“But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?…But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?” (Luke 10:29, 33-36)

Let’s close this week by looking at the Good Samaritan himself.  Again we start off with the arrogant question of the Pharisee seeking to justify himself, and contrasting the question and attitude against the actions of this Samaritan reveals to us just how wrong that Pharisee was.

You will note in regards to the Samaritan that he was not out looking for wounded folks.  The phrase used to describe the Samaritans goings is: ‘as he journeyed’.  I thought that was significant, because as a CHRISTIAN I am instructed “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”  (I Peter 3:15).

I am to be ready because I just never know when I will come across someone in need of help!  Someone who has been robbed by Satan, beaten by this Word, abandoned and forsaken.  WE WALK AMONGST THEM every day!  You may exit your house this morning NOT PLANNING to meet one of these people, but God may JUST DIRECT YOUR STEPS in that particular direction, and turning a corner you may bump into one of these people!  Are you prepared to render assistance?

I notice again that, as he journeyed he saw the man lying in the way.  In fact, it was kind of hard NOT to miss him!  Blood was everywhere, belongings were scattered all over the place, it was a mess that covered the whole road!  SO OBVIOUS was this man’s plight that both a Priest and a Levite had likewise seen the situation!  The Bible tells us the Priest ‘saw him’, and the Levite ‘likewise…came and looked’.  Now see the difference between these men and the Samaritan: he likewise ‘came’ and ‘saw’, but we have the added words ‘had compassion’!  OH WHAT A DIFFERENCE a little compassion has!

Do you know what compassion is?  COMPASSION is the ability to look at a person and see BEYOND their lifestyle, BEYOND their sin, BEYOND the trap and grasp of sin, and see the need!  GOTH plays no part!  TATTOO’S and PIERCINGS influence nothing!  LEATHERS, ALCOHOL, CIGARETTES, YOU NAME THE SIN does not stop the heart that is ready to give an answer from having compassion.  Do you remember Jesus?  Do you remember how that standing on a hill outside Jerusalem KNOWING he would enter the city on the foal of an ass, but leave bearing a Cross, how He wept over the city?  Do you weep for lost souls?

I have heard preaching on the idea of ‘second-mile Christianity’, the concept that when a Christian is in such a situation that they are required by God to go further than just the expected.  And we see that played out right here with the Good Samaritan.  NOT ONLY did this man have compassion, setting him apart from others, but we read how he went to the poor man, bound his wounds, poured in medication!  How do you, Christian, respond to someone who is not clean-cut?  Does smoke and drink?  Does have piercings in the weirdest of places?  Do you pull back?  Or are you prepared to go to them, bind their wounds, add the medication that the Great Physician has given you?  Oh yes, that’s right: we aren’t supposed to stop at compassion!  We are to actually personally and physically do something!  Get our hands dirty, and not rely on the Pastor or Missionaries to do the work!

But don’t allow me to stop there, because unlike many of today’s Christians, this Samaritan man was MORE than just a SECOND mile Christian, I see him walking A THIRD MILE!  See him as he picks up this man, sets him on his donkey, bring him to an inn, pays for his accommodation, and even the phrase ‘took care’ of him is added!  TOOK CARE OF SOME SIMPLE COMFORTS!  This Samaritan did NOT SEEK an animal stall out the back, NOR THE CHEAPEST ROOM facing the highway!  He sought somewhere quiet, somewhere where this man could rest comfortably and heal!  What would you do if witnessing to someone WAY OUT of your usual circles and they got saved?  Would you leave them there?  Or would you seek to care for them?  Treat them with a little respect?

But see again how this Samaritan is a Fourth Mile Christian!  How does this Samaritan depart?  With a promise to come again!  What is your attitude, Christian, after having spent that hour out witnessing?  Door-knocking?  Handing out tracts in the Mall?  Is there a determination to come again?  I remember one old chap who, like me (and most men by the way!) who absolutely detested ‘going shopping’!  COULDN’T STAND IT!  Thought it was a good waste of time.  But then he hit on an idea one day.  Getting permission from the Shopping Centre Management, he bought himself a special and clearly marked paper only rubbish-bin, set it down near the entrance of the Shopping Centre and spent the entire time whilst his wife shopped handing out tracts to those coming and going!  And he did so, week, after week, after week, after week, until he passed away.

A you a forth mile Christian?  Or do you pat yourself on the back having walked the second?

Let me ask you this as my ‘closer’ for the week: “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?”  Which of these three thinkest thou, that you should be like?

“But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.” (Luke 10:29-32)

I was thinking just this morning on my comments from yesterday, especially when I asked the question, ‘Who are you, the Priest?’, because the sad answer to that is yes!  YES – many Christians ARE like the priest!  They can see the trouble this ol’ World is in!  They do understand that MILLIONS if not BILLIONS are headed to a devil’s hell!  Their knowledge even extends so far as to understand that that destination is for ALL ETERNITY!  And yet it fails to move the Christian.

For the most part, the greatest effort Christians put in to stem this flood of hell-bound folks is $20 or $30 in the offering bag toward Missions.  Someone tell me again how that is supposed to stop people going to hell?  You put more than that in your fuel tank!  You spend more than that at Hungry Jacks and KFC!  You sit there and condemn the Priest, and yet you want to sit there and justify your own pathetic attempt!

Think I’m laying on a bit thick?  Well then, let’s move onto the Levite.  After the failure of the Priest, we happen to see a Levite coming down the same path.  He likewise sees this poor Samaritan wounded, stripped, lying half dead on the side of the road.  And like the Priest before him, he passes by on the other side.

I will note that the Levite did something the Priest didn’t.  It appears to me that the Priest upon SEEING THE BODY AHEAD, crosses over to the other side and doesn’t even slow his pace.  The Levite, however, does actually pause, we read ‘came and looked on him’.

Do you know what is more pathetic than the average Christian putting just a few dollars into Missions?  Preachers and Pastors who, knowing even more the plight of the sinner, likewise ‘pass by on the other side’!  And let me tell you, we are surrounded by such men!  Look around you folks, how many times are we hearing Church Leaders parrot the phrase ‘door-knocking doesn’t work in Australia’.  OVER AND OVER AGAIN that statement is being passed around.

You know something, over the MANY years of door-knocking in Australia I have rarely seen someone saved and in Church because of it.  Yet, that is not the point being made by those who claim ‘door-knocking doesn’t work’.  No, what they are REALLY saying is: ‘WITNESSING doesn’t work, and I’m going to use this excuse to stop witnessing!’  Because if you would care to look at the Pastors and Churches who claim ‘door-knocking doesn’t work’, you find that there is NO OUTREACH AT ALL!  WHAT WE NOW HAVE in Australia, especially amongst the Independent Baptist movement, are Churches that are FLASH, buildings that are NICE TO ATTEND, where ALL THE COSMETICS have been attended to, where ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE PROGRAMS they can attend specifically designed for them, but NO OUTREACH!

What was that?  You post an Easter-flyer out at Easter?  Drop a ‘Christmas theme invite’ out at Christmastime?  WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THE YEAR?  All of a sudden $20 and $30 in the offering bag is looking good!  No, NOW what we are seeing are SUPPOSED ‘separated, fundamental, KING JAMES ONLY BIBLE BELIEVERS’ going to places like ‘Wet and Wild’, the Movies to watch the latest block-buster, video stores loaning movies that have foul language right through them, and to beaches where folks wear less than their own underwear!  Tell me something, how are you and your Church any different from the average Baptist Union, Brethren Assembly, or any other of the run-of-the-mill Churches out there?

COME ON PREACHERS!  WHERE ARE THE VOICES CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS?  WHERE ARE THE MEN OF GOD STANDING PULPITS CALLING FOR REPENTANCE?  WHERE ARE THE PASTORS SHEPHERDING THEIR PEOPLE TO BE MORE AND MORE LIKE CHRIST?  ARE WE NOT SUPPOSED TO SET A HIGHER EXAMPLE?  BE THE EXAMPLE?

“Oh, I know what kind of guy that Tim Bunch is, old fashioned, caught up in a system that doesn’t work, doesn’t allow any fun or recreation, preaching stuff from the ’50′s”, hey, at least I working!  Don’t you think we have nice Church Building?  Don’t you think we have programs for our people?  don’t you think we have Easter and Christmas themes?  WE DO!  But we ALSO go door-knocking EVERY WEEK!  And you know what, EVERY WEEK we have people tell us they’re ‘not interested’, or don’t even bother to open their doors.  Does that cause us to stop?  No!  Because every now and then you find one person who is willing to stop and listen!  And tell me again, what is the worth of a soul?  Hey, did you know that not everyone in our Church goes door-knocking?  That we have other forms of less intimidating witnessing?

Here comes someone now!  He’s walking down street!  I wonder if he’ll notice…oh yes!  He has!  PRAISE GOD – LOOK AT THAT, HE’S HURRYING OVER TO THAT POOR MAN TO SEE IF HE’S OKAY!  WHAT?!  What’s he doing now?  HE’S LEAVING???  Yes, unfortunately he’s just another Levite!  Boy oh boy how things have not changed since Jesus’ time.  AN ENTIRE RELIGION CLAIMING to speak and work on God’s behalf, and yet the reality was, there was only one Man (Jesus) who was actually walking the highways and byways!

Let me ask you this question preachers: Where is this poor man’s neighbour????

“But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.” (Luke 10:29-31)

 Oh, how people like to ‘justify’ themselves!  EVERYTIME I see someone on the News heading into court for some wrong they’ve committed its always a ‘seeking of justice’.  And when that supposed ‘justice’ doesn’t fall their way, the cry is ‘an INjustice has occurred’!  Obviously it never occurred to them that they actually were at fault!

‘A certain man went down…’.  Usually a down-hill ride is an easy one, but not for this poor fellow, and not on this day!  Do you remember when the GFC hit?  Oh I do!  I was at work and being trained to take over the Dispatch area for a large Abbatoir, for the gentleman in charge of this Department was retiring.  Having worked for many, many years, he had wisely invested all his money on the Stock Exchange with plans to sell it all and life off of his investments.

For a good couple of weeks this gentleman trained me in the computers, introduced me to various sales rep’s, showing me around the stores, making my acquaintance to all the heads of the various other departments I would be dealing with.  THEN the GFC hit, and all of a sudden this man have practically nothing left!  No savings, no investments, no superannuation!  Retirement was no longer an option!  Needless to say, I did not take over his position, but was sent back to where I had come from – a very cold room!

Like this man on the Jericho road, upon setting out, it all looked to be a coast, and easy-ride into retirement.  But oh, how wretched that road actually turned out to be!

Now true, this man I am talking about wasn’t found on the side of the road bleeding and in need of medical assistance, but can I point out that if we were to take into account his spiritual condition, this man was very much in need of assistance!  He was a lost man!  He was an unsaved man!  He – without even realising it – was coasting into retirement, heading for hell!

What would you have done in that situation?  Would you have spoken to this man of your Christianity?  Would you have given him a tract?  Would you have invited him to work?  Maybe I need to point out that lost people use language that isn’t right – do you put up with that?  Unsaved people listen to music that is not God-honouring, and sometimes is down-right filthy – do you just ‘let it be’ because you’re at work?

What did I do?  I told him up front I was a Christian.  I turned the radio off when he went out.  I gave him a tract and invited him to Church.  WHY NOT?  ‘Oh Pastor, I’d expect you to do that, you’re a Pastor!’  What are you then, the Priest from Verse 31?  Passing on by?  KNOWING YOUR WORK MATES ARE IN NEED OF SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE, DO YOU WALK BY ON THE OTHER SIDE?

Who is your neighbour?

“And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:25-29)

You know, I’ve seen and heard some people do some really stupid things, but trying to tempt God – well, there’s not much more you can say about that than this guy had a few kangaroo’s loose in his top paddock!  And yet I would point out to you that every single day people tempt The Lord.

As with yesterday’s Daily Scripture Word, you would not that it is this attempt TO tempt Christ that brought about that wonderful parable of the Good Samaritan.  At the heart of the matter here, is the desire of this Pharisee to show Jesus up to be ‘just another man’.  As in EVERY attempt to show Jesus to not be divine (I wonder if the J.W.’s have ever seen this?), this guy failed miserably.  Once again Jesus shone through as being Who He truly is, King of all kings and Lord (Jehovah) of all lords!

Yesterday I wrote on this parable some, tying it back to the passing of a neighbour of mine.  Today I attended this man’s funeral, even spoke it, both for myself and on behalf of the grieving family.  My heart broke for these people as I saw a wife, children, grandchildren weeping uncontrollably at the passing of a loved one, and I would have to admit, separation from one whom you have known all your life is extremely painful.

But then it struck me.  As a non-religious family, it mattered not how pleasant the Words of The Bible sounded, nor how well articulated the ministers comforting words, the heart-break these poor folk were experiencing can from a position of no hope!  DEATH is that great equaliser, wherein – unless one knows The Lord as their Saviour – there is no hope of seeing them again.

This Pharisee, despite his great arrogance, actually approached the right Person with the right Question.  Do you realise Sir, do you understand Madam, that the only Person who can grant Eternal Life is God?  GOD ALONE is Eternal in His generations, and as such HE ALONE can gift this Eternal Life to whom He will!  No Priest, no Church, no Pastor, no Minister, no Religion can grant that gift – only God alone!  We read in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  IT IS GODS GIFT TO GRANT!  GODS PRIVILEGE TO DISPENSE!  GODS DESIRE THAT ALL WHO CALL UPON HIM RECEIVE THIS GIFT!

Oh, how many religions and people claim to have the power to act in this place!  How many modern-day ‘Pharisee’s’ THINKING that God NEEDS THEM to work on His behalf!  How many have led astray those poor people walking this road we call life!

‘MASTER’ – that’s what the Pharisee called Jesus, and that indeed is what He is!  The Lord of Glory!  The King of all kings!  ‘Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’  And Jesus’ answer was: ‘What is written in the law?’  Do you realise, friend, that all along the answer has been there?  Been available?  Been written down so that you could pick it up and read it for yourself?  THE ANSWER TO ETERNAL LIFE HAS BEEN SPOKEN, PREACHED, READ, PUT UP ON BILLBOARDS, POSTED INTO LETTER-BOXES, PROCLAIMED FROM ROOFTOPS, BRIDGES, AT YOUR FRONT DOOR EVEN!

The answer?  To “…love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”  Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”  JESUS PROMISED: “…him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37)  THE BIBLE PROCLAIMS EVEN NOW, “…WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.” (Romans 10:13).

CALLING on Jesus to save you, COMING to Him confessing your sinful state, LOVING HIM for taking your place on Calvary can leave you with this promise: “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13).  “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).

Master, what shall I do?  Just exactly what Gods Word, The Bible, has said all along!  My friend, in Christ alone my hope is found – do you love The Lord?

Good Afternoon readers, I trust you had a great Lord’s Day in The Lords House yesterday!  Those within my congregation have heard me say this many a time, but I truly love Sunday’s!  There is just something about getting together with Gods Saints – my brothers and sisters in Christ – and worshipping God together!  To just stand around chatting, not having to worry about hearing a bad word or a dirty joke!  To be able to stand or sit in the pew and SING – despite whether or not we can hold a tune!  To sit under the preaching of Gods Holy Word!  Oh, I say with the Psalmist, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.”  Psalm 122:1

Well, for me, today turned out to be somewhat of quite a sad day.  I had a phone call out of the blue from a dear friend who used to be our neighbour some time ago, asking for help as her husband had just passed away!  To be honest, I was quite shocked as I heard her faulting voice and the tears that must have been upon her cheek, as she told me of the passing of a man who was always ‘on the go’.  This man was still young – only just in his 60’s!  He was the kind of guy who was always ready to stop what he was doing and give a hand!

I can remember – now keep in mind here, I was in my early 20’s, so be nice in your judgement of what I say next!  But I can remember how this gentleman was quite particular when it came to grass.  His was always mowed, and just at the right height.  I, being younger, was not always ready to mow my grass, and he wasn’t backwards in sticking his nose over the fence and wondering out loud when it was that I would do it next?  He even sold me his old lawn-mower for next-to-nothing – a Victa Sunbeam!

One day in particular, I recall getting out the back and thinking I would beat him to the punch by mowing first.  I dutifully checked the mower over first, noticing that the tank needed a top-up.  Into the shed I went where there sat two jerry-cans of fuel.  I grabbed one and topped up the two-stroke motor, pulled the stater, and off I went mowing.  All went well for around five minutes, which is when I began to mow the footpath.  Our footpath was slightly elevated, and smoke began pouring out from – it seemed – every crack that mower had.  It stank!  I was coughing and spluttering, but determined to use my neighbours mower to mow the grass.  It wasn’t too long before I heard someone else coughing and spluttering, and looking up I saw, to my horror, that the slight breeze that was, had directed this thick, smelly, grey smoke straight through my neighbours bedroom, and on into their lounge and kitchen!  My neighbour came roaring out his house, shut-down the mower, opened the cap on the fuel tank, stuck in his finger, smelled it, then looking up at me wanted to know what kind of ‘stupid’ was I that I had put Diesel into a Lawn-Mower!  Ah yes, stupid didn’t quite cut-it to what I was feeling!

Oh, how precious memories can be.  Do you know, this man was not a Church man.  He was open to be witnessed to,  happy to talk Bible a bit, but not ‘religious’ at all.  He wasn’t a bad man at all either, don’t get the idea that I am suggesting this.

No, instead I’ve shared all this with you today because of the passage of Scripture that came into my mind upon hearing the sad news of my old neighbour’s passing: “But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?” Luke 10:29.

If you’ve been to Church any length of time, you know that this question is the one that caused Jesus to give us that beautiful parable of the Good Samaritan.  And the answer to that question soundly was: everyone is my neighbour.  But the thought that came to my mind was, what kind of neighbour was I.  My neighbour was kind, thoughtful, always willing to help out and lend a hand – and he wasn’t even a Christian.  Here I was, saved, headed to heaven, attended Church all the time, even went out soul-winning, but what kind of Neighbour was I?

Thankfully I can sit and write this testifying to the fact that we as a family did not hide our Christianity.  We both lived it before our neighbour, verbally witnessed to him, and on several occasions passed on tracts and other witnessing material.  Did my neighbour call upon the Name of The Lord before he died?  I don’t know.  I sure hope he did!  But in my sadness, I can sit here with a clear conscience and know and at least in that area, I too was a good neighbour.  I did go to him alone on life’s road; I did try to tend to his wounds and tell him of The Saviour.

And as I thought those thoughts, it struck me how many people around us every day lay lying on the road of life, beaten, attacked, wounded, and we – like the Pharisee trying to justify himself – walk right on by?  Let me close by asking you a simple question today: does your neighbour know you are a Christian?  Have you personally told them of their need of Salvation?  Are you a good neighbour?  They might not just be there tomorrow!

Event Date

12/04/2011

Event Time

From: 10:30 – To: 12:00

Event Venue

Church

Event TimeZone

(GMT+10) Australia/Queensland