Good Samaritan

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One day as Jesus was teaching, He told a true story. This was a story that everyone had heard. Everyone was talking about the horrible crime. There just happened to be two men listening that day who were in that very story. They listened closely as He told about the robbers who beat up a man, took his money and his transportation and rode off. The beat up man was hurt so bad he would have died.

Along the road came a church leader. God had set it up so that this church leader would come along the same road that day. Since all church leaders know that it is extremely important to help someone in need, they would kindly care for the man. Church leaders were to be specially kind to the ignorant and help anyone bruised or wounded. By doing this they could demonstrate the love of God. God had commanded that the stranger be loved as much as you love yourself (Deuteronomy 10:17-19; Leviticus 19:34; Hebrews 5:2)

Well this church leader was curious about the beaten man. He went over to look then hurried by.

 

 
The next man God sent looked and hurried away too. 

Finally the good Samaritan came and had so much of God's kind of love. He did not worry about his loss. He bandaged with parts of his own clothing and shared his lunch and drink. He gently helped the man to a nearby Inn. This was a place people could rent a room and stay as long as they wanted. The good Samaritan knew that the poor man had been robbed. He knew it would be impossible for him to stay anywhere but in the street. How could this man  recover? He had been beaten so terribly. .

The good Samaritan was not selfish of his own lunch, he shared. 

He was not selfish of his money, he shared. 

He even walked and let the beat up man ride on his donkey. Can you imagine walking along the road because your car was filled up with people who had been wounded?

 
The good man bathed the wounds and fed the beaten man till he felt stronger. Then the good man paid the Inn keeper extra money for the beaten man just in case he needed to stay extra days and needed anything special. Beyond all this kindness, this wonderful man offered to pay more if the inn keeper spent beyond the money given. That is how kind Jesus is. He will pay for any thing you spend helping those beaten up by words or by physical violence.

Now, this really happened! There was really a man this kind. The two selfish people who only stared at the beaten man were listening to Jesus tell their story. I would have been embarrassed if I were them and saw how selfish I was! I wonder if I do the same thing as they did? When there are men on the street corner asking for help, do I give them anything? A friend of mine found a homeless man frozen in his garage. The poor man had been reading his Bible. O how I hope that Jesus will show me who I can help. Accidents along the road are like this poor beaten man  needing help. Are you going to be kind like Jesus wants and help by stopping to share your lunch, your water to drink, and maybe some money? Maybe you can give them a warm place to rest till the ambulance arrives. Perhaps you can make the phone call for emergency service and keep them warm with your own coat.
There are other people who have been beaten up in ways you cannot see. They might have been hurt by bully's, gangs, or by terrible words. They may have been victim to sexual abuse. They are feeling so bad inside and feel they cannot tell anyone. I had so many in the doctor's office who kept their stories inside  for twenty years. They are hurting so bad they are dying inside. They think there is no hope of them ever being worth anything. You give them hope when you are their friend. You can smile :) and invite them for a meal or event at your home..
  The kind man in this story did not just smile and think he had helped enough. He kept helping. Jesus is that way. The Bible says "a bruised reed, he will not break". (Isaiah 42:3)  That means Jesus is always kind to the unpopular, the wounded and the broken in this world. If you want to be like Jesus, ask Him right now to help you be a "good Samaritan" today.
Jesus expects us to help others in these ways:

Isaiah 58:6 [Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 
58:7 [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? 
58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. 
58:9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I [am]. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 
58:10 And [if] thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness [be] as the noon day: 
58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.