The Church You've Always Longed For
Becoming a Caring Church 
Part 2

10:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.

10:34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

10:35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'

10:36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"

10:37 And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." Luke 10:33-37

1. Caring People Put Aside Prejudices (v.33a).

1. Jesus tells us that the third man to come down the road was "a Samaritan." Samaritans were half-breed Jews. They were a race of people who had Jewish ancestry on one side and Canaanite on the other. Because of the mixed blood, Jews hated Samaritans. Because the Jews hated the Samaritan, the Samaritans hated them back.

2. The fact that the wounded man was Jewish didn't seem to bother the "Samaritan" at all. As we read through the parable, we see he went to great lengths and considerable expense to help him.

3. When someone is hurting, a caring person put his prejudices aside. Jesus died for all men regardless of race, color, social or economic standards.

2. Caring People Notice Other's Pain (v.33b).

1. Notice specifically what this verse says that the Samaritan when he "came where he was... saw him." Unlike the "priest" and the "Levite" it seems that he came over to inspect the man.

2. Imagine this Samaritan, warily making his way down the desolate dirt road, constantly looking out for bandits when he hears a groaning in the roadside ditch. Disregarding his own safety, he went over to see what made the sound and there he found a beaten man, naked and "half dead."

3. The Samaritan is an example to us in that he took time to see what was wrong. So often we like the "priest" and "Levite" are so caught up in our own plans, our own agendas that we don't even notice when someone else is hurting. We are often oblivious to the sad look on their faces. Even when they speak of their pain, we want to change the subject quickly. Caring people are always looking for ways to serve others.

3. Caring People Take Time to be Compassionate (v.33c).

1. Notice a key phrase in this verse. The Samaritan "had compassion." "Compassion" comes from a Greek word that literally means "a yearning in the bowels." Jesus had that same "compassion" for the multitudes.

2. Oh how God's people need "compassion" today, a deep empathy, a lump-in-the-throat, I'll-do-anything-I-can feeling

for others.

3. You may think, "If I found a dying man on the roadside I would help." I hope you would, but that's not the point. Are we willing to help the wife that lost her husband, the dad who lost his job, the single mother etc...

ILLUS>Two men were heading by dog sled to their outpost in Alaska. They were both in danger of freezing to death. As they were going along, they came upon someone who was apparently nearly frozen. One said to the other, " Let's stop and help him." The other said, "No, if we stop and help him, we will surely freeze to death and never make it." The one who wanted to help said, "Let me off here and you go ahead." He got off the dog sled as his companion continued. He tried to revive the dying man by massaging his arms and legs in order to get the blood circulating in his body. The effort he expended in massaging the man's limbs gave him the physical heat that he needed to keep from freezing to death. The snowstorm was soon over and the two were safe, but down the path was a dead man with a dog sled... all alone. We are never more like Jesus than

4. Caring People Get Involved (v.34).

1. The Samaritan "went to him." He didn't pass by. He chose to involve himself. He "bandaged his wounds pouring on oil and wine." "Oil" probably olive oil, was widely used by people of this period as a medicine to sooth the pain of open wounds. "Wine" was used as an antiseptic to keep wounds clean and prevent infection.

2. Next, the Samaritan "set him on his own animal." We assume he traveled with a donkey. Instead of riding, he allowed this Jew, his racial enemy to ride while he walked.

3. The Samaritan "brought him to an inn and took care of him." There were no hospitals, no emergency rooms, no ambulances, no 911 as we know today. There was no place to drop this victim off. So, the Samaritan rented a room in an "inn" and cared for the man as best he could.

4. In our culture it is so easy to be isolated. It's easy to look the other way when we see a homeless person with a sign. It's easy to refer a person in need to a relief organization. It's easy to forget to pray for or call or visit a fellow church member going through a difficult time.

5. Jesus got involved.

5. Caring People are not Stingy (v.35).

1. Notice that on "the next day" when the Samaritan got ready to leave, he paid the "innkeeper" "two denarii" and said, "Take care of him and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you." Note only did he care for the man, but he paid the bill!

2. Jesus is not stingy either. He is typified in this Samaritan. He paid our sin debt with His own life.

ILLUS>I love the words of that old hymn,

"Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe! Sin had left a crimson stain (a bloody stain) He washed it white as snow!"

6. Jesus asks an Easy Question (vv.36-37).

1. Finishing the parable, Jesus turned to lawyer and asked, "So which of these do you think was neighbor to him who fell among thieves?"

2. The lawyer answered, "He who showed mercy [who cared ] on Him." Jesus responded, "Go and do likewise."

3. If we want Jesus' blessing, if we want to be a caring church, if we want to be the church we've always dreamed of, we must "go and do likewise."

1. First, Identify People who need your Care. Sit down and make a list of the needs of people around you: your family, the church, neighbors...

2. Second, Reach Out to Others, Don't Wait for Them to come to You. In church you should shake their hand and introduce yourself. Take time to get to know them. Most people are private. They will not ever bother you with their burdens until you take time to get involved with them.

3. Third, Communicate Beyond the Superficial Level. When you meet someone it okay to "talk about the weather." However, as you develop a relationship, pursue depth by asking meaningful questions.

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Let them know that you are willing to help them. Get under their load with them.

5. Fifth, Listen without Judging. Good listening requires concentration, hearing what is not said as well as that which is said. It involves eye contact and body language. It means trying to communicate. In this way, you can hear a person's heart, needs, and anxieties. Our action step for he week is Listening with the ears of Jesus.

6. Sixth, Respond with a Caring Gift. Give something tangible that says, "I'm praying for you" or "I'm with you." It might be a card, a book, a bookmark... anything they can hold in their hands and be reminded they are not alone.

Concl: Everybody wants to be part of a caring church, but a caring church is made up of caring individuals. Are you willing to work at being a caring person? Listen to this letter from your church:

I am your church. Make of me what you will. I shall reflect you as clearly as a mirror. If outwardly my appearance is pleasing and inviting, it is because you have made me so. If you find my spiritual atmosphere to kindly yet earnest, reverent yet friendly, worshipful yet sincere, sympathetic yet strong, divine yet humanly expressed, it is but the manifestation of the spirits of those who constitute my membership. But if you should by chance find me a bit cold

and dull, I beg of you not to condemn me, for I show forth the only kind of life I shall receive from you. I have no life or spirit apart from you. Of this may you always be assured: I will respond instantly to your every wish, practically expressed, for I am the reflected image of your own soul.