City Life Starter

Written by Stefan Johnsson

The Word

²⁹ But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰ Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. ³² So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴ He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ ³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” ³⁷ He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Luke 10:29-37

⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

Matthew 5:46-57

Reflection

Most of you who have been in church for some time is accustomed to Luke 10 and the story of the Good Samaritan. We read it, but most of us do not apply it to our lives as we should. The Samaritans were the most hated neighbors of the Israelites. It was a hybrid mix of Jews who had stayed after the Babylonian occupation and had intermarried with pagans who had settled there. They combined worship of God with worship of idols. Most Jews would not even walk through the region and instead go around it. They despised them almost as much or more as the Gentiles. This created bitterness within the Samaritans, that led to anger. And that anger led to hatred. They would refuse to host the Jews in their villages if they knew their journey would take them to Jerusalem (see Luke 9:51-56). So who hated who first? I would say that the resentment of the Samaritans came from the poor treatment of the Jews.

The resentment of one race is because of the poor treatment of another. Sound familiar to our present age? I hope so because that’s where our church stands against the divide that society has created. We are called to break down these barriers.

The Samaritan man became that neighbor to the Jew. He probably understood that if they had met under different circumstances, the Jew would’ve treated him with contempt and disrespect. But instead he loved his enemy. On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks on this. We are to love our enemies because loving someone who loves us is easy. And if we greet those who are like us, is that not the same as what the rest of society does? Who do you socialize with during the week? Or, an even deeper question, who are your friends at church?

Love like Jesus loves and we change the world.

Application

Martin Luther King Jr. was a present day Samaritan. Before he changed the world, he was first a Christian who loved God. Then he became a shepherd and led a church. He was our brother in Christ, showed love to those who did not deserve it, and wanted to bring God’s kingdom to the enemy strongholds.

How this love for others changed our society so much (and still a long way to go)! If every Christian was like this, could you imagine the change?? If City Life church showed this, could you imagine Houston?? If one man can accomplish so much(be it Jesus or Martin Luther King Jr), then so can we. So can you!

Prayer

Father, help me be a Good Samaritan to others. Let me reach out across the isle and build on relationships that represent the diversity of Your Kingdom. Let me be the change that this world needs with the help of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for making this world so beautiful and diverse! In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.