We are called to Go . . . But How and to who?

We are called to go!
I want to look at the Good Samaritan and see how he goes.
The Good Samaritan addresses and challenges cultural mind sets on who is classed as your neighbor, and what is required to care for your neighbor.
There are 4 characters in this story;
The Jew - beaten - left for dead
The priest - Just happened to be walking by - possibly the more likely person to stop and care?
The Levite - a worshipper at the temple of God -
The Samaritan - Jews worst enemy - they did not get on - at all! Not one bit!

Why is it that only the Samaritan stopped by? why didn't the priest or the levite stop by?

I think it was possibly because getting involved would have been costly - the investment may have seemed too high - It was easier to walk straight by and get on with there lives!

So why was it that the Jews worst enemy was the one to come and save him? Calling a Jew a Samaritan was bad - really bad! They lived together under the Roman emperor, but they did not get on at all!! infact Jesus was once called a Samaritan as an insult.
Jesus could have easily told this story with switched roles
 - The good Jew - seen as Jesus was a Jew, But he knew the prejudice and the pure hate some of his fellow Jews had for the Samaritan. So with this story - he didn’t just challenge how we are to care for people, but also who we are to care for.

1- Meeting the needs with Loving deeds.
Its so easy for us to get cought up with doing stuff for the sake of doing it! Giving money, because that’s what is expected of us, but in this story, the Samaritan was not obliged at all to help, he could have carried on by like the others, but he decided in that moment to stop and help! He saw the need and responded.

V 33 The Samaritan had pitty on him. The Greek for this word is Splagma which is translated as - Moved from the bowels, or moved from the foundations! And this is the word most often used to describe the emotional state of Jesus Christ!
The Samaritan was moved with the Love of Christ, he was moved enough not just to meet the needs, but to do it with Love!
The needs he met were Physical, Material and the emotional needs.
We have to be a people who are willing to go over and above meeting peoples needs! Always do things as if to the Lord - with excellence!
2- We don’t chose who our neighbors are.
The Samaritan did not choose who this guy was he helped. The Jew was on the road he was traveling on! He saw the need and he met it!
Your neighbor is ANYONE who is in your path. Someone you would least expect! We are called to Care for the needs of the people around Us, regardless of there race or religion or other differences.

3- Looking after the poor and needy is not optional as Christians, but it is essential!  It is Jesus definition of Love!
Love is an attitude of life - it’s a sign of real faith. Its not what is going to save you, but it’s a sign of being saved! A sign of Life!
Looking after those in need Is not just talking Love, but its doing it! Its more than just sentiments - although that’s good - its not enough!! The Samaritan was not just doing it because he felt he had to - like I mentioned earlier - he wasn’t obliged to help, but he responded over and above what would have been expected of him! If he wasn’t drawn by that compassion - he would not have done what he did!

In order to fully understand the parable of the Good Samaritan - you need to understand this 
You were poor. - Jesus came and poured out His spiritual richness on you and made you royalty! In 1 peter We called a royal priesthood - a holy nation!
You were the person in need - Jesus came on by and did not cross over the road but he impoverished himself on you He gave you life when you did not deserve it! This is called Grace! - God giving you something you do not deserve!
When the Expert of the law was asked which one of these were his neighbor, he replied - the one who had mercy on him.
Jesus was your neighbor - HE had no obligation to do this other than the Love and Splagma! - Compassion that moved from his bowels!

There are plenty of people we pass each day who are in need, and I’m not saying that you have to meet the needs of everyone! By yourself that is impossible. But I want to leave you with this challenge . . . 
Will you be willing to ask God to open your eyes to the needs that are around you?
And when you see it - will you act in Splagma - with the same compassion that Jesus has for you and me? A love and pitty that moves from the depths of our being?


 (Notes taken from Timothy Keller's preach - Blueprint for revival; social concern)