[Music intro] It has stood
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the test time, God's
book, the Bible, still relevant
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in today's complex world.
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It Is Written,
sharing hope around the globe.
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I'm John Bradshaw,
this is It Is Written.
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Thanks for joining me.
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Wesley Autrey was standing
on the platform of a subway
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station in New York.
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With him were his two
little daughters, aged 4 and 6.
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Suddenly another man on
that platform had a seizure, he
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stumbled, and fell off
the platform onto the subway
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tracks.
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And at that moment the lights
of an oncoming train appeared
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in the tunnel.
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What was going to
happen would be horrific.
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But without hesitation,
Wesley jumped down onto the
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subway tracks - with the
train approaching - and tried
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to drag the man
out of harms way.
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Then he realized the train
was approaching too fast and
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there would be no time to
get the man off the tracks.
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But realizing there was a
drainage trench between the
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tracks, Wesley pushed the
man into that gap and threw
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himself on top of him.
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Just seconds later the train
rushed right over the top of
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them, barely missing Wesley.
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It was so close that the
train left grease marks on
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Wesley's knitted cap.
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When the train came to a
halt, Wesley called up to the
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frightened
onlookers on the platform.
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"There are two
little girls up there.
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Let them know
their Daddy is OK."
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Instantly Wesley
Autrey became a national hero.
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Everyone was moved by
his bravery and for the
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compassion he
showed a total stranger.
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There was no logical
reason for him to risk his life.
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He had two small daughters
up there to think about.
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But a human being was in
desperate need, and Wesley -
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moved with compassion -
did what he could to save the
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man.
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The press called him "The
Subway Superman", the "Harlem
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Hero."
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But the headline in one
newspaper described Wesley
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Autrey in biblical terms.
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It read, "Good Samaritan
Saves Man on Subway Tracks."
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You know, a couple of
thousand years ago, Jesus
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related an incident
that was somewhat similar.
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It's the parable
of the Good Samaritan.
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It is well known.
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It's likely the basis of
this story was a real incident.
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It could be ...
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could be that it was headline
news and possibly some of the
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people in the crowd listening
to Jesus may have personally
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known the
characters in the story.
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That's possible.
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Today we're going
to look at that story.
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And we're going to
take a close up look.
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As a matter of fact, together
we are going to go together
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to Israel.
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The parable of the Good
Samaritan is set on the road
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between Jerusalem and Jericho.
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Today, part of that road is
known as the Wadi Qelt, and I
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visited that road to see what
it was like - not just today,
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but to get an idea of what
it must have been like 2000
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years ago when Jesus
related that parable.
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Being in that location caused
me to reflect upon the story
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of the Good Samaritan.
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One thing you notice about
the area is that it's a harsh
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environment.
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Rocky and arid
and dry - and hot.
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Jesus, in Luke 10 told a
parable regarding a man who
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had had that very experience
and he set the parable on
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this road,
track, path, trail ...
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whatever word you'd like to use.
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He talked about a man who
was walking to Jericho and this
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was the way to Jericho.
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Of course, there is no way
at all to know just where this
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happened, but it happened
somewhere along this road and
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you can imagine
what it was like.
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Here is what Jesus said:
"A certain man went down from
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Jerusalem to Jericho and
fell among thieves who stripped
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him of his clothing, wounded
him and departed him, leaving
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him half dead."
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I can imagine that.
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And if you get left for dead
around here, it is not going
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to be a pretty sight.
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You wouldn't have
a whole lot of hope.
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And then we read this
very interesting passage where
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Jesus pretty well skewers
the religious establishment
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because he says ...
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"Now by chance a certain
priest came down that road
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and when he saw him, he
passed by on the other side."
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Now, as you look at this
road, there are wider bits
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and narrower but it's
not a freeway The priest,
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who got out of the
way who had been wounded
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virtually had to step
over him or step around him and
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most likely it wasn't a
matter of crossing a wide
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place but maybe his
robes, his flowing robes even
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dragged over the poor
fellow's half-dead body as he
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went by so it's not like
the priest could say "never saw
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him."
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The priest couldn't miss
him and actually had to go to
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some effort to avoid the
man and then Jesus talks on
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likewise a Levite.
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When he arrived at the place,
he came and looked and passed
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by on the other side.
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So, he saw something.
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He said, "Ah, what's that?
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I think I'll go
and check it out."
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And he came and he saw
this fella and he realized ...
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"Naaaa, not the sort
of things I want to bother
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getting my hands dirty with."
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And he too went around the guy.
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Then Jesus says, "There
came by someone who was a
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Samaritan."
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One of these lower cast,
lower class guys, the kinds
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of people that the Israelites
looked at like they were
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dogs, treated like they were
less than human, and he came
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by.
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And I want to think with
you, now that we are in this
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environment, about
what the story really means.
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The Samaritan, as he
journeyed, came where he was,
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and when he saw
him, he had compassion.
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So he went to him and
bandaged his wounds, pouring
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on oil and wine and he
set him on his own animal,
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brought him to an
Inn and took care of him.
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So this man found the wounded
fella, the wounded man, he
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refers to him as a man,
we don't know what stripe he
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was.
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He put him on his animal.
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I mean, look at
this environment.
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He went to some
trouble to do this.
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It wasn't easy.
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He went out of his way
and then he said: You know,
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instead of just going to
Jericho where I was going, I
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think I'll go and find an Inn.
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He may have taken him to
Jericho for all we know, but
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going to an Inn wasn't a
matter of just going, driving
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to the next freeway exit and
pulling off at the Motel 6 or
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The Hampton Inn and Suites,
or whatever the case might
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be.
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He went out of his way
and found a place and he said,
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look after this man for me.
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I'll even come back and
make sure that I've given you
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enough money, because if
it takes more money that I've
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left for you to look
after this man, then I will come
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back here and I will settle
it Being in this place where
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the story actually happened
shines a whole new light on
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the story of The Good Samaritan.
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Here on the Jericho Road,
the road where Jesus walked.
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Jesus told the story to make
us stop and think about what
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it is to be compassionate.
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[Music] But is
there more to the story
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of the Good Samaritan?
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Let's look
further in just a moment.
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In Matthew 4:4, the Word
of God says, "It is written,
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man shall not live by bread
alone but by every word that
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proceeds from the mouth of God.
00:07:53.63\00:07:55.63
Every Word is a one-minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:07:55.63\00:07:58.86
presented by Pastor
John Bradshaw and designed
00:07:58.86\00:08:02.40
especially for
busy people like you.
00:08:02.40\00:08:04.06
Look for Every Word on
selected networks or watch
00:08:04.06\00:08:07.33
it on-line everyday on
our website, itiswritten.com.
00:08:07.33\00:08:11.70
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:08:11.70\00:08:13.80
Watch Every Word.
00:08:13.80\00:08:15.13
You'll be glad you did.
00:08:15.13\00:08:16.80
Here's a sample:
00:08:16.80\00:08:19.06
In 2 Thessalonians 2:10,
the Apostle Paul wrote about
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a certain group of people who
he said received not the love
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of the truth that
they might be saved.
00:08:35.10\00:08:37.73
Based on what Paul is
saying, only those who love
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the truth will
receive eternal life.
00:08:40.60\00:08:43.53
He didn't say salvation is
for those who know the truth
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only but those
who love the truth.
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I'm sure churches are
crowded with people who know
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the truth but it is
only when Jesus touches your
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heart that that truth starts
to make any real difference.
00:08:54.13\00:08:57.30
While you study the Bible
and do whatever else you do
00:08:57.30\00:08:59.56
for spiritual growth,
keep in mind salvation
00:08:59.56\00:09:02.73
is not only about theory.
00:09:02.73\00:09:04.26
You can be right
and still be wrong.
00:09:04.26\00:09:07.23
It is when you love the
Savior who you find in the midst
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of the truth of God's
word that things really come
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alive.
00:09:13.43\00:09:15.06
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
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Let's live today by Every Word.
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This is It Is Written.
00:09:20.43\00:09:21.46
I'm John Bradshaw, thank
you for joining me today.
00:09:21.46\00:09:23.30
Today, the story
of the Good Samaritan.
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Now to get from Jerusalem
to Jericho today would take you
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no more than an hour
by car, less than an hour.
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It's a distance of not
quite 30 miles, and what's
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interesting about that
trip is that along the way you
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descend about 3250
feet - 1000 meters or so.
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That's how far down you go.
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Now why did Jesus tell the
story of the Good Samaritan
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do you think?
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Was it just because He
wanted to share the lesson of
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compassion?
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No doubt that was part of
it, but Jesus shared this story
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in answer to a question.
00:09:57.50\00:10:00.46
And the answer the story
provided spoke directly to
00:10:00.46\00:10:02.96
the needs of the hearts of
His hearers - and it speaks
00:10:02.96\00:10:06.23
to us today.
00:10:06.23\00:10:07.90
A theologian had asked Jesus
this question, he said, "What
00:10:07.90\00:10:09.93
shall I do to
inherit eternal life?"
00:10:09.93\00:10:12.50
(Luke 10:25).
00:10:12.50\00:10:13.93
So what Jesus said in
response - which includes the
00:10:13.93\00:10:16.96
story of the Good Samaritan
- is to be understood in the
00:10:16.96\00:10:20.23
context of the
subject of SALVATION.
00:10:20.23\00:10:23.60
What is the
process of salvation?
00:10:23.60\00:10:26.36
A serious question.
00:10:26.36\00:10:27.80
A wrong answer could
have eternal consequences!
00:10:27.80\00:10:31.43
Jesus responded by saying this.
00:10:31.43\00:10:33.93
You read it in Luke 10:
"What is written in the law?
00:10:33.93\00:10:38.26
What is your reading of it?"
00:10:38.26\00:10:40.46
(Luke 10:26) When Jesus
preached to the multitudes in
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the Sermon on the Mount, he
said "You have heard that it
00:10:44.26\00:10:47.16
was said."
00:10:47.16\00:10:48.16
Most of those in His
audience that day couldn't read.
00:10:48.16\00:10:50.50
They had to rely on what they
have heard which is why Jesus
00:10:50.50\00:10:53.36
said "You have heard."
00:10:53.36\00:10:55.43
But this man was
learned, he could read.
00:10:55.43\00:10:57.90
Jesus asked him "What
is your reading of the law?
00:10:57.90\00:11:02.66
Now this man knew his Bible.
00:11:02.66\00:11:04.70
He summarized the first four
commandments by quoting Moses
00:11:04.70\00:11:08.10
in Deuteronomy 11:13.
00:11:08.10\00:11:09.93
Let's look at that.
00:11:09.93\00:11:11.33
"I command you this day,
to love the LORD your God, and
00:11:11.33\00:11:15.36
to serve him with all
your heart and with all your
00:11:15.36\00:11:18.43
soul."
00:11:18.43\00:11:19.43
For a summary of the last
six commandments he referred to
00:11:19.43\00:11:22.20
Lev.
00:11:22.20\00:11:23.20
19:18 "You shall love
your neighbor as yourself..."
00:11:23.20\00:11:27.73
His answer came easily.
00:11:27.73\00:11:31.70
This was something the
lawyers, the theologians,
00:11:31.70\00:11:34.16
discussed among themselves.
00:11:34.16\00:11:36.23
Jesus said "You have answered
rightly; do this and you will
00:11:36.23\00:11:40.73
live."
00:11:40.73\00:11:42.00
But there was another
question also hotly discussed
00:11:42.00\00:11:44.23
among the lawyers: "How
should one's neighbor be
00:11:44.23\00:11:48.66
defined?"
00:11:48.66\00:11:49.73
So this man snapped
back "Who is my neighbor?"
00:11:49.73\00:11:53.10
To answer this question,
Jesus told the story of the
00:11:53.10\00:11:56.10
Good Samaritan.
00:11:56.10\00:11:57.80
Looking at everything
in context we see that this
00:11:57.80\00:12:00.13
parable isn't simply an
appeal from Jesus to be more
00:12:00.13\00:12:02.76
compassionate as important
as that is, and it is important.
00:12:02.76\00:12:06.66
The issue,
however, is much bigger.
00:12:06.66\00:12:09.23
What is at stake here is
the question of how to be saved.
00:12:09.23\00:12:12.66
The parable of the Good
Samaritan is part of Jesus'
00:12:12.66\00:12:14.86
answer on how God saves us.
00:12:14.86\00:12:16.96
Now let's make sure we
don't miss something important.
00:12:16.96\00:12:21.30
The question asked was,
"Lord, What must I do to be
00:12:21.30\00:12:24.13
saved?"
00:12:24.13\00:12:25.13
On the answer to this
question hinges our eternal
00:12:25.13\00:12:27.56
destiny.
00:12:27.56\00:12:28.56
And no one can give us
a better answer to this
00:12:28.56\00:12:32.10
question than
the Savior Himself.
00:12:32.10\00:12:34.20
Therefore, we need
to listen carefully.
00:12:34.20\00:12:38.33
The answer our Lord
gave is a radical answer.
00:12:39.33\00:12:42.30
Essentially, He said this:
"Obeying the law is a vital
00:12:42.30\00:12:47.70
part of the
salvation experience."
00:12:47.70\00:12:49.70
Now, we know that salvation
is a gift that can't be
00:12:49.70\00:12:53.80
earned.
00:12:53.80\00:12:54.80
Paul said this in Romans
3:20, "By the deeds of the
00:12:54.80\00:13:00.66
law there shall no flesh
be justified in his sight.
00:13:00.66\00:13:05.66
That's clear.
00:13:05.66\00:13:06.66
Galatians 3:11 let's
read that: "But that no man is
00:13:06.66\00:13:10.36
justified by the law in the
sight of God, it is evident:
00:13:10.36\00:13:14.00
for, the just
shall live by faith.
00:13:14.00\00:13:18.56
Again and again the New
Testament proclaims that
00:13:18.56\00:13:19.56
salvation is by
God's grace through faith.
00:13:19.56\00:13:24.23
(Ephesians 2:8, 9) "For
by grace are ye saved through
00:13:24.23\00:13:26.90
faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of
00:13:26.90\00:13:29.70
God: Not of works,
lest any man should boast."
00:13:29.70\00:13:33.36
(Ephesians 2:8, 9) The Bible
says this in Romans 10: "That
00:13:33.36\00:13:37.66
if you confess with your
mouth the Lord Jesus, and
00:13:37.66\00:13:40.70
believe in your heart that
God has raised him from the
00:13:40.70\00:13:42.70
dead, you will be saved."
00:13:42.70\00:13:44.60
(Romans 10:9).
00:13:44.60\00:13:45.60
So what was Jesus saying
when he told his hearers in the
00:13:45.60\00:13:48.56
story of the Good Samaritan?
00:13:48.56\00:13:50.56
Well for one thing, it's
much the same as what He told
00:13:50.56\00:13:54.10
the Rich young Ruler.
00:13:54.10\00:13:55.56
If you want to be saved, if
you want to live in the right
00:13:55.56\00:13:59.00
relationship with God,
it's important that you keep
00:13:59.00\00:14:02.53
God's commandments.
00:14:02.53\00:14:03.53
Now - does saying that
make a person a legalist?
00:14:03.53\00:14:10.40
Only if you want to
call Jesus a legalist!
00:14:10.40\00:14:13.06
Salvation is
definitely a gift from God.
00:14:13.06\00:14:15.40
And Jesus certainly is
not suggesting that we begin
00:14:15.40\00:14:18.20
trying to earn salvation with
our obedience and good deeds.
00:14:18.20\00:14:22.96
So how do you reconcile this?
00:14:22.96\00:14:25.83
How do you bring
these two points together?
00:14:25.83\00:14:27.90
Jesus telling people to
obey the commandments if they're
00:14:27.90\00:14:30.50
serious about salvation,
and Paul saying that salvation
00:14:30.50\00:14:33.80
comes freely, by
grace through faith?
00:14:33.80\00:14:39.06
We want to remember that
salvation is a love affair.
00:14:39.06\00:14:43.43
It was initiated by God
because, as the Bible says,
00:14:43.43\00:14:46.43
"God so loved the world that
He gave his only begotten Son
00:14:46.43\00:14:50.50
that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have
00:14:50.50\00:14:54.16
eternal life."
00:14:54.16\00:14:55.16
(John 3:16) Salvation
is the gift of God's love.
00:14:55.16\00:15:00.36
Sin estranged us from God.
00:15:00.36\00:15:03.66
To find His lost sheep Jesus
left His Father's house and
00:15:03.66\00:15:07.43
condescended to be
clothed with humanity.
00:15:07.43\00:15:10.46
He endured the
brambles and thorns of Calvary.
00:15:10.46\00:15:12.93
He shed His blood, He endured
the agony of the crucifixion,
00:15:12.93\00:15:16.90
in the darkest hour on
the hill of Golgotha he cried
00:15:16.90\00:15:19.90
out, "My God, My God,
why have you forsaken Me?"
00:15:19.90\00:15:25.23
The pain caused by this
separation broke His heart
00:15:25.23\00:15:28.73
and caused His death.
00:15:28.73\00:15:30.86
But He found His lost sheep
and all heaven rejoiced with
00:15:30.86\00:15:34.40
Him.
00:15:34.40\00:15:35.76
And now there is nothing
He wants more than to have us
00:15:35.76\00:15:39.10
with Him forever.
00:15:39.10\00:15:41.53
In His High Priestly
Prayer He had one passionate
00:15:41.53\00:15:44.96
request: "Father," Jesus
prayed, "I desire that they
00:15:44.96\00:15:48.93
also whom You gave Me
may be with Me where I am."
00:15:48.93\00:15:53.56
(John 17:24) There is nothing
Jesus wants more than to have
00:15:53.56\00:15:58.30
you and me with Him forever.
00:15:58.30\00:16:02.70
But God's offer isn't
meaningful in any practical
00:16:02.70\00:16:05.53
way until the
sinner responds to it.
00:16:05.53\00:16:08.83
What good will eternal
life be to those who don't love
00:16:08.83\00:16:12.10
God?
00:16:12.10\00:16:13.50
People who haven't learned
to love God wouldn't even be
00:16:13.50\00:16:16.86
happy in heaven!
00:16:16.86\00:16:17.93
They'd be miserable.
00:16:17.93\00:16:20.20
Because God loved us, we
respond to His love by loving
00:16:20.20\00:16:25.90
Him in return.
00:16:25.90\00:16:27.33
The apostle John said "We
love him, because he first
00:16:27.33\00:16:31.13
loved us.
00:16:31.13\00:16:32.23
(1 John 4:19) The primary
reason why we should desire
00:16:32.23\00:16:37.93
to be saved is because
we love Jesus so much, we
00:16:37.93\00:16:41.53
appreciate so greatly the
love of God that we want to
00:16:41.53\00:16:44.93
spend eternity with Him.
00:16:44.93\00:16:46.56
And Jesus makes it very clear
that our love for Him must be
00:16:46.56\00:16:49.30
supreme.
00:16:49.30\00:16:50.36
Remember what he said?
00:16:50.36\00:16:51.36
Let's read this together.
00:16:51.36\00:16:52.56
Here is what Jesus said:
"He that loves father or mother
00:16:52.56\00:16:55.96
more than me is not worthy
of me: and he that loves son or
00:16:55.96\00:17:00.86
daughter more than
me is not worthy of me.
00:17:00.86\00:17:04.26
And he who does not take
his cross, and follow after me,
00:17:04.26\00:17:08.36
is not worthy of me."
00:17:08.36\00:17:09.86
(Matthew 10:37, 38) Such
a love for Jesus leads to
00:17:09.86\00:17:16.10
eternal life and this is
what Jesus told the lawyer.
00:17:16.10\00:17:18.53
If you love God with all
your heart, mind, soul and
00:17:18.53\00:17:21.60
strength, then He will save you.
00:17:21.60\00:17:24.70
And what is it that
demonstrates this love?
00:17:24.70\00:17:28.36
Do you want to hear it: This
is in 1 John 5: "For this is
00:17:28.36\00:17:33.26
the love of God that
we keep His commandments."
00:17:33.26\00:17:37.90
(1 John 5:3) And Jesus
said in John 14:15 "If you love
00:17:37.90\00:17:43.60
me, keep my commandments."
00:17:43.60\00:17:45.50
Now notice he was not saying
"If you love me then go ahead
00:17:45.50\00:17:49.80
and prove it by
keeping my commandments.
00:17:49.80\00:17:52.36
Jesus was saying If you
love me, something is going to
00:17:52.36\00:17:55.33
happen in your life.
00:17:55.33\00:17:56.36
It's an inevitability
that you will keep my
00:17:56.36\00:17:58.93
commandments.
00:17:58.93\00:17:59.93
Those who were save
won't have worked their way to
00:17:59.93\00:18:02.03
heaven.
00:18:02.03\00:18:03.03
But their obedience will
have shown that they loved God,
00:18:03.03\00:18:05.63
they loved Jesus
with all their hearts.
00:18:05.63\00:18:08.33
Jesus wasn't telling the
lawyer that salvation is by
00:18:08.33\00:18:10.70
works.
00:18:10.70\00:18:11.70
He said "You confess that
you must love the Lord with all
00:18:11.70\00:18:15.03
your heart if
you want to be saved.
00:18:15.03\00:18:17.03
That is the right answer.
00:18:17.03\00:18:18.33
But, your love for God will
be revealed by your obedience
00:18:18.33\00:18:21.23
to God's commandments."
00:18:21.23\00:18:24.00
But then Jesus
takes it a step further.
00:18:24.00\00:18:26.10
I'll have more in just a moment.
00:18:26.10\00:18:31.26
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The concept of loving God
is pretty easy to get your arms
00:20:00.06\00:20:02.83
around, isn't it?
00:20:02.83\00:20:04.36
That is, it's
obvious God is good.
00:20:04.36\00:20:08.20
He gives us life, He pours
out His blessings, we know He
00:20:08.20\00:20:11.46
is good...
00:20:11.46\00:20:12.13
Our problem is usually
more often with those who are
00:20:12.13\00:20:14.90
closest to us.
00:20:14.90\00:20:17.33
You'll notice in the parable
of the Good Samaritan, the
00:20:17.33\00:20:19.96
lawyer - who was actually
a theologian, a doctor of the
00:20:19.96\00:20:22.53
law - asks Jesus a
really interesting question.
00:20:22.53\00:20:26.96
Jesus affirmed him when he
told Jesus that people ought
00:20:26.96\00:20:29.50
to love God and
love their neighbor.
00:20:29.50\00:20:31.90
He got that from
the writings of Moses.
00:20:31.90\00:20:33.96
But he said to
Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"
00:20:33.96\00:20:37.76
And you'll notice, the
passage in Luke 10 says that
00:20:37.76\00:20:40.53
he asked Jesus this because
he was "willing to justify
00:20:40.53\00:20:44.26
himself" (Luke 10:29).
00:20:44.26\00:20:47.20
The parable of the Good
Samaritan challenged the
00:20:47.20\00:20:49.63
people listening to Jesus.
00:20:49.63\00:20:51.13
Because in the eyes of
the Jews, there were no "good"
00:20:51.13\00:20:55.23
Samaritans.
00:20:55.23\00:20:56.23
They were all bad.
00:20:56.23\00:20:57.23
The worst insult a Jew could
sling at the one he despised
00:20:57.23\00:20:59.23
was to call him a Samaritan.
00:20:59.23\00:21:01.13
Listen how they maligned Jesus.
00:21:01.13\00:21:04.36
"Do we not say rightly that
You are a Samaritan and have
00:21:04.36\00:21:08.43
a demon."
00:21:08.43\00:21:09.53
(John 8:38) In their eyes
no one could be lower than a
00:21:09.53\00:21:13.46
demon possessed Samaritan.
00:21:13.46\00:21:15.16
The woman at the well told
Jesus this,"the Jews have no
00:21:15.16\00:21:18.16
dealings with the Samaritans."
00:21:18.16\00:21:21.13
(John 4:9 KJV) The shortest
route between Jerusalem and
00:21:21.13\00:21:24.46
Galilee went through Samaria
but many Jews were willing to
00:21:24.46\00:21:27.90
almost double the distance
by crossing the Jordan and
00:21:27.90\00:21:30.53
travelling up the west bank
up to the Sea of Galilee just
00:21:30.53\00:21:34.06
to avoid going through Samaria.
00:21:34.06\00:21:36.26
If just the shadow of a
Samaritan fell on a Jew, he'd
00:21:36.26\00:21:39.36
feel morally unclean.
00:21:39.36\00:21:42.00
Yet here's Jesus telling
these people that a Samaritan
00:21:42.00\00:21:45.60
was their neighbor.
00:21:45.60\00:21:47.60
In this parable Jesus drives
home a powerful lesson home.
00:21:47.60\00:21:51.26
You can talk all you
want about loving God, but the
00:21:51.26\00:21:54.06
truth is that your love for
God is no stronger than your
00:21:54.06\00:21:57.96
love for your fellow man.
00:21:57.96\00:21:59.90
Your confession that you
love God may be impressive, but
00:21:59.90\00:22:02.96
it's meaningless unless
you love your neighbor as
00:22:02.96\00:22:06.03
yourself.
00:22:06.03\00:22:07.26
The Bible says this, in
1 John 4:20, 21: "If a man
00:22:07.26\00:22:14.50
says, I love God, and
hate his brother, he is a liar:
00:22:14.50\00:22:18.43
for he that does not love his
brother whom he has seen, how
00:22:18.43\00:22:21.63
can he love God
whom he has not seen?
00:22:21.63\00:22:24.83
And this commandment we
have from Him: That he who loves
00:22:24.83\00:22:28.70
God must love his brother also."
00:22:28.70\00:22:32.76
(1 John 4:20, 21) Jesus said
in Luke 6:32 (NKJV), "But if
00:22:32.76\00:22:36.53
you love those who love
you, what credit is that to you?
00:22:36.53\00:22:39.53
For even sinners
love those who love them."
00:22:39.53\00:22:43.23
This is what makes
this parable so powerful.
00:22:43.23\00:22:45.80
The Priest and the Levite
by their offices, confessed to
00:22:45.80\00:22:48.86
love God.
00:22:48.86\00:22:50.23
They did service for Him.
00:22:50.23\00:22:51.76
Their lives were
committed to Him.
00:22:51.76\00:22:53.96
They were recognized by
the people as "spiritual".
00:22:53.96\00:22:56.00
But Jesus says their
profession was meaningless.
00:22:56.00\00:22:58.70
It was only a show.
00:22:58.70\00:23:01.36
Those who truly love God will
reveal their love for God by
00:23:01.36\00:23:04.66
how they treat others.
00:23:04.66\00:23:06.66
The Samaritan might have been
despised, but he showed more
00:23:06.66\00:23:10.16
genuine love for God than
did the Priest or the Levite.
00:23:10.16\00:23:13.90
Through this parable
Jesus is speaking to us.
00:23:13.90\00:23:16.86
He asked Peter,
"Do you love Me?"
00:23:16.86\00:23:19.23
He is still addressing
this question to you and me.
00:23:19.23\00:23:21.53
We can claim to be
Christians, or a good person,
00:23:21.53\00:23:24.73
show up in church, keep a
Bible on our bookshelf, but
00:23:24.73\00:23:28.53
the truth is revealed when
we find a neighbor next to us on
00:23:28.53\00:23:31.23
the road.
00:23:31.23\00:23:32.70
Whatever we do to one of
the least, we do it to Jesus.
00:23:32.70\00:23:36.63
Too many people are Priests
and Levites in the way they
00:23:36.63\00:23:39.16
treat others.
00:23:39.16\00:23:40.16
They confess to be saved...
00:23:40.16\00:23:41.56
but their confession is hollow.
00:23:41.56\00:23:45.13
There is no salvation for
anybody as long as there is a
00:23:45.13\00:23:48.56
neighbor who needs help while
we pass by on the other side,
00:23:48.56\00:23:52.40
unmoved.
00:23:52.40\00:23:53.40
And let's turn that over.
00:23:53.40\00:23:56.16
We shouldn't claim that
our neighborly actions give
00:23:56.16\00:23:59.93
evidence that we are
truly Christians if our lack of
00:23:59.93\00:24:04.36
obedience to
God shows otherwise.
00:24:04.36\00:24:07.50
These are two
sides of the same coin.
00:24:07.50\00:24:09.70
Salvation will reveal
that you love God because
00:24:09.70\00:24:13.00
obedience to God is being
shown, demonstrated in your
00:24:13.00\00:24:17.56
life through
obedience to God's Commandments.
00:24:17.56\00:24:20.33
But on the otherwise, if
all you have is obedience and no
00:24:20.33\00:24:24.23
love for your fellow human
being, that obedience isn't
00:24:24.23\00:24:27.60
really worth two cents.
00:24:27.60\00:24:29.83
They go hand in hand.
00:24:29.83\00:24:32.16
Jesus shared the parable of
the Good Samaritan to show us
00:24:32.16\00:24:35.96
this.
00:24:35.96\00:24:38.06
Today, I'd like to make
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Itiswritten.com.
00:25:55.63\00:25:57.76
It Is Written is a
faith-based ministry made
00:25:57.76\00:26:00.40
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00:26:00.40\00:26:02.90
To help the worldwide
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00:26:02.90\00:26:04.90
your tax-deductible gift
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00:26:04.90\00:26:08.16
or you can give
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00:26:08.16\00:26:11.90
Thank you for
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00:26:11.90\00:26:14.46
Our toll free number is
1.800.253.3000 and our web
00:26:14.46\00:26:19.06
address is itiswritten.com.
00:26:19.06\00:26:23.66
I'd like to pray with you now.
00:26:25.40\00:26:27.40
Let's pray together.
00:26:27.40\00:26:28.40
Our Father in heaven, we
thank you for this wonderful
00:26:28.40\00:26:31.36
parable Jesus shared
of the Good Samaritan.
00:26:31.36\00:26:34.66
And how through this simple
story Jesus shows us that our
00:26:34.66\00:26:39.30
profession of faith in you
is revealed in how we treat
00:26:39.30\00:26:42.73
others.
00:26:42.73\00:26:43.73
Give us grace to be Good
Samaritans and at the same
00:26:43.73\00:26:47.66
time as Jesus spoke to
that theologian, he made it very
00:26:47.66\00:26:51.23
clear that He calls us to
be obedient and faithful and to
00:26:51.23\00:26:57.36
follow the Word of God
and the precepts of heaven.
00:26:57.36\00:27:01.33
Lord, I think we can
confess we're incapable of that.
00:27:01.33\00:27:04.33
We need you to come into
our lives and do in us what we
00:27:04.33\00:27:08.33
cannot do ourselves.
00:27:08.33\00:27:10.16
Thank you that there is a
Savior, one who transforms
00:27:10.16\00:27:13.80
and enables us to do
what we couldn't do otherwise.
00:27:13.80\00:27:16.73
We thank you today and we
pray in Jesus' name, amen.
00:27:16.73\00:27:21.73
Thank you for joining me today.
00:27:41.43\00:27:43.43
I look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:43.43\00:27:45.43
Until then, remember - It
is written, man shall not live
00:27:45.43\00:27:49.46
by bread alone, but by every
word that proceeds from the
00:27:49.46\00:27:53.26
mouth of God.
00:27:53.26\00:27:55.26