The Good Samaritan and Jesus’ Example

It is easy to come away from the story of the Good Samaritan feeling overwhelmed. I mean, how can I show mercy to everyone that I encounter who is in need? Even acknowledging that such mercy will be inconvenient, persistent, messy, and personal, if I try to emulate all that the Samaritan did with every homeless or needy person that I come across – not just giving them a few dollars, but committing to help them get back on their feet –  Wow! I doubt I can successfully do that with one, much less every one that I encounter. Read more

So, What About The Good Samaritan? – Part 2

In our look at Part 1 of the story of The Good Samaritan, we saw that the story was a response to a religious leader who was attempting to justify himself in the eyes of the Law. Although religious, he did not come to Jesus as to The Christ, but as one still under the condemnation of the Law – an unbeliever. Thus, there is nothing in the story that directly addresses our responsibility, as disciples, to proclaim the Gospel.
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So, What About The Good Samaritan? – Part 1

In our pursuit of what it means to love what God loves and hate what He hates, we have discovered that loving our enemies is not about being infinitely nice, but about representing God’s character, in this case, His mercy.  And we have found that the plan is not make the world like us so much that everyone wants to become a Christian, but to validate our message with a unique unity among believers, borne out of love. More needs to be said on this last point, but we will get to it in due time.
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But Won’t They Know We Are Christians By Our Love?

Ok, so loving my enemies, doesn’t mean that I shower my foes with cupcakes and butterfly kisses. Instead, it means that godly righteousness manifests God’s attributes, one of which is mercy. But still, doesn’t the Bible say that “they will know that we are Christians by our love”? I mean, the dominant theme in Christianity today is our “responsibility” to engage the social issues of our culture. It’s how we prove we care and validate the Gospel, right?
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