Will the “Real” Good Samaritan Please Stand Up?

By Pastor Rey Diaz

It’s one of the most famous stories in the Bible – the parable of the Good Samaritan. This parable has inspired paintings, sculptures, poetry, and films. The colloquial phrase "Good Samaritan", meaning someone who helps a stranger, is derived from this parable, and many hospitals and charitable organizations are named after the Good Samaritan.  Many countries have “Good Samaritan laws” which protect anyone from being sued if they help someone in need. 

So what does it take to be called a Good Samaritan? Do you have to be like Mother Theresa or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr?  Do you have to help old ladies cross the road or a next door neighbor find their missing cat?  Do you have to help someone who is half-dead? 

Honestly I don’t know.  So many pastors and theologians have looked at this story and everyone has a different bent.  A few of the things that most people agree on:

  -  It’s hard to be a Good Samaritan.  It is inconvenient and it cost time, energy, and resources.

  - Your neighbor includes people who don’t look like you and don’t talk like you.  

    People who you might even consider your enemy.

  -  The hero in this story is the Good Samaritan.

The person who told this story was in the middle of acting out the story himself.  As Jesus told this story, he was in the midst of a mission to rescue us.  So to some extent, Jesus is the ultimate Good Samaritan.  Paul tells us in Ephesians 2 that we were ‘dead’ or separated from the source of life in our sin.  We were helpless and hopeless by the side of the road.  We would have died unless someone intervened.  We were in need of a Good Samaritan.  And the God “so rich in mercy” showed up.  “And he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life.” 

Jesus rescued us.  Redeemed us.  Bandaged us.  Anointed us.  Restored us.  Took care of us.  And paid for us.  We didn’t earn it.  We didn’t deserve it.  We didn’t inherit it.  It was totally grace.  Unmerited favor.

 

Jesus, the ultimate Good Samaritan, paid the price for us.  He is the Real Good Samaritan.  We look to Him to be inspired and motivated.  We love because he first loved us.  We try to be Good Samaritans because he was the first Good Samaritan.  And, honestly, that is the only way we can ever become Good Samaritans – by beholding Jesus.  You become what you behold.  Simple as that. 

And Jesus led us to the ‘Inn.’ Tomorrow I will share on what the ‘Inn’ is suppose to do today. 

Ephesians 2:1-10

¹Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. ² You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. ³ All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

⁴ But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵ that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) ⁶ For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. ⁷ So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.