Sermon Date: 2009/7/5

DATE: 2009/7/5 Sermon:
SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 10:25-37
SERMON: The Good Samaritan is Jesus
講道題目: 好撒馬利亞人是耶穌
Introduction. (1) To speak of Jesus as a Samaritan is really a contradiction in terms. Jesus was a Jew, and the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. Yet both the Jews and the Samaritans traced their ancestry back to a common stock. Generations before, they had been one. (2) To speak of Jesus as a Samaritan is not to emphasize his genealogy. He was the only begotten Son of God. In one sense of the word, he was neither Jew nor Samaritan. He was a citizen of the universe. (3) To speak of Jesus as the Good Samaritan is to speak of him in reference to his own parable.
What did the Samaritan do?
I. He had compassion on the dying man. That is always the first step. Jesus had compassion on the multitudes. Out of compassion he wept over Jerusalem. Out of compassion he healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, restored sight to the blind. When Jesus lived in Galilee, he was the healer of men’s bodies and souls. He was the forgiver of their sins. He was the Good Samaritan; he is the Good Samaritan still.
II. The Samaritan poured oil and wine into the wounds of the man by the side of the road. The oil and wine may well represent justice and righteousness, medications that still heal the world’s ills. These can turn the world right side up once again.
III. The Samaritan put the wounded man on his beast. Justice and righteousness can never completely alleviate the sufferings of humanity. Mercy must be added. Mercy is best portrayed in the Cross of Jesus Christ. Just as the Samaritan put the man on his beast, so Christ took the sins and burdens of humanity and carried them to the Cross. On that Cross divine mercy made up for the lack of justice and righteousness in the world.
IV. The Samaritan took the wounded man to an inn and took care of him. The inn is the church. We are taken care of in the Church. When Jesus has called the sin-sick people, it is to his Church that he takes them. There they find asylum. There they can be taken care of, even though the “Samaritan” (Jesus) must needs be absent for a time.
V. The Samaritan had to leave before his patient was fully recovered, but he left him in the good hands of the inn-keeper. Jesus said to his disciples in the upper room, “It is expedient for you that I go away” (John 16:7). The inn-keeper is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. And the innkeeper was just that to the unfortunate man-he comforted him and nursed him back to health. Even so the Holy Spirit works in and through the Church, continuing the work which Christ began while on earth. Today, the work of healing goes on in those people who open themselves to the indwelling of the Spirit.
VI. The Samaritan left two pennies for the innkeeper, till he should come. When Christ went away from the world, he left us Holy Baptism and the Holy Communion of his body and blood. Whenever rightly received, they minister to the healing of humanity. The Holy Communion is the seal of Christ’s perpetual presence in the Church through the Holy Spirit. These two pennies, given to the innkeeper, represented to the convalescing man the continuing presence of his benefactor. So are the Christian sacraments to us today.
VII. The Samaritan gave the money until he should come again. Here is another striking resemblance to the Communion. Paul said, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come” (I Cor. 11:26). Just as the Samaritan promised to return to the bruised man, so the Lord has promised to return to the world for a final healing. That healing of the world ought to be going on-yes, is going on-right now. It ought to be going on in your life and mine. Christ would be the Good Samaritan to you and me, and through us, to the world. He always works that way.
Conclusion. So we say, “May the Christ who walks on wounded feet, walks with you on the road. May the Christ who serves with wounded hands, stretch out your hands to serve. May the Christ who loves with a wounded heart, open your hearts to love. May you see the face of Christ in everyone you meet. And may everyone you meet sees the face of Christ in you.
Amen.
Synopsis:
Jesus was not a Samaritan. Jesus as the Good Samaritan is to speak of him in reference to his own parable.
I. He had compassion on the dying man.
II. The oil and wine may well represent justice and righteousness, medications that still heal the world’s ills.
III. Just as the Samaritan put the man on his beast, so Christ took the sins and burdens of humanity and carried them to the Cross.
IV. The Samaritan took the wounded man to an inn and took care of him. The inn is the church.
V. The Samaritan had to leave before his patient was fully recovered, but he left him in the good hands of the inn-keeper.
VI. The Samaritan left two pennies for the innkeeper, till he should come. When Christ went away from the world, he left us Holy Baptism and the Holy Communion of his body and blood.
VII. Just as the Samaritan promised to return to the bruised man, so the Lord has promised to return to the world for a final healing.
Conclusion: Christ would be the Good Samaritan to you and me, and through us, to the world. He always works that way.
講道大綱
耶穌不是撒馬利亞人。但耶穌是他自己所講的比喻中那個好撒馬利亞人。
甲．他對那個垂死的人動了慈心。
乙．油和酒代表了公平和正義，是這世界最需要的藥方。
丙．那個撒馬利亞人扶他騎上自己的牲口，基督也是把人類的罪擔背起擺在十字架上。
丁．那個撒馬利亞人帶他到店裏去照應他。這店就是教會。
戊．那個撒馬利亞人必需離開，便把他交託店主照料。
己．那個撒馬利亞人拿出二錢銀子來，交給店主。同樣基督離開世界時，他留給我們兩個聖禮—洗禮和聖餐。表示繼續與我們同在。
庚．那個撒馬利亞人答應必會再回來幫助受傷者。同樣主答應祂必再來，給我們完全的醫治。
結論：基督就是那個好撒馬利亞人，為你和我，也透過你和我，使世界得到完全的醫治。祂的工夫，往往都是用這方法達成的。
Pastoral Prayer:
O God, our heavenly Father, renew in us the sense of your gracious presence, and let it be a constant impulse within us to peace, trustfulness, and courage on our pilgrimage. Let us hold you fast with a loving and adoring heart, and let our affections be fixed on you, so that the unbroken communion of our hearts with you may accompany us whatsoever we do, through life and in death. Teach us to pray heartily; to listen for your voice within, and never to stifle its warnings. Behold, we bring our poor hearts as a sacrifice unto you: come and fill your sanctuary, and cast out any impurities to enter there. O God you are love, let your divine Spirit flow like a river through our whole souls, and lead us in the right way till we pass by a peaceful death into the land of promise.
O Jesus Christ, lover of all, you are the Good Samaritan who have compassion on the dying man, bring healing, bring peace to our world full of pain and suffering. Christ our Lord, long ago in Galilee, many who were sick and suffering needed friends to bring them to your side. Confident of your goodness, we now bring to you those who need your healing touch. We bring before you those who are ill in body, those who suffer restless days and sleepless nights. We bring before you those who are troubled in mind, distressed by the past, or dreading the future, those who are trapped and cast down by fear. We bring before you those for whom light has been turned to darkness by the death of a loved one, the breaking of a friendship, or the fading of hope. We ask your guidance for those who are engaged in alleviating pains in the world, that they may persevere with vision and energy; help us to live like the Good Samaritan, and bring hope and salvation to the world.
We pray for people who are departing from this church. Brother David Li and Sister Auyan Yan Hong, who will be traveling back to China. We thank you for Sister Amy Deng who has found a promising job and has started working for a week now. We pray for a new pastor for this church as the old pastorate will end within this month. As we continue our worship to Word and sacrament, encounter us with your very self. Be glorified in all we do. We pray it ever and only in Jesus precious name. Amen