"IsThis Really How Love Wins?"

                                 

                                     How can this be "LOVE"

The Lenten season will begin next Sunday.  It is a season of preparation, reflection and repentance.  A time once again when all Christians take time out to reflect on our teachings and what needs to take place in our lives to be more faithful to our God.  To be transformed by the power of LOVE  is the most satisfying and glorious feeling you will ever know. 

Let us take a look at “The Parable of the Good Samaritan” Luke 10: 25-37”     

The lessons we are to learn from the parable of the Good Samaritan seem quite clear at first glance.  Compassion and love of neighbor seems to be the focus and this is of course the great commandment.  But is that where we are to focus our attention in this parable or does Jesus want us to go deeper into the lives of the other characters involved in the story.  In fact, the bigger question we might want to ask ourselves here is, whom do I relate to in the story most?  The expert in the law, the robber, the religious man, the inn keeper, or the Good Samaritan.

1. To the expert in the law, the wounded man was just a subject to discuss.  
We talk about the Syrian crisis, the refugees, the war on terror and now once again because of the drought, starvation in Africa.  We know about the abducted and missing native women in our country.  We know the terrible living conditions of our aboriginal peoples, and the homeless who wonder the streets of our cities, knowing full well the moral obligation and action our religion and our biblical teachings place upon us.  The reflective question after the discussions might be, what am I
doing as an individual about it?  

2.  To the robbers, the wounded man was someone to use and exploit.       
It is very common in our society today for persons to be exploited.  Our Human nature can be vicious at time as we use one another either consciously or unconsciously.  This includes people of all ages.  Here, I may need to closely examine my own personal approach to others.  How do I treat other members of my family, a neighbor, the poor or a minority?  Often volunteers within many organizations today are not always treated fairly, ethically or with integrity.  The reflective question here might be, am I part of the problem or the solution.

3.  To the religious man, the wounded man was a problem to be avoided.  
How do I react to or think of the person who is on social welfare, has a physical or mental condition, the youth of today.  The elderly person who is no longer capable of living on their own. What is my opinion or reaction to the unemployed, the homeless, the addicted, assisted suicide or the runaway misbehaving pregnant teenager?  Do I see any of them as a problem to be avoided?  Some reflection here might be again: am I part of the problem or part of the solution?    

4.  To the innkeeper, the wounded man was a customer to serve for a fee. 
We live in a world run by numbers.  Corporations tend to think of people as numbers, customer, patrons, paying a fee for services offered.  We too can make the same mistake in our churches, thinking only of numbers, attendance, membership, our financial position, or what we need to do to increase those numbers.  Are we getting enough for the services we offer?  We sometimes put more emphasis on the numbers attending or the size of the offering, than on whom is in need and whom we might service.  Here is an area for reflection: who am I serving?

5.  To the Samaritan, the wounded man was a human being worth being cared for and loved. 

From the parable we learn three principals about loving one another.  
1.  Lack of love is often easy to justify, even though it is never right.  
2. Our neighbor is anyone of any race, color, creed, or social background who is in need:  
3. To Love means, taking action, acting to meet the wounded persons need.  
Wherever you live, there are needy people close by.  There is not good reason to refuse using your gifts and or your resources to help.   You may have thought that all the characters were included here but may I suggest that you may have missed the most important one of all, who was the wounded man to story teller.  Jesus tells this story knowing they were all wounded, as we too are all wounded in some way.  And we are all in need of His loving care.   Now here comes the clincher folks, wounded as we are, we are all still worthy of the love offering Jesus makes from the cross on Good Friday.   Jesus died because he LOVED, not because of sin.  He loves us so much that He willingly offered His life on a cross, to show us how God’s love can transform and change us from doing what is wrong, to doing what is right and good.   Want to be changed by His love, take Him up on His offer and literally take Him into your heart.  His love, the love of God will transform you and you will never be the same again.   As we come to the communion table today.  Let us remember what He has done for us.     
                                           LOVE WINS FOLKS