Luke 10:25-27 Real Christianity – Loving the Community
There are those who hurt.
This represents the community we are called to reach. In this parable, the religious man asked “who is my neighbor.” Jesus replies with a graphic description of a “similar” man in desperate circumstances. A man who has been robbed.
He is robbed physically of his possessions.
He is robbed emotionally of his sanctity and security.
He is robbed spiritually of his peace.
There are those who hate.
Sadly, in this parable, the people who hate are the religious folks. The highly holy people – the ones you would think should help are involved in hating. They avoid the alarms, and the ambulance calls of those who hurt.
It is easy to do that.
They were walking down the road to their next destination. They were busy doing their thing, just like you and I.
The language suggests that they saw the hurt man from far off and purposely detoured to avoid him. You and I know people whom we also detour away from.
A church that stops reaching out to the community starts to think only about themselves. What’s in it for me. Look at who I am hanging out with this week at church. It becomes a social event, and not a social work.
Evangelism only works when we recognize the needs of the people around us, and then we do something about it.
This leads us to being the people who help.
There are those who help.
The Samaritan represented the person who took the time to help. The irony of this parable for the people who heard it is this:
The very people who should have helped the hurt one, the Jews, they did nothing. The very people who the Jews hated, they helped the hurt one.
In one way, this parable was directed at the prejudices of the Jews against the Samaritans. One group of people had problems with another group. Although, they were all similar. This is the same we have now.
We who live in Washburn have a problem with people in Seligman. Seligman avoid the people of Washburn.
In another way, this parable opens up the way for Mozark to really impact this community for Christ. We need to be helpers to those who need help – the ones Jesus would have helped.
THREE WAYS WE LEARN TO HELP THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY
Have compassion
Heal wounds
Handle needs
Then eventually, once their physical needs are met, they will come asking for their spiritual needs to be met. We should be there ready to help them see Christ and follow Him.
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