1. We are living in a day when most people know very little about the Bible. Sunday school attendance is in decline and fewer and fewer churches are preaching and teaching the Bible.
2. But yet, certain Biblical references are still very much a part of our common culture and vocabulary. For example, every once in a while, some one will get mugged on the subway and some stranger will bravely jump in and rescue the victim, oftentimes at great risk to his own life.
3. What will the headlines say? "GOOD SAMARITAN SAVES WOMAN FROM VICIOUS ATTACK."
4. Today we will look at the story of the Good Samaritan.
5. To properly understand this story, we need to know the background. We are told that "a certain lawyer (scribe) stood up, and tempted" our Lord (Luke 10:25). It was a good question but his motives were not right.
6. Keep this in mind when you consider our Lord’s answer to his question. First of all, his motives were not right and secondly, our Lord was pointing out that this man (or any man for that matter) could never obey Luke 10:27 (James 2:10). Notice, Jesus said: "this do, and thou shalt live" (10:28). Not, "this try to do, and thou shalt live."
7. Sometimes people get mad and say I preach too much OT or I preach too much against sin, etc. If I don’t, sinners will not get saved. The Bible says, "For by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom.3:20). Sinners must get convicted of their sin before they can get saved.
8. With this in mind, let us look at the story of the Good Samaritan.

1. THIS CERTAIN MAN WENT DOWN A DANGEROUS ROAD

1. The book of Job says, "Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward" (Job 5:7), and, "Man that is born of a woman is of a few days, and full of trouble" (Job 14:1).
2. There is nothing in this (true?) story to suggest the man had done anything wrong. You can leave your house to go to work, minding your own business, and get attacked by thieves. Life is full of danger. However, it is interesting to note the road he took.
3. He "went down from Jerusalem to Jericho" (10:30). Jericho was cursed by God (Joshua 6:17,18; I Kings 16:34).
4. He "went down from Jerusalem" (Luke 10:30), the city chosen by God, and blessed by God to Jericho, the city hated by God and cursed by God. So we see right away that this man was going down a dangerous road.
5. Now what happens when you go down a dangerous road? You get into trouble, and that’s what happened to this fellow. He "fell among thieves…" (10:30).
6. I think any road is a dangerous road if you are not right with God. If I was not saved, I would not want to ride on the highways or the subways. I want the Lord to be with me.
7. This man went down a dangerous road and our Lord says he "fell among thieves, which stripped him…" (10:30). That’s what the devil does to people – he strips sinners and leaves them with nothing but shame. I read an article about some Hollywood movie star. He became a dope-head and he kept getting into trouble. Finally, he was sentenced to prison. He admitted to a newspaper reporter that he was stripped in jail and abused by the other inmates. He went the wrong way and now he is paying for it the hard way.
8. "The way of transgressors is hard" (Pro.13:15).
9. They robbed him, and stripped him, "and wounded him." Sin wounds people (cf. Isa.1:4-6). "For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous" (Jer.30:12).
10. After robbing him, and stripping him, and wounding him, the thieves "departed, leaving him half dead" (Luke 10:30). What a vivid picture of a helpless sinner!
11. You may be thinking, "But doesn’t the Bible say that sinners are completely dead?" Yes, completely dead spiritually but alive physically. Therefore, they are like this poor man – "half dead."
12. Man is spiritually dead and needs to be quickened by the Holy Spirit (Eph.2:1,5).
13. So we have seen in this man a picture of a helpless sinner, left half dead on the road to Jericho. Now let us move on.

2. THE RELIGIOUS CROWD COULD NOT HELP HIM (10:31,32).

1. A certain priest happened to be walking by but he couldn’t help. In fact, he deliberately crossed the road and "passed by on the other side" (10:31). Therefore, the religious crowd not only could not help but they would not help.
2. This priest had no intention of helping this bleeding, wounded man. Things have not changed at all (cf. John 10:11-13; Luke 20:45-47).
3. Many years ago I gave the Gospel to a friend of mine. He seemed very interested but he made a big mistake. He went down to the RC church and spoke to a priest. He said: "My friend told me I need to be born again." The priest assured him he did not need to be born again (John 3). The priest told him to keep up with the sacraments, mass, etc. and all would be OK.
4. Well, the priest was no help at all. All priests can do is light candles and incense, and mumble some mumbo-jumbo that no one understands. This man was dying and needed help, but the priest just passed him by.
5. Next came a Levite (Luke 10:32). Levites represented the Law. The law cannot help a dying sinner (cf. Gal.2:16,21). The law can show a man that he is a lost sinner, but the law can never save a lost sinner.
6. The Levite "came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side" (10:32). What a picture this is of religion. Lost sinners are all around us, beat up by sin, left wounded and half-dead by the devil, and the religious crowd walks by with their big "WE LOVE JESUS" banner, carrying their big pretty crosses and crucifixes, holding up their candles, led by their worldly clergymen and clergy-women, dressed in their elaborate robes and religious garb.
7. Sinners are dying. They need help. But the religious crowd just passes them by.

3. ONLY THE GOOD SAMARITAN WOULD STOP AND HELP

1. To understand this story, you have to know a little bit about Samaritans. The Jews hated the Samaritans, but the priest passed by, and the Levite passed by, and only this certain Samaritan "had compassion on him" (Luke 10:33).
2. The Jews hated the Samaritans but you will remember Jesus deliberately went to Samaria (John 4:3-14).
3. The Jews despised the Samaritans (John 8:48). And most of them despised Jesus too (cf. Isa.53:3). Now we can see why Jesus told this story (Luke 10:29,33-37).
4. This Good Samaritan is a picture of the man God wants you and me to be. He wants us to be like Jesus. Therefore, this Good Samaritan is very much like our Lord. Notice "he had compassion on him" (Luke 10:33; cf. Matt.9:36).
5. Spurgeon said, "The Samaritan came to the wounded one because in the course of business he was led there, and, being there, he helped the man; but Jesus came to earth on no business but that of saving us."
6. This is the major difference between our Lord and the Good Samaritan. The Good Samaritan happened to see the wounded man as he was passing through. But our Lord came specifically to earth to help wounded sinners – to cleanse them, save them, change them, redeem them, regenerate them, justify them, and sanctify them.
7. Let us be like the Good Samaritan, always ready to help some one in need. Months ago a 13-year-old boy asked me for help as we were leaving the library. He has never been to church. Please pray for Stephen.
8. The Good Samaritan bound his wounds and "took care of him" (Luke 10:34).

Be not dismayed what-e’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.

9. Look, the Good Samaritan also promised to return (Luke 10:35; cf. John 14:1-3).
10. And he also promised to repay (Luke 10:35b). In the very last chapter in the book of Revelation, our Lord says, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me…" (Rev.22:12).

1. This story begins with "a certain lawyer" (Luke 10:25). This lawyer wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life.
2. Our Lord’s answer demonstrates that no one can receive eternal life by keeping the law (10:26,27).
3. Unsaved friend: It is only when you realize that you are as helpless and hopeless as that man lying half dead on the road to Jericho, that God can help you. You must see yourself as God sees you, and then you are ready to receive God’s free gift of salvation.