Good Samaritan Principle

*Scriptures taken from Biblegateway.com

Matthew 5:38-48, Luke 6:27-36

For those of you wondering if I forgot we were studying the sermon on the mount, do not be perplexed. There is a connection between the title of this devotional and the scripture given.

The hardest sayings in the sermon on the mount come from these two passages that are so interrelated that I felt compelled to put them together. Apparently, I am not the only one of this opinion - Jesus Himself says that if we follow these guidelines we will be perfect, just as our Father in heaven is perfect [Matthew 5:48]. The standard for perfection is, well, perfection. What makes us perfect? It is our actions stemming from a deep, profound, intense, divine love.

I feel that verses 38-42 make better sense after reading verses 43 onwards. After all, it was Jesus who in this very sermon taught us that all our sinful actions stem from sinful thoughts, raising the criteria for heavenly entrance from "doing good" to "thinking good." What can drive a person to commit these illogical, thoroughly unpragmatic acts? Love. Simply love.

I find it absolutely amazing at the stark contrast between what the world teaches as love and what Jesus teaches. The love of the world is selfish, always promoting our own gain, often at the expense of others. Even when we do "the right thing," how many times is the motivation still not based on ourselves? We are nice so others will be nice to us; we are polite so that they will like us, an altruistic friendship based more on a symbiotic relationship than on genuinely seeking the others betterment. No, the love of God calls us to something higher. His love, His agape love is defined by selflessness. If we do the same "right thing," our motivation is plainly to do the Father's will. He commands us to love and we do so. Sometimes, I admit I do it solely because I known it answers the question WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?), but I just as honestly confess that it leads to a transformation of character. When I say character, that includes, of course, my thinking as well. The more I seek out to follow these ridiculous guidelines, the more I see my selfishness become transparent and God's love shine through, driving me toward perfection.

These guidelines are indeed ridiculous, but these are the qualities that makes the world stop its busyness and wonder. Anomalies are among the best witnessing techniques, like a Truth commercial, only here we represent the Truth [John 14:6]. For instance, Jesus gave the example of the Good Samaritan, who was the least likely to help - certainly the least obliged by society - yet chose to assist the wounded man [Luke 10:25-37]. The backdrop to this story is that Samaritans were considered (and referred to as) dogs by the Jews. So abhorred were they that the Jews, when going from Galilee to Judea, would purposely take a much longer detour to avoid stepping into Samaritan territory. It was very likely that the Samaritan experienced the acts of discrimination described by Jesus in the Matthew passage - slapped, sued, forced to go where he did not desire. Yet, to this person who probably would not have taken his help unless he was incredibly desperate, the Samaritan was kind, gentle, and gracious enough to not only tend his wounds but pay for his room and board until his recovery.

This is real love. Giving to charity is wonderful, but how many of us would offer food to a starving general whose army wreaked havoc on our homes? For that matter, how many would wash the feet of those who would later deny ever knowing us? How many would die on a cross so that billions of people only two thousand years later would refuse to accept your sovereignty? How many would send their son to do so?

There is something divine about this agape love. Recall what Jesus said about the peacemakers. We cannot have peace without forgiveness, without civilly letting go of past wrongs and looking forward to a time of fellowship with our wrongdoers. Those who do this "will be called the sons of God." [Matthew 5:9] We established already that the world recognize this, but now we have a greater revelation. It is Jesus who beckons us to become sons of God. More than the fame of this world, we will be called as God's own by God's own. What greater motivation need we to shine the light of God's love?

God bless,
Alisha