The Samaritan Principle

Outline and Notes

by

Apostle Kelvin Pendleton

Text: Luke 10:30-37

We must understand the importance of not just spreading the gospel, but we must also be an example of the gospel.  We should put the Word into action so that our lives become a demonstration of all that is taught in the bible.

We will look at three points:

1)      Humpty

2)      The Hurt

3)      The Helper

1) Humpty Dumpty

a) The nursery rhyme

The reason why we are looking at this old nursery rhyme is to note the fact that no one was able to put Humpty back together again.  No matter who was sent to help him, he was too broken and too badly damaged for anyone to be able to put him back together.

b) The history

If you look up the history of this nursery rhyme, you will find that it actually refers to a war where a large cannon or a tank fell and was badly damaged.  Foot soldiers and top military experts were sent to repair it, but it was too badly damaged and was left behind.

c) The egg

As we know, Humpty Dumpty in the nursery rhyme was an egg.  He was an egg that was on a wall and he had a great fall.  From the rhyme and from the history, we can identify with this, because many of us have taken a great fall and some of us were left behind as in the historical reference.  We also know of others who have had or are still in the same situation.  The problem is what are we doing about it?

2) The Hurt

When Humpty fell, he was broken into many pieces.  We also can be broken in many ways although we are not an egg, but living beings.  We can be broken in our minds, our emotions, physically, and spiritually.   It can come from verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, physical problems, blood conditions, diseases, etc.  There are some things that even doctors cannot fix.  They can only give us medication to help us deal with what we go through.  For instance, depression is a condition in which most take medication and undergo therapy for a long time trying to overcome their emotions. 

The key thing to not is that there are many things that man are incapable of doing.  For example, if we were to take an egg and drop it on the floor, can we pick up the egg shell and put it back together again?  Even if we were to say that we can use glue and glue the shell back together, what about the egg white and the egg yolk?  Can we take a broken egg yolk, put it in the middle of the egg white, place it in the shell, and then glue the shell back together, and make the egg whole again as if it were never broken?  No, and that is why we see in the nursery rhyme, that no one could put Humpty back together.  But there is a way, and that is with God, for with God all things are possible.

We should be able to yield ourselves to God so that He can step into our lives and make us whole from the many ways we can be broken.  God can step inside our minds, inside our bodies, inside our emotions, and inside of our spirits and heal those scars that we are carrying.   Some of us have been prayed for, some of us have had medical procedures done, but we still carry scars.  But God can heal us with no scars, and eliminate the scars that we carry.  But we have to submit ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice and trust Him to help us to take off the old man, and put on the new man; renew our minds and create in us a right sprit.  Just as the statement God made to His people in regards to the potter and the clay.  Cant God mold you back together again?  Yes He can!

Lets take a look at that for a moment.  A vessel is like a pot or a vase.  Lets say that we had a glass vase and I placed roses in them.  The vase had been broken and had some cracks in it.  When I pour water in the vase what will happen?  Thats right, the water can leak out.  In that reference we must know that there are things that God has placed inside of us that we dont want to leak out through out brokenness.  We have to identify our brokenness so that we can keep what God has placed on the inside of us.  It can be His joy, love, peace, power, patience, temperance, meekness, tenderness, longsuffering, calling, gifts, etc.  The longer we walk around broken, the more we are capable of leaking what God has in us.  The beauty of it is, because of His grace and His mercy, even if we do loose, when we all God instead of man to put us back together again, not only are we made whole, but whatever He lost He can restore as if we were never broken!

In our text the hurt is identified in verses 29-30:

In this example Jesus gave as an answer to the lawyers question in verse 28, He identifies a man from Jerusalem, a Jewish man heading towards Jericho, approximately a 40 miles journey.  On his way, he had an unfortunate encounter with thieves who attacked him, took his clothes, and left him for dead.  This is the same reference to the war machine mentioned earlier which was left behind badly damaged.  He was a man in desperate need of help.

3)  The Helper

The problem is, as mentioned before, who helped him?  Lets take a look at Gods inspired Word to see.  We can see in Jesus example he mentioned three people who walked by him; a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan.

***see footnote at end of lesson

The priest and Levite should have known enough about Gods law and should have been close enough to God to have known what to do, and not to ignore this man.  After all, this man was Jewish man, living in Judea just like them.  This certain man was one of their people.  But looking on him wounded and in need of help, the walked on the other side so that they would not have to have any encounter with him or help him.  But it took a Samaritan man to finally stop and have compassion enough to help him.  But the question is, why did Jesus use a Samaritan in His example?

I love Jesus so much! Lets look at what He did.  Historically Jews and Samaritans did not like each other.  They were in conflict and often would just have no dealings with each other.  In John 4:9 we find the woman at the well telling Jesus that Jews had no dealings with Samaritans. She found this odd that as Jesus and other Jews traveled through Samaria, that He would actually take the time to talk with her.  Some in Samaria came to listen to Jesus after she witnessed that a great prophet was in town, but we find in Luke 9:50-56 that others in Samaria rejected Him because they knew where He was from.  As a matter of fact, if we look carefully and study what happened, we find that other Jews that traveled with Jesus despised the Samaritans so much, that they did not travel through Samaria with Jesus, they took another route.  They traveled along the border of Samaria and Decapolis, on the other side of the mountain so that they would not have to go through the heart of Samaria and would meet Jesus in Jerusalem.

Now, the Jews which did make the journey with Jesus had this comment:

* 2 Kings chapter 1

This is further example of the ill relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans.  We will revisit this group of scriptures again, so keep it in mind.  So here we have a Jewish man being helped by a Samaritan, who is considered an enemy or an outsider.   But instead of considering the relationship between the two people, he had compassion on him not because of who he was, but because he saw a need.  The certain man needed help and the Samaritan had the resources to help him.  Again, being how the people felt about each other he could have walked on by, but instead he did this.

The Samaritan tended to his wounds and gave it the attention he needed to clean and protect the wound.  He could have stopped there, but he didnt.  After tending to his wounds we see that he put him on his horse.  Imagine the Samaritan placing someone he should despise, on the horse he was traveling on so that the certain man would be comfortable, and most likely the Samaritan walked.  The Samaritan took him to an inn, which in todays terms lets think of it like a bed and breakfast, where you can get a room to stay in and the ability to have food prepared for you to eat.  The Samaritan took him to an inn and paid the innkeeper so that the certain man could stay there until he was well.  Even after he paid him, he gave him extra money so that the man could have whatever he needed to be taken care of, and promised to repay whatever expense which was over the amount he left.

So this Samaritan, a despised man by the Jews, was willing to give whatever was needed to help this certain man recover back to 100%.  So why should a stranger from the outside have to help someone on the inside?  Again lets think about those who we know are wounded, but we are doing nothing about it?  Or lets look at this example, how many times have we seen someone holding a cup asking for money, and we walked passed them looking in another direction as if we never saw them?  Be honest with yourself, because even I have done this in the past.  The comment I often hear from others is that we dont know what they will do with the money.  They may use it for alcohol, or maybe for drugs.  But just what if they are trying to get someone to eat?  What if they were using that money to take care of children?  What if they really have no means of receiving an income, and they live only on what they get in that cup?  Id rather take the risk and give so that that I am helping someone, rather to ignore them and risk not helping someone who is truly in need.  If they use it for the wrong purpose, that is between them and God.  But we should always be ready to give with a cheerful heart.   So when we have the resources to do so, we should help one another.  For so long have we waited for governments to do something about homeless, the fatherless, the widows, the brokenhearted, the lost, etc., but according to the Word of God, it is OUR responsibility to take care of this.  It is the church, the body of Christ, Gods children who are supposed to handle this problem.  So if we wonder why its being ignored, its because we are ignoring it.  If they smell, so what?  If they may have a disease, so what? Help that person with all that you are able to do.   And if you are not able to do it, take that person to an inn keeper, which is a Pastor, minister, or someone who can intercede for that person.  Because we can only do so much, but God can do it all!  Even through all the Samaritan did, those things could not erase the memory, the emotional and mental pain the certain man still has over what had happened to Him.  But God can go in, erase the pain, mend the emotional scars, and make Him whole again!

Now let us put it all together.  Jesus chose this parable in this manner because if we look at the previous events, this is what they just went through.  In the parable, the priest and the Levite walked on the other side so that they would not have to deal with the certain man.  In chapter 9, we find an occurance where some Jews walked on the other side of the mountain so that they would not have to deal with the Samaritans.  Just as the Samaritan had compassion on the certain man, Jesus had compassion on the Samaritans.  Regardless if they were not serving God properly, and had wicked ways, Jesus still had compassion to stop and minister to them.  Then we can understand why Jesus responded to the Jews the way He did in chapter 9.

True, God could have just destroyed all of Samaria, but because of compassion, He sent Jesus in to help them. Think about it, if someone is not serving God properly, who better to go to them than a person who understands how?  If a person is not saved, who better to minister to them than someone who is saved?  Sometimes we avoid people because they are not like us, or we say that they are secular and we must be separate.  Sometimes we ignore problems because we are afraid of the disease a person may have, or afraid of being seen socially with someone of a lower class, or afraid of dealing with someone with a problem.  But we being delivered and empowered by God, we are the ones who should be with them.  Even if they are evil and wicked, they can receive Jesus quicker if we take the Jesus in us to them!  Imagine what people learn by watching how we live?  If God blesses you, cant God bless me too? 

That is why we must understand the importance of putting the Word of God into action and be a living example of His Word.  Because we do not deal with a God that we can physically touch, see, or hear, people can only get through us; how we can embrace them physically with the love of God, see Gods power in the way we live our lives, and receive Gods Word by what they hear from us.  Imagine this certain man being helped by someone he despised?  But in the time of need, it was about who they were it was about helping another.  So we must forget about what we feel, what weve heard, and what weve been through so that we can help one another with the love of God and the compassion of Christ.  The Jews should not have traveled on the other side to avoid the Samaritans, they should have went to them to help them.  Likewise in this parable, the Jews should not have walked past this certain man, they should have helped him. 

This Samaritan Principle should be the focus of ever church, ministry, and individual to keep from infecting the body of Christ.  Too often we bring bickering, finger pointing, strife, gossip, and those things which are the works of the flesh into the body of Christ, and we cripple the ministry because we cannot be effective in ministry while living in the flesh.  But we must live in the spirit and by the spirit so that we can also bear the fruit of the spirit; to be productive or bring about positive results of all that is taught in the bible.  It is important that we identify if we are broken so that we can allow God to make us whole, and it is equally important to find others that are broken as well.  Who do you know that is wounded, weary, or sad?  Or which one are you; are you the priest or the Levite?  Are you the certain man/woman lying on the roadside wounded and uncovered?  Are you the one who have hurt someone else and have left them broken? Or are you the Samaritan?

Likewise did Jesus ask the lawer in verse 36, Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?.  And the lawyer acknowledged in verse 37 that it was the one who had mercy on him.  Notice that the lawyer still would not recognize or say that it was a Samaritan, but rather just said that it was He that shewed mercy on him that is the neighbor.  There are churches that are going through the same problem as they are broken and not being helped by those who are there with them.  We must take each other to God so that we can be made whole again.  It is too important so that we do not miss Jesus when He returns.  Why do I say that, you ask?  Well lets take a look at why this parable was said.

^**Deuteronomy 6:5

Jesus identified in the parable who the neighbor was, and how we should treat our neighbor as it relates to this commandment; that after we have loved God, that we also love others.  As God has loved us, we should also love others.  Even our enemies, even those that have done us wrong, talked about us, mistreated us do we still show love.  Not just say love, but show love, and that is how we can put the Word of God into action.   For the Samaritans live in a neighboring country to Judea, and Jesus knowing the division between them had a desire to put an end to the division by reminding them of the commandment, and of an example of how they are not putting this to action.  They should have put to the side how they felt about the Samaritans and went with Jesus to minister to them so that they could be brought before the presence of the almighty King. For this will help us to obtain eternal life.

So as we learn the Samaritan principle, we must be ready and cheerfully willing to help those that are in need.  And to understand that we as mortal beings are not able to make another being whole again.  Only God can do this.  We must respect and reverence God in acknowledging that only He can make us whole again.  And as we leave the four corners of our church and our homes to go out and find those who are broken, we must take them to Jesus.  Whether drunk, prostitute, drug user, homeless, runaway, secular, etc., we should be cheerfully willing to go and lead them to where they can be made whole again.  And with that in mind can we rewrite an ending to the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme to say:

Amen.

If you have been moved by this message and feel that you need to be put back together again, or if you know of someone who is broken, go ahead and take care of that without delay.  Love your neighbor as you would love yourself and allow God to make you and your neighbor whole again.  Seek out a Pastor, minister, or anyone who may be able to lead you to God for this healing.  God can touch you where ever you are, but to me the best place to be is at the altar.
***A look at the priest and the Levite

Levite

a descendant of the tribe of Levi (Ex. 6:25; Lev. 25:32; Num. 35:2; Josh. 21:3, 41). This name is, however, generally used as the title of that portion of the tribe which was set apart for the subordinate offices of the sanctuary service (1 Kings 8:4; Ezra 2:70), as assistants to the priests. When the Israelites left Egypt, the ancient manner of worship was still observed by them, the eldest son of each house inheriting the priest's office. At Sinai the first change in this ancient practice was made. A hereditary priesthood in the family of Aaron was then instituted (Ex. 28:1). But it was not till that terrible scene in connection with the sin of the golden calf that the tribe of Levi stood apart and began to occupy a distinct position (Ex. 32). The religious primogeniture was then conferred on this tribe, which henceforth was devoted to the service of the sanctuary (Num. 3:11-13). They were selected for this purpose because of their zeal for the glory of God (Ex. 32:26), and because, as the tribe to which Moses and Aaron belonged, they would naturally stand by the lawgiver in his work. The Levitical order consisted of all the descendants of Levi's three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; whilst Aaron, Amram's son (Amram, son of Kohat), and his issue constituted the priestly order. The age and qualification for Levitical service are specified in Num. 4:3, 23, 30, 39, 43, 47. They were not included among the armies of Israel (Num. 1:47; 2:33; 26:62), but were reckoned by themselves. They were the special guardians of the tabernacle (Num. 1:51; 18:22-24). The Gershonites pitched their tents on the west of the tabernacle (3:23), the Kohathites on the south (3:29), the Merarites on the north (3:35), and the priests on the east (3:38). It was their duty to move the tent and carry the parts of the sacred structure from place to place. They were given to Aaron and his sons the priests to wait upon them and do work for them at the sanctuary services (Num. 8:19; 18:2-6). As being wholly consecrated to the service of the Lord, they had no territorial possessions.  Jehovah was their inheritance (Num. 18:20; 26:62; Deut. 10:9; 18:1, 2), and for their support it was ordained that they should receive from the other tribes the tithes of the produce of the land. Forty-eight cities also were assigned to them, thirteen of which were for the priests "to dwell in", i.e., along with
their other inhabitants. Along with their dwellings they had "suburbs", i.e., "commons", for their herds and flocks, and also fields and vineyards (Num. 35:2-5). Nine of these cities were in Judah, three in Naphtali, and four in each of the other tribes (Josh. 21). Six of the Levitical cities were set apart as "cities of refuge" (q.v.). Thus the Levites were scattered among the tribes to keep alive among them the knowledge and service of God. (See PRIEST.)