Sunday, December 13, 2009

The Why of the Good Samaritan

It has been a while since I put up any entries.

We were at both services today at Harvest Bible Chapel. It is good to hear Pastor Robbie's mesages twice. He does make a few subtle changes in each service and the impact is always fresh and new in each message. The message was basically on the "Good Samaritan" but the focus was on the why instead of the what.

Luke 10:25-37

Why did two stop and look and not help and why did one stop and look and help even though they were sworn enemies?

It all has to do with loving God first and then our neighbours. Jesus was first approached by an expert in the law (lawyer) who tried testing Him with the question 'What shall I do to inherit eternal life' (be saved). Jesus answered with a question to see if the lawyer knew his stuff - and he did. (Love your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbour as yourself.) [Deut 6:5]

But Jesus, after telling the lawyer about the good Samaritan and after the lawyer had said that the Samaritan would be the one who loved his neighbour the most, said to him "Go and do the same".

Thus the order of loving has to be God first then our neighbour - it cannot be the other way around. If we love our neighbour and not God we are the same as the world and the love is not based on compassion and grace as is God's love for us. He first loved us, the unlovable, before we loved him.

Neat stuff!

It is the why and not the what of the Good Samaritan story that is important!

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