Text:  Luke 10: 25-37                           

“Go & Do Likewise”

       The lawyer in our Gospel lesson asked one question too many.   His first question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” went pretty well.  Jesus asked him what it says in the Torah—the book of laws.  The lawyer responded that one must “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus told him he had nailed it, and if he followed through on that answer he’d be just fine in the end. 

       But, Luke writes that the lawyer couldn’t leave well-enough alone.  So, in an attempt to get a pat on the back, he asks Jesus who his neighbor is.  He probably expected Jesus to respond that his fellow Jews were his neighbors.  He was good at taking care of his own, he figured, so he planned on going back home feeling pretty good about himself. 

       Jesus responded to the lawyer with the parable we know affectionately as the ‘Parable of the Good Samaritan.’  In telling this story, Jesus gave lawyer and the rest of us a lot to think about.  A common thought is that this story is about being kind to travelers, or going out of your way to be nice to people you don’t know.  The main function of this story, however, is about showing mercy.   What’s the difference, you wonder?  What is mercy?  Mercy is not getting what you deserve! 

       Let me illustrate this with a story:  Once there was a woman who approached the French leader Napoleon asking for a pardon for her son.  Napoleon replied that the young man had twice committed the same crime and that for justice to be served, the man deserved to die. 

       “But I don’t ask you for justice,” the mother explained.  “I plead for mercy.” 

       “But your son does not deserve mercy,” replied Napoleon.

       “It would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all that I seek for him,” replied the mother.

       Because of the mother’s sound and clear reasoning, Napoleon said, “Well, then, I will have mercy,” and he pardoned the woman’s son. 

       Mercy is a gift to those who don’t deserve it. 

       It is good to remember that the Samaritans and the Jews were basically enemies.  They didn’t see eye-to-eye on where they worshipped God, and the Samaritans were thought to have been remnants of the people left behind in the exile who intermarried with non-Jews and were considered far beneath the Jews. 

       In the parable, a man was attacked by robbers on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem.  It was considered a dangerous road with many places for robbers to hide in the hills and valleys along the way.  The man was stripped of his clothing, beaten unconscious, and left for dead.  Naked and unconscious, the man could not be identified personally or nationally, nor could he speak for himself.  He was, as we would call him today, a ‘John Doe.’ 

       Imagine the vulnerable state the man was in—he was lying naked for all who passed by to see.  He was bruised and bleeding, beaten beyond recognition.  He wasn’t even able to ask for help, or for mercy! 

       What was the general response of the good citizens as they made their way down the road from the Holy City of Jerusalem?  They passed him by on the other side of the road.  It was only a hated Samaritan who stopped to show mercy.  Those who passed by had no idea if the man was a Jew or a Samaritan, but they didn’t want to take the chance of ritual religious defilement, and so they kept on going. 

        When something like this happens today, we are outraged.  Think of the public attention and outrage locally over that poor dog that had its throat cut and was left for dead.  How much worse a human being! 

       Often in our liturgy we sing something called the Kyrie.  This is a prayer to God to be merciful to us.  In this Kyrie we are begging God for mercy for the sins we have committed.  Do you remember what mercy is:  NOT getting something we deserve!  We acknowledge our sinfulness and beg for God’s mercy even though we do not deserve it. 

       We also are reminded that Jesus has shown US mercy. Through our sinfulness, we live in a vulnerable state, able only to beg for mercy. 

 Jesus has granted us the mercy we didn’t deserve by dying on the cross in our place and promising us the New Life of the Kingdom of God.  God has pardoned us through Jesus Christ.

       And what does Jesus tell the lawyer who asked the neighbor question?  “Go and do likewise.” 

       We have not received what we deserved—that is, we have been pardoned of our death sentence because of our sin—and we have been given New Life in Christ.  Are we willing to share that gift?  Are we willing to be merciful to others? --- and not just those we like and agree with, but even those we don’t like.  Are we willing to forgive, to show kindness, to go out of our way to be positive to someone instead of cutting that person down?  Are we willing to build up our neighbors, whoever they might be, instead of tearing them down?  Are we willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt in any given situation? 

       Are we a merciful culture?  Are we merciful as individuals? 

       What is it that we can give back to God for all God has done for us?  I would say that by showing mercy toward others, we can express our faith and our appreciation for what has been done for us.  It’s not often that we come across someone lying on the roadside beaten beyond recognition, but we have opportunities to show mercy to someone every day. 

       I think of the farmer near Wadena who had 35 people show up to clean up his farmstead following the recent tornado.  He received mercy.  But I also think of people who are verbally, mentally, or emotionally beaten up by another person and need the mercy of others.  Even that poor dog who was so badly abused has received mercy.  We can reach out to others in need and we do.  But there is always more to do.  Think of those areas you struggle with in sharing mercy.  Then think of how God has shown mercy in its truest form as He has dealt with us. 

       Go and do likewise.  AMEN! 

Pastor Jim

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