do likewise.

This story is told in Luke 10:25-37. Let Me explain what this story means: The question was who is my neighbour? And this story is My answer. Being a neighbour is not about having a title, position or religion it’s about compassion in action. The Priest saw the man, the Levite saw the man, but only the Samaritan saw him with mercy . He did not ask if the man  deserved help: He did not worry about the cost  he stopped, he cared, he acted.

That is love , that is neighbourliness . That is what the kingdom looks like. So don’t just ask who your neighbour is. Be the neighbour and love others the way I loved you. My parables matter because they reveal the kingdom. I didn’t speak  stories on My own. In John 12:49-50, I said: “For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak.

This story came from the Father because He wants you to live what you believe. And  in Matthew 24:35: I said:”Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” So remember true love isn’t passive, it crosses the road, it takes the risk, it pours out mercy.  Go and do likewise.