Talk to the Samaritans

Talk to the Samaritans

7/28/15

Why would this topic be of any importance to our personal lives?  Do we even know that it is of great importance even in today’s society?  Both of these questions need to be addressed and answered according to what Jesus would have done and how the answers should be a direct pattern through our lives.  The phrase of Jesus’ love is quite useful in this context and will be presented in such a manner in which we do need to live on a continual basis.  The topic defines our mission that Christ gave to us and also sets into motion the process of getting out of our comfort zones and going into a dying world.

There have been many times in my life that I have followed the strict lines that I believed were true and while many of these lines have kept me out of trouble there have been times where my actions have actually hurt myself, the people involved or both.  I have mentioned before about a time in my life when I was in high school and there was a girl that liked me and I was so willing to reciprocate the same feelings for her.  After a while dancing around the subject we finally went out one evening and had a good time until I opened my mouth about denominations.  It was own stupidity that led to this disastrous conversation and as soon as the words left my mouth, the date was “over” in her opinion; and rightly so.

The things that I thought were correct and unshakable turned out to be the foundation of the end of what could have been a beautiful relationship before it had the chance to begin.  My hard line antics demeaned some of her beliefs and it turned her off completely, especially since I had no biblical proof to support my position.  Both of us came from a Christian home and both of us understood that being a Christian was important and that everyone needed Christ as their savior, but it was my legalistic language that cut her deeply and nothing was left for us to talk about.  My “intelligence” came through that evening and my wisdom was squelched completely.  And as I look back on that scene, I realize that I was so wrong for not listening to her side of things, I only took into consideration of my thinking and not hers.

A few days ago our neighbors went on a short canoe trip down one of the rivers that flow through our town.  It is summer time here in Colorado and this means that the rivers are usually higher than normal because of the snow melt coming off the mountains.  Anyone who lives around rivers or other bodies of water should know that when water levels are high or they are changing it can present some dangerous conditions to humans, animals, and the environment.  The main goal of this specific canoe trip was to help out the environment out by slowly moving alongside the banks of the river and to carefully pick up trash and dispose of it properly.  The couple has done this plenty of times before and in much higher water conditions, yet for whatever reason that day would be a little different.

As they were paddling along and trying to complete the task at hand, something went array and they quickly came into trouble. The canoe pierced the water at the right time and angle and it completely capsized throwing both of them into the water and stuck in a world of hurt.  They both were thrown into the water and with the normal fast current of a high river they were plunged underneath the water.  The gentleman was tossed back and forth under water while his body was striking against rocks as he struggled to stay afloat.  The lady was completely submerged two times with one of those times having hit her head squarely on a huge rock.  It was a scene that every person who has anything to with water fears.  Oh, the thoughts that went through their minds as they were struggling to stay alive and calling for help, but no one answered them.

Yes, no one answered them, but that does not mean that no one was around to hear their cries for help or who witnessed what was transpiring.  After the safety of both of their lives was secured, they reached the bank of the river and sat there for a moment making sure that they were not badly damaged.  They watched as all of their supplies, identification, tools and their canoe flowed down the river all the while realizing that there was nothing they personally could do; just thankful to be alive. 

After a few moments passed, the man of the couple went over to the group of people that were standing there and had watched the entire event unfold.  I would not make mention of this on normal settings but it the specific group which brings into play here the details of the two biblical stories above.  I do not know where this group of young men and their leaders are from but the Boy Scout troop that stood there and did nothing while our neighbors fought for their lives served as the perfect participants for both of the examples above.  Boy Scouts are trained in survival skills and to help those people who are trapped or in need of added assistance, yet they and their leaders stood there and did not move.

When the man approached them and then questioned them about their lack of help, their response was classic and so fitting for the examples of this article, which were as follows: “there was nothing we could have done”.  When asked if they understood the courtesies of river life, their answer did not vary and the exact same words came forth.  Ones who are supposed to be friendly in time of need and those who were familiar with the settings as another did absolutely nothing.  Their intelligence took over and they kept to their present line and stayed behind it.

The first biblical setting of this article that God is sharing with us is the story of the Good Samaritan.  Many of us are familiar with this story and how all of the participants play their roles that lead up to the injured man being helped and eventually recovers.  But when one dissects the story completely it becomes very interesting to witness exactly what transpired and how this setting actually plays out in today’s world.  The wisdom of Jesus’ parable here rings so loud and true and commands the thinking of those who say the Bible is only a bunch of ancient stories that are not relevant today.  I understand that there are many aspects to this parable, but I am only going to dealing with one small, yet huge, aspect of it.

The first part of the parable states that a man was walking along the road when he is mugged, robbed and severely beaten.  The second part deals with people that are passing bye the injured man and simply do nothing about the man, they do not care even though they see that he is badly in need of help; in fact, one even goes to the other side of the street, making sure he has nothing to do with him.  The third portion of the story is what God wants us to think about here and that is the actions of the Samaritan.

It is clear that the two others that passed bye the man had no intentions of helping him, nor were they even concerned about his overall condition; their actions say that they care more about their own selves than their friends, neighbors or general population.  Does this type of human participation ring any bells?  It should, because we notice it every day, or ignore it I should state.  Jesus plants a negative condition when He introduces the Samaritan into the story.  Jews did not like the Samaritans and many of them would do exactly what one of the people did in this story which was to cross to the other side of the path in order to not be close to them.  Yet it was the actions of the Samaritan that Jesus wanted His disciples and anyone else listening to understand and how important it was to include all sides of the equation when dealing with humans.

Jesus made it clear that humans have a choice to act or to react when a situation develops and through this parable He demonstrates this truth.  Logically speaking it would seem normal for a like minded person or one that follows the same ideas and beliefs to help one out in time of need, like a team.  Also on the logically speaking card, one would expect an enemy to turn away and not help their enemy when the opportunity presented itself.  But Jesus throws everyone for a loop when He states that it was the Samaritan who helped the injured man by tending to his wounds, carrying him to a place of shelter and then paid for his entire recovery period; this defies logic and how a normal human setting would play out.

It was the fellow compatriots who had the intelligence to recognize a situation and choose to keep their own lines and to ignore the potential.  It was the Samaritan who had the wisdom enough to understand what had occurred and did something to correct it by crossing the belief system and changing public opinion and recognized battle lines.  It is through this parable that Jesus teaches us not to be drawn solely on debatable lines but to engage those who differ from you in order to obtain personal information and to establish a relationship instead of hard boundaries that only cause reactions when approached.  The Samaritan was standing his ground by giving us the example of kindness and the willingness to put away differences so that the true meaning of life can be demonstrated.

The second example within the Bible that is going to be used again deals with a Samaritan woman.  The beliefs of both sides are clearly the same and it is soon demonstrated that neither side is willing to back down from their position, until God steps in and changes everything.  Here Jesus is in direct contact with this woman who has come up to get water.  Jesus looks at her and then strikes up a conversation with her, which must have totally shocked the woman.  The conversation begins to turn a bit when Jesus makes statements about her husband and then reveals specific details about her that no one else in the Jewish community would know.

The point here is that Jesus was willing to cross over the boundary lines and talk with the Samaritan woman, who was considered to be an enemy and dirty to the Jewish people.  The lines had been established and were hard and defined, so much so that if Jews were witnessed associating with Samaritans they could be subject to a shunning process and possibly kicked out of their community in disgrace.  What torches and flames the fires of Jesus’ disciples is that first of all Jesus talks to this woman by himself when they are not around and secondly it goes totally contrary to their customs that it could get them into trouble.  It is the exact same setting as the Good Samaritan story but instead of being a parable it occurs in real life.

The disciples display their intelligence in the way they act after the woman temporarily departs, and it is through their intellect that they continue to divide and conquer with their community status.  It is Jesus who demonstrates wisdom by crossing over the established boundaries to reach out to the woman and to share with her the truth about life and about God.  Even though the characters in both stories are reversed the same conclusions occur where people cross over to other visible sides in order to help others in need.

How do these examples fit into today’s societal thinking?  In western societies have degrees along with critical thinking skills are a must if one is to be classified within the “educated” realm.  When students are subjected to professors and instructors that claim that the way they think is the only correct way, then that type of influence and defined border is established within the student’s atmosphere.  This type of attitude generates with many people and then is campaigned throughout the many avenues of communication that is available every moment of the day or night. 

Every sector from entertainment business to the nightly newscasts is filled with one way of thinking only message.  Almost every segment of information that is readily available provides a certain method and way of thinking and then it is taught that if someone believes differently then they are lower in intelligence and should not be taken seriously.  While many do not believe that this type of example and reality are being presented, it is not hard to draw a conclusion if one truly sits and listens to what is being conveyed.  It is this type of intelligence that is bringing our society to its knees and it is not to pray but to prey instead.

We are teaching our children to involuntarily place intelligence as the forefront of their thinking instead of showing them how wisdom works.  If the battle lines are drawn early enough the job of maintaining those lines will become easier as time moves along.  This type of belief and teaching promotes a one method society without any variances in human conduct allowed, and if any do occur then mockery and shaming immediately is called in to “restore order”.  This type of living only provides division and hurt within friends, a family, a state or nation and will serve as a foundational piece of stone that is sure to crush the human will and spirit.

What would have happened if the Good Samaritan stayed on his side of the street?  What would have occurred if Jesus had not spoken with the Samaritan woman at the well?  Intelligence would have taken over and wisdom would have been pushed aside as the order of the day.  There is a reason that the word intelligent or intelligence is only mentioned 1 time in the Bible; it was being used as a method of gathering information against an enemy.  And there is a reason as to why the word wisdom is used numerous times throughout the entire Word of God.  There is a huge difference in those two words and their usage can mean either eternal life or eternal death.

Church, we need to take a step back and see where we have drawn our boundaries and try and think of when we crossed those lines last in order to show people and to tell people of the good news of the Gospel of Christ.  It is our responsibility to understand that while it is important for us to have an intelligent mind it is even more important to have a wise heart.  It is through intelligent means that we accept those people who believe differently than we do into our lives but it is through the wisdom of our heart that we show them God and His ways and to teach them that there is abundant life when separated from the world. 

We can no longer rely upon the intellectual percentages and charts that come common each day to predict an outcome, we instead need to factor into account the wisdom of helping others as Jesus did; totally and completely through the pure love that comes from God.  Talking with the Samaritans goes a lot further than analyzing the situation, making a conclusion and then isolating those who disagree.  This comprehension defines separation of humanity and sets into motion the total destruction of the society in which this attitude formulates.  God is also not in the business of making any person feel stupid or like an underclassman, He wants only freedom for His people and unless we choose to use this type of wisdom we will never have the chance to fulfill the mission that we were commanded to complete.  Intelligence will teach you to read, but wisdom will show you how to study and the human represents the details; which method will the human be understood more?  God places His wisdom into our hearts in manners that we can understand and relate to, for if He decided to show us some of His elevated intelligence, our finite minds would literally crumble.  God is a loving and caring God and He wants everyone to know His ways, but if we draw intellectual lines, we cannot complete the mission that His Son set before us.

DLB