And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” — Luke 10:37

Reading: Luke 10:25-37

Reflection:

The road from Jerusalem to Jericho is still visible today. It’s about 18 miles long, with many twists and turns and caves, and descends over 3,000 feet. It’s ideal for robbers.

Imagine the scene from Luke 10: The priest is on his way back from Jerusalem, where he has been performing his priestly duties. He’s ready to get home. If he touches the man and the man is dead, he then has to return to Jerusalem for a week of purification rights. And he doesn’t want to risk being left in the same condition as the man, so he passes by on the other side.

Next a Levite, an assistant to the priest, comes down the road and sees this naked, beaten, half-dead man, and he, too, passes by on the other side.

So you have two very religious men pass by this naked, beaten, half-dead man on the other side of the road.

Then Jesus says, “But a Samaritan. . .” (v. 33). And with those words, Jesus grabs the full attention of the lawyer. Samaritans and Jews hated each other. Jews saw Samaritans as half-breeds who were pagan worshipers. Samaritans saw Jews as a threat to their very survival. It was in every way culturally unthinkable that a Samaritan would help a Jew. That would be like a terrorist showing compassion on a captor. Imagine the risk the terrorist would be taking.

Jesus tells this story to the lawyer to get him to see that he can’t justify himself. But Luke orients the story in his gospel and tells it in such a way that we see that Jesus is the Good Samaritan.

The Good Samaritan risks his life by stopping to care for the man. He pours out his oil and wine to care for him. He places him on his donkey, meaning he has to walk. He takes him to an inn. He pays two days’ salary to the innkeeper for the man’s stay. He promises to return and repay the innkeeper for any charges incurred, thus rescuing the man from slavery.

And Jesus, the Good King, comes down from heaven, leaving it all. He pours out his blood that heals us from our sin. He gives us shelter in the family of God, and promises to come back for us, guaranteeing that we are free from the slavery of sin.

When we were as good as dead in our sins and the world had passed us by, it was King Jesus, of whom we were enemies, who came down and rescued us and paid our debt by going to the cross to pay it all.

2 Corinthians 8:9 says, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Jesus not only takes our sin, he gives us his righteousness. We impute our sin to him and he imputes his righteousness to us.

When we see Jesus as the ultimate Good Samaritan, we read his words “You go, and do likewise” (v. 37) as an encouraging call to go and spread his fame throughout the world. In his joy, he gave his all for us, and in our joy, we give our all to others for his name and his renown.

Lesslie Newbigin, a British missionary to India during the 1930s and ’40s, says that [m]ission begins with a kind of explosion of joy. The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed. It must be told. . . . Mission is an acted-out doxology. That is its deepest secret. Its purpose is that God may be glorified.

Charles Spurgeon once said that he didn’t believe a man could believe the gospel message and keep it to himself.

When we see the holiness of God, the depth of our sin, and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our sins, we are compelled to go, and do likewise. May we be a people who say to all the world that we will be their neighbor. We care about all suffering, but especially eternal suffering; may we lay our lives down for the sake of the gospel and glory of Jesus Christ.

Response:

1. Thank King Jesus for laying down his life and coming to your rescue.
   
   
2. What does it mean for you to go, and do likewise? Who in your life needs the compassion of Jesus Christ? What road is God calling you to cross to speak and show the gospel?
   
   
3. Read, reflect on, and then sing in worship the lyrics to “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”:

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That he should give his only Son
To make a wretch his treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns his face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon his shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that left him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from his reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom