The Good Samaritan – Sermon – Pastor Dave Page

Notice that Jesus doesn’t tell us much about him, the person in need of help. No name. No hometown. No religion. We aren’t told whether he’s a good man. We aren’t told whether he made wise decisions. We aren’t told whether he could have avoided what happened. Jesus simply tells us that robbers attack him, take what he has, and leave him wounded beside the road. And then three people come along.

First, a priest. He sees the man, he passes by. Then a Levite. He sees the man, he passes by. We can spend a lot of time trying to explain why. Maybe they were concerned about ritual purity, perhaps they were afraid, after all this guy had just been robbed, must be a tough part of the neighbourhood. Maybe they were busy or maybe they simply didn’t want to get involved. Jesus doesn’t tell us “And I want you to consider this morning that perhaps that’s intentional on Jesus’ part. Because we too are very good at supplying reasons for passing by.

“I don’t have time.” “Someone else will help.” “I wouldn’t know what to say.” “It’s complicated.” “They got themselves into this.” “I’m already carrying enough.” And sometimes those concerns are legitimate. We do have limits. Jesus isn’t calling us to meet every need in the world. But then comes the third traveller, and this is where Jesus’ original audience would have felt the story turn, “but a Samaritan…” Not the person they expected. Not the hero they would have chosen. In fact, probably the last person they expected Jesus to make the hero. You have to understand that there was deep hostility between Jews and Samaritans. Different history. Different worship. Different identities. And that led to generations of suspicion.

So, when Jesus says, “But a Samaritan” His listeners probably expected trouble. Instead, Jesus says: “When he saw him, he took pity on him.” Now remember, The priest saw him, the Levite saw him and obviously the Samaritan saw him. They all saw the same man. But only one allowed what he saw to change what he did.

Compassion That Crosses the Road

I think there’s something important here that we should not miss! Compassion in this story isn’t primarily a feeling, it moves. The Samaritan goes to the man. He tends his wounds. He puts him on his own animal. He brings him somewhere safe. He pays for his care and he promises to return. This is the definition of love becoming inconvenient. Love costs him time and money. Love changes his plans. But perhaps the biggest cost is something we sometimes miss. Love requires him to cross the road toward someone he has been taught to see as “other.” That’s where this story becomes uncomfortable for many.

Most of us are quite willing to love people we already like. People who think like us and vote like us. Worship like us. Live like us. But Jesus chooses a Samaritan. He deliberately puts compassion in the hands of the outsider and suddenly the lawyer can’t keep this conversation theoretical.

The Question Jesus Doesn’t Answer

Remember the lawyer’s question: “Who is my neighbour?” But notice something. Jesus never answers it. At the end of the story Jesus asks: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” Do you hear the difference? The lawyer asks: “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus asks: “Who became a neighbour?” The lawyer wants Jesus to identify the object of love.

Jesus turns the conversation toward the character of the person doing the loving. The lawyer asks: “Who qualifies?” “Where is the line?” Jesus asks: “What kind of person are you becoming?”

I think that’s the part of this parable we can easily miss. Jesus refuses to show him a line or give him a boundary because Kingdom love keeps crossing boundaries. So perhaps the question isn’t: “Is that person my neighbour?” Maybe the better question is: “Am I willing to be a neighbour to that person?” You see, that question changes things Because now I can’t stand at a distance deciding whether someone deserves compassion. The question comes back to me: Who am I becoming?

Hidden in Plain Sight

Here is why we chose this parable to be a part of the Hidden in Plain Sight Series. The opportunity to love God was lying beside the road. The priest missed it. The Levite missed it. But the Samaritan recognized it. We sometimes imagine that following Jesus happens mainly in big spiritual moments, A worship service, a retreat, a powerful prayer experience. But sometimes the Kingdom is hidden in something much more ordinary. A person who needs someone to listen. A neighbour who’s lonely. A family overwhelmed by circumstances. A newcomer standing by themselves. And yes, even someone we disagree with. You know church, we can spend our whole lives asking God, “Where are You working?” while walking past the very person through whom He is inviting us to participate in His Kingdom. Sometimes the holy moment is lying beside the road!

When Love Interrupts Us

And I wonder if one of the biggest obstacles to loving our neighbour isn’t hostility. It’s hurry. The priest had somewhere to go. The Levite had somewhere to go. The Samaritan probably had somewhere to go too. But compassion interrupted his schedule. Sometimes God puts someone directly in our path and the question isn’t: “Can I fit this person into my schedule?” The question is: “Could this be the place where God is asking me to love today?”

Jesus never tells us where the Samaritan was going. Maybe that’s because, for a little while, where he was going became less important than who was in front of him.

The Person You Would Least Expect

There’s one more uncomfortable piece of the story. Jesus doesn’t simply tell the lawyer to help hurting people. He makes the Samaritan the example. Sometimes grace comes from unexpected people. That’s humbling. The lawyer can’t even quite bring himself to say “the Samaritan.” Jesus asks which man was the neighbour. The lawyer replies: “The one who had mercy on him.” And Jesus says: “Go and do likewise.” Not: “Go and agree with this, or Go and admire the Samaritan.” “Go and do likewise.” So perhaps there are two questions for us to carry into the week ahead.

First: Who have I quietly decided is outside the boundaries of my compassion? Maybe it’s not someone you hate. Maybe it’s simply someone you’ve stopped seeing. Someone whose need has become too familiar or someone you’ve labelled: Difficult, needy, irresponsible, different. Not my problem. Perhaps Jesus is inviting you to see them again?

There’s another question we have to keep in mind also: Where is God giving me an opportunity to become a neighbour? Not to fix everybody or carry every burden. Just to notice the person God has put in front of you -And then ask: “What would love require of me here?” Maybe it’s a phone call or sitting with someone. Maybe it’s crossing a social boundary and getting to know someone whose story is very different from yours. It’s simply refusing to walk past.

The Road Jesus Crossed

Here’s the last thing I want to share with you about this story of Jesus. Before Jesus ever tells us, “Go and do likewise,” He, Himself was already moving toward people who could never earn His mercy. That’s the Gospel. God did not stand at a distance asking whether we qualified as neighbours. Christ came toward us. Paul says in Romans 5 that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus crossed the distance. Jesus moved toward the wounded and the excluded. The overlooked. The sinners. People like you. People like me. Perhaps that’s where Christian compassion really begins. Not with trying harder to become nicer people. But with remembering: Someone crossed the road for us.

We love because we have been loved. We show mercy because we have received mercy. We move toward others because Christ first moved toward us. So, this week, don’t try to solve every problem. Don’t carry the weight of believing you’re responsible for everybody. Just keep your eyes open. Because somewhere along your road there may be someone God places in front of you. And when you see them, instead of asking, “Are they my neighbour?” perhaps simply ask, “Jesus, how can I be a neighbour here?” The Kingdom of God may be much closer than you think. Yes, it may be hidden in plain sight, right there beside the road. And Jesus still says: “Go and do likewise.”