A Heart For Others (Luke 10:25-37)

When I went to Reformed Episcopal Seminary … a 100 years ago … it was located at 43^rd and Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia.  

Suffice it to say … the neighborhood was not the best … and there were people being mugged … reports of break ins … people being held up at gunpoint.

It was not an area that you walked around at night alone!

During my senior year … my car was broken into 6 times … right on Chestnut Street … it got the point where I left my vent window unlocked … yes, the car was that old … I left it unlocked in case anyone wanted to get in!.  

But I did have my hood chained down with a lock so they couldn’t steal my battery.

Those were the days!

In the midst of this neighborhood was a ministry called Toviah … which is Hebrew for “God is good”.

Larry … who was the director … lived in the neighborhood … in spite of being robbed … having his house broken into … people entering his house with guns …

This ministry had a thrift store … it provided food and clothing to those in need … and it gave them the opportunity to spread the Gospel.  

Quite frankly … it was not the easiest neighborhood to live in … let alone minister to … but Larry and others felt that this was where God had called him to serve … in spite of the many drawbacks and dangers.

He had a heart for those who were less fortunate … for those who didn’t know where their next meal was coming from … and for those who needed the Gospel.

We know that God has not called everyone to serve in situations like that … I know that I could not do it … 

The ministry of Toviah … and there are many others … especially in the poorer neighborhoods … 

… are examples of Christians living out their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ … where we are told to love our neighbors.

If we think about it … God has called us to serve others … in whatever capacity.

That brings me to St. Peter’s … you! 

Actually … the group of Christians that gather for worship and call that group St. Peter’s Anglican Church.

I am thankful that the St. Peter’s congregation — even though we are few in number — are those who look out beyond these four walls to serve others.

We have our continuing support for the CCEA … for the pro-life ministry both local and national … for individual families … in addition we support our REC missions … both domestic and international.

Today … we continue looking at the meaning and ramifications of this Season of Lent.  

We began two weeks ago with The Call to Repentance … saying that this is where we must begin … acknowledging the fact that we are sinners … and believing that Jesus died in our place for our sins … and then turning … repenting of those sins.

Then last week we looked at our Savior’s temptation in the wilderness and the example that he has set for us …

I emphasized that temptations are always before us … and the way to resist those temptations was by trusting in God and what He has revealed in His Word … which we need to study … learn and inwardly digest … 

… and then we need to think about fasting or giving up something for Lent … being obedient to the example of our Savior.

In Luke 10 we read the parable of the Good Samaritan … which our Savior told in response to the question … ““And who is my neighbor?””

So I read — Luke 10:25-37.

This parable teaches us essentially that we are all neighbors to one another.

The Samaritan … who was considered an enemy of the Jews … was the only one who ministered to the man who was robbed, beaten and leaving him half dead.

I am reminded of our Savior’s Words concerning his return … in glory and judgement … and we read in Matthew 25:

““When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’””

But then it was asked of Jesus …

““Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’”” 

And then the answer:

““And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.””

Wow … think about that … as we serve others in the name of Christ … if we provide food … water …shelter … help in illness … and any other way … it’s as if we are serving Christ himself.

And if we look closely at our Savior’s words … we see that the person that is helped is a stranger … not someone who you know … not someone who is of the same nationality … not someone who is the same faith … or even lack thereof … not someone who is in the same ethnic or economic background …

…  But a stranger … simply someone in need!

When my daughter and son-in-law lived in New Jersey and traveled to PA to go to their church … they would pass homeless man living under the underpass of I-95 in Northeast Philadelphia.

He was there … with his dog.  So every week … that would specifically pack food and water for him … and food for his dog!

They didn’t ask … why he was homeless … but they say that he had a need and they provided some of that need … along with the good news of Jesus!

I think of what our Savior said:

““‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.””

Through the almost 40 years of ministry as a Pastor … I would receive a monthly amount … which varied … from the church budget … called the “Pastor’s Discretionary Fund.” 

It was an amount that I was given each month … so that if someone called with a particular need … I would be able to help them … with a hotel stay … food … supermarket gift cards … etc.

Usually it is obvious if someone is really in need … but even if not … again … I would rather help if I can.

As we think about the Good Samaritan and the example that he has set for us … we see that there was no chance of him being “paid back” … as it were … for what he did.

He did it because it was the right thing to do!

He didn’t ask … what’s in it for me … or what am I going to get out it??

He simply lived up to the words that have been there from the beginning … that God has always required of His people.

Leviticus 19:18 says: ““You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.””

Sounds familiar … doesn’t it?

Every week we repeat the Great Commandment … which was the answer to the question in the parable of the Good Samaritan:

 ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

…  that answer … as always … was quoted from the Old Testament Scriptures … which existed at the time of our Savior.

If we read further in the Scriptures … in Sermon on the Mount, our Savior said:

““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, …””

Quite clear as to what we should be doing … thinking and saying …  

Think about how much better our world would be if we follow the words of our Savior …

““But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, …””

This is a theme throughout the letters of Paul in the New Testament … for example:

Romans 13:9, 10: ““ For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.””

Galatians 5:13, 14: ““For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””

Even James … the brother of our Savior emphasizes this truth … ““If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;””

I think that we get the idea … in short … our lives should be “other oriented” … thinking and doing for others.

We have the greatest example in our Savior.  

Think about it … his whole life was about others … from his incarnation … his ministry … and his suffering and death.

Why?? For us and our salvation.

This whole season of Lent is to prepare us to emphasize AND remember what he did for us … 

… he went to the cross for you and for me and for all who believe in him as Savior and Lord … for all who believe that he died in their place for their sin.

As we read in Philippians 2:5-8: “‘Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.””  

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As you’ve heard me say before … and we must NEVER forget it … God not only required that a sacrifice be made for sin … but He also provided that sacrifice in the person and work of Jesus Christ … the Son of God … 

I mentioned last week that someone suggested that in addition to giving up something for Lent … we add something.

As a result of what God has done for us … we are then to do for others … to love our neighbors as ourselves.

So … during this season of Lent … think of what we can do for others. Is there someone that we know that is in need? 

And if so … let us do what we can to meet that need … in the name of Jesus …

We will be doing what Jesus lived by his example … doing unto others … as you would have them do unto you.

AMEN