What Motivates Us To Just Walk On By

“Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.” – Luke 10:31-34

The Good Samaritan – you are well versed in that story, I am certain. I have written about a number of times. The question Jesus asked at the end of the parable was, “Who was the neighbor?” Which one acted rightly?  It was not the ones that you might expect.  The ones that cold recite scripture and verse what people of God are supposed to do. It was the one that had no reason to go out of his way. Before I go on, I want to remind you that the Bible is more than an equivalent to the Rules of the Road for the state you live in.  It has a spiritual source – it is the breath of God and requires the power of the Spirit of God and our submission to the Spirit to live by it. 

I say that because I think that we sometimes forget that and think that everyone – born again or not – should obey it. They should, but they can’t.

“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  – Romans 5:20-21

God’s creative intent was not that we be given a list of shall nots, but that because of our relationship with Him that we would live in harmony with all of creation.  Since the fall of Adam we have proven that we need help to be what God intended. That we can’t do it on our own.

So to my point – what we see on television  and read on line is all man trying to achieve their idea of what “right is”. All around the world there is tension between people groups.  Groups that represent differences in ethnicity, nationality, religious belief, politics, geography …. the list is a long one.  The root of tension between those groups is sin.  What you see on television or read on line is a reflection of the natural world – shouting out that it needs a savior. Of late the solution seems to be to use violence to make it happen.  Think about it. Do you really think there is anything spiritual in that? It is all carnality – mankind trying to fix man mankind. So what are we supposed to do about it?

Well – first off – we can’t solve the problem with more laws or more tolerance or more money – the problem is spiritual and needs a spiritual solution. That solution, unfortunately won’t be realized until Jesus returns. Things on this earth don’t get better on their own. So we do nothing? God Forbid.

You can divide mankind into two groups. Those who are born again and those who are not. Pretty simple. The way those who are born again live and relate should be based upon the fact that they are all adopted into the family of God through faith in Jesus.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” – Galatians 3:28

As Christians we are all the same – unfortunately – we are more like the priest and Levite than we are the Samaritan.  Wish it were not so but it is.  I see all those sources of tension at work in many Christians that I know – and they seem to feel justified in how they feel and how they relate.  They are blind to their sin. There is a Christian man I know that I call brother but he does not – he catches himself each time – I can see it in his body language – I reason it is because that word is reserved, in his mind and heart, for people in his ethnic group. Race does not make you my brother or sister.

When I was in living in Haiti and I would preach at a Haitian church, I would always begin with the words, “Mwen pa blan, mwen se fre ou” (I am not white, I am your brother). Then I would share 2 Corinthians 5:17. Nationality does not make you my brother or sister. When I was in Alabama speaking at predominately white churches, someone at the church would invariably say, “You are not around here are you?” Because of I didn’t have a Southern accent. But more – it was the suggestion that I was not like them. I had ancestors who lived in Virginia as early as 1650. Geography does not make you my brother or sister.

What is my point – as Christians we have a responsibility to be salt and light in a dark world. The world wants what God offers but on their terms not His. We are His ambassadors. And how will the world know He sent us?

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:35

Our place in this messed up world is pretty simple really. Let me sum it up.

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone