Through the sto\u00adry of the Good Sama\u00adri\u00adtan we can learn a lot about how the appli\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon of our faith should be done. Being clo\u00adse to God does not equal being like God. Just becau\u00adse we spend a lot of time in the pro\u00adxi\u00admi\u00adty of God does not neces\u00ads\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly mean that this influen\u00adces our thoughts and actions. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, help can some\u00adti\u00admes come from the very peo\u00adp\u00adle from whom it is least expec\u00adted. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus are to emu\u00adla\u00adte the exam\u00adp\u00adle of the Good Sama\u00adri\u00adtan. But Jesus Christ hims\u00adelf is even more mer\u00adciful than the Sama\u00adri\u00adtan. He gave hims\u00adelf so that we might have life.<\/p>\n
The Good Samaritan \tWhat appeals to you about the para\u00adble? Whe\u00adre are the\u00adre still ambiguities? Based on the sto\u00adry of the Good Sama\u00adri\u00adtan, we can learn a lot about how we should app\u00adly our faith. Being clo\u00adse to God is not the same as being like God. Just becau\u00adse we spend a lot of time clo\u00adse to God does not neces\u00ads\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly mean that this influen\u00adces our thoughts and actions. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, help can some\u00adti\u00admes come from the very peo\u00adp\u00adle from whom\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7300,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7280","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nI asked the teen\u00adagers what topic they would like to hear a ser\u00admon on this mor\u00adning. One of the topics they sug\u00adgested was loving your neigh\u00adbour. I would the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre like to share a few thoughts on this topic based on an inci\u00addent from Jesus Christ. One day a scri\u00adbe came and wan\u00adted to set a trap for Jesus. He asked how he could get eter\u00adnal life. But Jesus repli\u00aded with a coun\u00adter-ques\u00adti\u00adon: \u00abWhat does the law say about this? \u00abThe man repli\u00aded: \u00abYou shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. And love your neigh\u00adbour as yours\u00adelf\u00bb \u00bb (Luke 10:27 NLB<\/span>). Jesus could only agree with this ans\u00adwer and chal\u00adlen\u00adged the scri\u00adbe to do this and ther\u00adeby he would live. But he was still not satis\u00adfied and asked the ques\u00adti\u00adon: \u00abWho is my neigh\u00adbour?\u00bb Jesus gives his ans\u00adwer to this in the form of the para\u00adble of the Good Sama\u00adri\u00adtan (Luke 10:30\u201337). I will descri\u00adbe it here and also include a few inter\u00adpre\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons and back\u00adground information.
\nA man was tra\u00advel\u00adling on the road from Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem to Jeri\u00adcho. This road was noto\u00adrious for its inac\u00adces\u00adsi\u00adble ter\u00adrain, through which the 27-kilo\u00admet\u00adre-long path mean\u00adde\u00adred. This road was known as the \u00abbloo\u00addy road\u00bb. On the way, the man was atta\u00adcked by rob\u00adbers, rob\u00adbed of money and clo\u00adthes and then left half dead by the roadsi\u00adde. But he is lucky. For alt\u00adhough it is a dan\u00adge\u00adrous road, the\u00adre are others on the way. A priest is tra\u00advel\u00adling from Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. He had just com\u00adple\u00adted his month-long priestly ser\u00advice and was now on his way home. When he sees the man lying the\u00adre, he chan\u00adges sides of the road. He does\u00adn\u2019t want to stay here too long, be rob\u00adbed hims\u00adelf or even touch a corp\u00adse, which would make him ritual\u00adly unclean. So he moves on. A temp\u00adle ser\u00advant comes after him. He hel\u00adped the priest car\u00adry out his duties. He too was in a hur\u00adry and did not stop. Like his supe\u00adri\u00ador, he chan\u00adged sides of the road and wal\u00adked past quick\u00adly. But foot\u00ads\u00adteps can be heard again. A man turns the cor\u00adner on his mount. But this time it is not a Jew, but a Sama\u00adri\u00adtan. The Jews hate the Sama\u00adri\u00adtans. Alt\u00adhough they were somehow des\u00adcen\u00added from the Israe\u00adli\u00adtes, they were not so keen on pro\u00adper wor\u00adship. A few deca\u00addes ear\u00adlier, they had defi\u00adled the Temp\u00adle Squa\u00adre in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem and the Jews could not for\u00adget this so quick\u00adly. No help could be expec\u00adted from this Sama\u00adri\u00adtan, becau\u00adse a Jew would cer\u00adtain\u00adly not help him eit\u00adher. But when the Sama\u00adri\u00adtan saw the half-dead man, some\u00adthing hap\u00adpen\u00aded \u2013 he took pity. His reac\u00adtion was not long in coming. \u00abHe knelt down bes\u00adi\u00adde him, trea\u00adted his wounds with oil and wine and ban\u00adda\u00adged them. Then he lifted the man onto his own don\u00adkey and took him to an inn, whe\u00adre he trea\u00adted him\u00bb (Luke 10:34 NLB<\/span>). The next day, the Sama\u00adri\u00adtan makes sure that the inn\u00adkee\u00adper con\u00adti\u00adnues to take good care of him. He lea\u00adves a depo\u00adsit and pro\u00admi\u00adses to pay the rest if it beco\u00admes more expen\u00adsi\u00adve. After ever\u00ady\u00adthing is sett\u00adled, he sets off and lea\u00adves. We will now try to bet\u00adter under\u00adstand this para\u00adble by loo\u00adking at three points.
\nPro\u00adxi\u00admi\u00adty to God vs. Godlikeness
\nThe first two mas\u00adters who met the man on the ground were a priest and a Levi\u00adte. They were desti\u00adned by des\u00adcent to ser\u00adve God. They had a gre\u00adat clo\u00adsen\u00adess to God. The priests were allo\u00adwed to come clo\u00adser to God than anyo\u00adne else. The Levi\u00adte hel\u00adped the priest to ful\u00adfil his duties. Both were well acquain\u00adted with the law. They stu\u00addi\u00aded bibli\u00adcal pas\u00adsa\u00adges such as \u00abDo not take reven\u00adge on a mem\u00adber of your peo\u00adp\u00adle and do not bear a grudge against him, but love your neigh\u00adbour as yours\u00adelf. I am the LORD<\/span>!\u00bb (Exodus 19:18 NLB<\/span>). This pas\u00adsa\u00adge was also quo\u00adted by the scri\u00adbe who asked Jesus the ques\u00adti\u00adon. I think that the scri\u00adbe hims\u00adelf also belon\u00adged to one of the two groups. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, the stu\u00addy of the reli\u00adgious texts did not result in action. For exam\u00adp\u00adle, a text from the pro\u00adphet Hosea. \u00abI want you to be mer\u00adciful; I do not want your sacri\u00adfices. My con\u00adcern is that you reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse my will, not that you bring me burnt offe\u00adrings\u00bb (Hosea 6:6 NLB<\/span>).
\nAt one uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty, the theo\u00adlo\u00adgy stu\u00addents had the topic of cha\u00adri\u00adty, and this para\u00adble was also dealt with. On the day of the exam, an emer\u00adgen\u00adcy situa\u00adti\u00adon was re-enac\u00adted on the path that all the stu\u00addents had to walk. The aim was to find out to what ext\u00adent deal\u00ading with a topic had an effect on the con\u00adcre\u00adte action. What came out of it? Tho\u00adse who were short of time wal\u00adked past and did not help. Tho\u00adse with enough time wil\u00adlingly hel\u00adped. Both groups had dealt with the issue in the same way, but it only had an effect on one group. Just deal\u00ading with a topic does not lead to a con\u00adcre\u00adte imple\u00admen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon in ever\u00ady\u00adday life.
\nThe two reli\u00adgious peo\u00adp\u00adle in the para\u00adble cer\u00adtain\u00adly had good reasons for pas\u00adsing by. One of the most under\u00adstan\u00adda\u00adble for the time was the ritu\u00adal uncle\u00adan\u00adness that would come upon them if they touch\u00aded a dead per\u00adson. This would have excluded them from temp\u00adle ser\u00advice for a time. Howe\u00adver, they had just come from the\u00adre. We, too, always have enough excu\u00adses for not doing some\u00adthing. Be it lack of time or that someone else could do some\u00adthing. The Bri\u00adtish pre\u00ada\u00adcher C.H. Spur\u00adge\u00adon sums up people\u2019s beha\u00adviour in a nuts\u00adhell. \u00abI never saw a man refu\u00adse to help the poor who did not make at least one admi\u00adra\u00adble excu\u00adse\u00bb (Charles Had\u00addon Spur\u00adge\u00adon). What is yours? Some time ago, I was tra\u00advel\u00adling by train with a good fri\u00adend from Bern to Thun on a Fri\u00adday evening at 10.00 pm. We and a few other peo\u00adp\u00adle got off the train in Thun. Sud\u00adden\u00adly, for some inex\u00adpli\u00adca\u00adble reason, my col\u00adle\u00adague fain\u00adted and fell to the ground. I\u2019ve never seen a plat\u00adform emp\u00adty as quick\u00adly as it did then. It was only when I asked peo\u00adp\u00adle pas\u00adsing by for help that someone hel\u00adped. In the end, he was only gone for a moment \u2013 just like ever\u00adyo\u00adne else was only gone for a moment.
\nAt the end of the para\u00adble, Jesus con\u00adfronts the scri\u00adbe. \u00ab \u00abSo which of the three do you think was the neigh\u00adbour of the man who was atta\u00adcked by rob\u00adbers?\u00bb asked Jesus. The man repli\u00aded, \u00abThe one who had com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon and hel\u00adped him. Jesus repli\u00aded, \u00abYes, now go and do like\u00adwi\u00adse\u00bb \u00bb (Luke 10:36\u201337 NLB<\/span>). Know\u00adledge alo\u00adne does not help. Cha\u00adri\u00adty is more than just words.
\nHelp whe\u00adre it is least expected.
\nWhat made the Good Sama\u00adri\u00adtan so dif\u00adfe\u00adrent? So that today he is pro\u00adver\u00adbi\u00adal\u00adly syn\u00adony\u00admous with cha\u00adri\u00adty? \u00abEven\u00adtual\u00adly a Sama\u00adri\u00adtan approa\u00adched. When he saw the man, he felt deep com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon for him\u00bb (Luke 10:33 NLB<\/span>). Others also trans\u00adla\u00adte it as \u00abit grie\u00adved him\u00bb. The Sama\u00adri\u00adtan let the man\u2019s fate get to him. Com\u00adpas\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adte has the ori\u00adgi\u00adnal mea\u00adning of \u00abhaving a heart for the poor\u00bb. This made all the dif\u00adfe\u00adrence. He allo\u00adwed his heart to be war\u00admed. It is quite cha\u00adrac\u00adte\u00adristic that Jesus Christ includes a Sama\u00adri\u00adtan in his para\u00adble, becau\u00adse an Israe\u00adli\u00adte real\u00adly would\u00adn\u2019t have expec\u00adted any help from him. Per\u00adhaps it is the same for you teen\u00adagers. The\u00adre are said to be peo\u00adp\u00adle who no lon\u00adger think much of today\u2019s youth. May\u00adbe they don\u2019t expect any help from you eit\u00adher. I would like to use two sto\u00adries from my own life to show you why I am con\u00advin\u00adced that help often does not come from tho\u00adse from whom it is expec\u00adted. But rather from others.
\nWhen it comes to the topic of loving your neigh\u00adbour, my wish for you teen\u00adagers is that you don\u2019t act in such a pre\u00adju\u00addi\u00adced way. That you your\u00adsel\u00adves are not pre\u00adju\u00addi\u00adced, but let your hearts be touch\u00aded and feel com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon. When we ask our\u00adsel\u00adves who our neigh\u00adbour is, Jesus\u00bb invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon also appli\u00ades to us. \u00ab[\u2026] Now go and do like\u00adwi\u00adse\u00bb (Luke 10:37 NLB<\/span>). Are we rea\u00addy to go and do? What I par\u00adti\u00adcu\u00adlar\u00adly like about this sto\u00adry is the fact that the Sama\u00adri\u00adtan was tra\u00advel\u00adling. He was\u00adn\u2019t actively see\u00adking, but he allo\u00adwed hims\u00adelf to be inter\u00adrupt\u00aded for a moment. He did the job con\u00adsci\u00aden\u00adtious\u00adly, but then went back to his work. Howe\u00adver, he spared no expen\u00adse or effort for the moment he was nee\u00added. He sim\u00adply hel\u00adped whe\u00adre he was. He did\u00adn\u2019t save the who\u00adle world, but he was pre\u00adpared to have his view of the world interrupted.
\nWe need a two\u00adfold chan\u00adge. Today, the atti\u00adtu\u00adde is com\u00admon that ever\u00ady\u00adthing I have \u2013 money, suc\u00adcess, fri\u00adends, fami\u00adly, etc. \u2013 I have so that it will bene\u00adfit me. But this para\u00adble chal\u00adlenges fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus to chan\u00adge their atti\u00adtu\u00adde. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing I have \u2013 money, suc\u00adcess, fri\u00adends, fami\u00adly, etc. \u2013 I have so that I can bene\u00adfit others. We also need to rethink how we help others. Jesus Christ did not give us the com\u00admandment \u00abTre\u00adat others as others would tre\u00adat you\u00bb, but \u00abTre\u00adat others as you would like them to tre\u00adat you\u00bb (Luke 6:31 NLB<\/span>). The things ent\u00adrus\u00adted to us were given to us to act mer\u00adciful\u00adly, not just to use them hypo\u00adthe\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly. I would the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre like to advi\u00adse you to use your youthful nai\u00adve\u00adty and don\u2019t let us adults smi\u00adle at you too quick\u00adly. Becau\u00adse in the end, the ques\u00adti\u00adon that I think the priest and the Levi\u00adte fai\u00adled to ans\u00adwer is this. Do we only want to prac\u00adti\u00adse clo\u00adsen\u00adess to God or not rather God-likeness?
\nJesus \u2013 more mer\u00adciful than the Samaritan!
\nThe dis\u00adcus\u00adsion with the scri\u00adbe ends with the call to act as the Good Sama\u00adri\u00adtan did. But Jesus Christ went even fur\u00adther. The Sama\u00adri\u00adtan was extre\u00adme\u00adly gene\u00adrous, but this is not\u00adhing com\u00adpared to what Jesus gave for us.
\nThe Sama\u00adri\u00adtan gave wine and oil to tre\u00adat the wound \u2013 Jesus hims\u00adelf shed his blood to heal our wounds. The Sama\u00adri\u00adtan cared and show\u00aded gre\u00adat com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon \u2013 Jesus gave his life. He spared no expen\u00adse and spent money on accom\u00admo\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon and care \u2013 Jesus hims\u00adelf beca\u00adme poor. Becau\u00adse of us. \u00abYou know the gre\u00adat love and mer\u00adcy of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Alt\u00adhough he was rich, he beca\u00adme poor for your sake, so that through his pover\u00adty he might make you rich\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 8:9 NLB<\/span>). Jesus Christ hims\u00adelf is very mer\u00adciful and com\u00adpas\u00adsio\u00adna\u00adte towards us. Howe\u00adver, not only is he mer\u00adciful, but also God the Father in hea\u00adven. Jesus the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre calls on his fol\u00adlo\u00adwers. \u00abBe mer\u00adciful, just as your Father is mer\u00adciful\u00bb (Luke 6:36 NLT<\/span>).
\nWith the Teens Bles\u00adsing, we come to a point in your life whe\u00adre you are allo\u00adwed to deci\u00adde your own reli\u00adgious affi\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon. Today you are asked two ques\u00adti\u00adons. Can Jesus Christ be your per\u00adso\u00adnal Good Sama\u00adri\u00adtan? If so, are you rea\u00addy not only to talk but also to act?
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: Luke 10:25\u201337<\/p>\n
\n\tHow do you feel about clo\u00adsen\u00adess to God vs. liken\u00adess to God? Do you noti\u00adce how your encoun\u00adter with God affects your life? Whe\u00adre do you noti\u00adce this? Whe\u00adre do you wish for more change?
\n\tWhat does Jesus\u00bb invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon \u00abNow go and do like\u00adwi\u00adse\u00bb do to you?
\n\tWere you sur\u00adpri\u00adsed yours\u00adelf by someone you least expected?
\n\tDo you trust teen\u00adagers to show cha\u00adri\u00adty? Whe\u00adre could you help yours\u00adelf, or set a good example?
\n\tHow do you look at your pos\u00adses\u00adsi\u00adons? Some\u00adthing that bene\u00adfits you or some\u00adthing that bene\u00adfits others?
\n\tHow do you ans\u00adwer the two ques\u00adti\u00adons posed to the teen\u00adagers? Can Jesus Christ be your per\u00adso\u00adnal Good Sama\u00adri\u00adtan? If so, are you rea\u00addy not only to talk but also to act?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"