ILLUS> Several years ago, youth evangelist Ken Owens describe an evening in his life. Ken was scheduled to speak to a large group of young people. He was running late when he pulled into a full-service gas station for fuel. A little guy came out from the glass-faced office. He had a toboggan pulled down low, his face was covered with acne, his hair was greasy, and his pants were so large he had to keep pulling them up. The guy spoke poorly and slowly. It seemed to take forever for him to pump the gas. When Ken gave him his credit card, it took several minutes before he came back to say they didn't accept that card. Ken gave him another card only to learn after several more minutes that it didn't work. Finally in desperation, Ken asked, "Do you still take cash?" The little fellow then took several more minutes to make change and return it. Ken was so furious when he left that he backed up and spun his back tires on the "ding ding" rope! A few blocks away, the Holy Spirit began to convict him about his impatience and rudeness to the attendant. He drove back up and the little guy was to scared to come out of the office! Finally, Ken said to him, "I'm really sorry for the way I treated you." The man pushed back his toboggan and said, "That's okay mister. Everybody treats me that way."

There are a lot of people who might say, "Everybody treats me that way." In a cold, lonely, impersonal world, those who take time to care for others are the exception not the rule.

When we receive Christ, we not only enter into a relationship with him, but with every other believer. We are called to serve and care for.

2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

2:4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4(NKJ)

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. Mark 9:41

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; Romans 12:10

Everyone wants to be part of a caring church. One statement I often hear from people who are searching for a church home is "We want a church where people really care about each other."

I suppose it is also true that every church wants to be a caring church. However, caring churches are made up of caring individuals.

If we are going to be a caring church, the church you've always longed for, the kind of church that makes an impact on people, each of us must learn to care for others.

From this familiar passage known as The Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10, let's learn how to care for others.

1. Characteristics of Uncaring People

1. A Tough Question for Jesus

10:25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

10:26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?"

10:27 So he answered and said, "'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.' "

10:28 And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."

10:29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Luke 10:25-29

1. v.25 says describes "a certain lawyer." A "lawyer" was not an attorney as we may think of one today, but a man who was an expert in the O.T. law, a religious scholar. His job was to interpret the Mosaic Law and guide people on how to relate it to their lives.

2. This man "stood up" so as to confront and "tested" Jesus. It seems that He was not so much interested in Jesus' teachings as he was in tricking Him. The gospels recount numerous situations where these highly educated Jews tried to trap Jesus with their religious riddles and

mind games.

3. He asked, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" This was not so much a man seeking truth as it was a philosophical play, an intellectual trap." In other words, he asked, "Because You are supposed to be a great teacher, tell me how to find life in its fullness, how to find true happiness now and for eternity."

4. Jesus answers masterfully. He answers the question with a question, "What is written in the law?" that is "What does the Scripture tell you?" Jesus also asks, "What is your reading of it?" or "How do you understand it? What does it mean to you?"

5. In v.27, we see the man responds with the only accurate answer he could give, the most basic commandments to love God and his neighbor. To this Jesus responds, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."

6. v.29 tells us the man wanted "to justify himself." Jesus had not fallen into his trap. Not giving up the debate, he pressed further.

Almost mockingly he asked "And who is my neighbor?"

2. An Answer in a Parable

10:30 Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

10:31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

10:32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. Luke 10:30-32

1. Jesus tells the story (whether authentic or metaphorical we cannot be sure. Note the words "certain man") of a man who "went down from Jerusalem to Jericho." Many of the priests and religious workers lived in Jericho when they were not at their turn ministering in the temple.

2. That was about a 16 mile stretch of road that wound through rocky dangerous gorges where highwaymen, robbers and thieves easily prey upon lonely travelers. In ancient times it was known as "the pass of blood." The priests were not bothered because of their status as holy men.

3. Perhaps this man was a wealthy Jewish merchant bringing his wares to the city. On this trip, "he fell among thieves." They "stripped him of his clothing, wounded him and departed leaving him half dead."

4. About that time "a certain priest" passed by. Jesus specifically states that he "saw him" and "passed by on the other side" of the road.

5. v.32 describes a "Levite" who was a servant in the Temple and a minister of religious worship also "arrived at the place." He literally stopped and "looked" but then "passed by on the other side."

3. We marvel at the lack of compassion and care from two religious men,

if we look closely, we may see their attitudes in our own lives. Let's note several characteristics of uncaring people.

1. Uncaring People are Too Self-Centered. The "priest" and the "Levite" were busy, important men. Perhaps their minds were absorbed with their jobs in the Temple. Far too often we fail to care for those who are hurting because we don't

want any interruption in our own plans. We don't comfort them or help them simply because we are too selfish.

2. Uncaring People are Too Hurried. I believe both the "priest" and the "Levite" passed by because they were late for work. After all they had thousands of people depending on them in Jerusalem. How often we fail to listen to the concerns of others because we are simply too busy.

3. Uncaring People are Too Isolated. People in church are often masters at this. We separate ourselves from others by adding layers of protection so that the "real us" is never seen. We, especially as men, make small talk and speak superficially because we are afraid of getting involved with others.

ILLUS>Someone once wrote "Ten Commandments for Men."

1) He shall never cry.

2) He shall not display weakness.

3) He shall not need affection, gentleness or warmth.

4) He shall comfort, but not desire comforting.

5) He shall be needed, but never need others.

6) He shall touch but not be touched.

7) He shall be steel, not flesh.

8) He shall be invulnerable in his manhood.

9) He shall never let them see him sweat .

10) He shall always stand alone.

4. Uncaring People are not Discerning. Often the reason we don't care for each other is that we hear when someone expresses a need.

ILLUS>One woman was fed up with the "cliche'" superficial level of communication in her church, so she conducted an experiment. To everyone who asked her, while passing the hallways, "How are you?" she replied, "Lousy!" Some didn't even hear what she said. Some said, "I'm sorry to hear that" but no one asked her why.

5. Uncaring People Think Someone Else will Help. When some people hear about a problem in another persons life, the first thing they do is call the pastor or church staff .

6. Uncaring People are Forgetful. Why didn't you visit that person in the hospital, call that single mother who visited in your SS class, check on that elderly friend...? You probably forgot. We get so wrapped up in our own lives that we often just forget about the needs of others.

7. Uncaring People Think Problems will Solve Themselves. "Don't get involved! They'll work it out."

8. Uncaring People are Often Judgmental. Have you ever said something like this, "If so and so had done what was right to begin with, she wouldn't be in this situation right now." How about "He made his bed, let him lie in it."