Title Page. Lesson Three Luke 6:27-30 27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you,

Title Page

Lesson Three

Luke 6:27-30

Luke 6:27-3027 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

Luke 6:31-33

Luke 6:31-3331 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

Luke 10:30-32

Luke 10:30-3230 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

Luke 10:33-34

Luke 10:33-3433 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Luke 10:35-37

Luke 10:35-3735 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Focus Verse

Luke 6:33And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do

even the same.

Focus Thought

Jesus taught that care must be extended to those who cannot care for themselves. The challenge to care must reach across

all barriers.

IntroductionIntroduction

Mankind is normally self-centered and interested in his own welfare first, but Jesus taught by His example and words a revolutionary principle—a life of self-denial and reaching out to others. He taught us that, disregarding any personal benefit, we need to reach out to those who cannot help themselves. Although many people naturally question our motives and what we hope to gain from being their friend, still we should love people with the agape love that Jesus demonstrated.

IntroductionThis lesson tells the story of a man who became a victim of crime and would have died had it not been for a compassionate passerby who acted with supreme kindness toward him. The victim was not doing anything wrong when thieves pounced on him to rob and beat him. That is typical of the story of our lives when sin nearly destroyed us. While we were helpless and facing certain eternal death, Jesus Christ lifted us from our fallen state by the side of the road.

IntroductionJesus is the master caregiver and the epitome of a “good Samaritan”—an extreme illustration of grace and mercy. Now, the Lord has left His ministry to the church to carry on what He began—the ministry of reconciliation and restoration. What an opportunity exists for the church to make the difference in the eternal destinies of so many!

I. Jesus, the Master Caregiver (A-C)

Jesus, the Master Caregiver

Jesus taught us by His words and deeds that He cares for us. He knows that we have limitations and fears and that we need His assistance. We take comfort in the knowledge that He is interested in each of us. Never distant and aloof, He is as close as the mention of His name in prayer. (See Hebrews 4:15-16.)


He came to this world to pay the ultimate price for our redemption, but He also lived in this world to minister to the needs of people with whom He came in contact. Since He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we know that He cares for us today (I Peter 5:7).


A. To the Frightened

Jesus and the disciples were in a ship going across the Sea of Galilee when a vicious storm arose and threatened their safety. Several of them were experienced fishermen and were accustomed to tempests on that body of water known for sudden, violent storms. Evidently, the magnitude of the storm that night was enough to strike fear in all of them.


They awoke the Lord, who was resting, and questioned Him about His concern for their safety. In the midst of their terror, perhaps they hoped that He could help them in some way. He stood and rebuked the wind, and immediately the sea became calm. By doing so, He showed the disciples His concern for their safety and His sensitivity to their fears.


Humanity bears the load of many kinds of fears and concerns. A certain measure of fear is necessary for survival, but excessive fears produce torment and anxiety. Although many fears plague the human race, the Lord is concerned about them all. He remains the Master, and we can rest in the promises of the Scriptures that calm our anxieties. Through a solid relationship with Him, we experience a strong antidote for fear—trust. Certainly, we can trust in and confidently rest in Him.


B. To the Helpless and Hopeless

Jesus walked by the pool of Bethesda and found an impotent man who had been ill for thirty-eight years. An angel had troubled the water each year, but the man had been unable to reach the water before others in order to receive his healing. The man’s helpless situation touched Jesus, and He healed him.

I. Jesus, the Master Caregiver (A-C)When we have a desperate need, it is reassuring to

know that we can come boldly to the throne of grace and ask for God’s assistance (Hebrews 4:16). To come boldly is not to come with an attitude of arrogance but with a quiet confidence in the power of God. (See Matthew 7:11.)

I. Jesus, the Master Caregiver (A-C)The Lord is not reluctant to do good things. He

knows our limitations and desires to supply our needs. While we were helpless to extricate ourselves from the chains of sinful bondage, Jesus reached down to where we were and saved us.


C. To His Enemies

Throughout His ministry, Jesus was constantly doing good. While some people will do good to people who treat them kindly, it is another matter to respond with kindness when others wrong us. By His responses to abuse and mistreatment, Jesus gave us an example to emulate.

I. Jesus, the Master Caregiver (A-C)Although the Scriptures record very few people

responding favorably when mistreated, it does mention some. Joseph kept a good attitude when his own brothers mistreated him and sold him into slavery because of their jealousy. David responded with kindness when he could have killed King Saul in the cave at En-gedi.


Likewise, Jesus understood rejection as well as physical pain and agony. The citizens of Nazareth rejected Him, and the people of Gadara asked Him to leave the countryside. He saw masses of followers walk away because they said His teachings were hard sayings. After they rejected Him, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem that He loved. The pain that evil people inflicted upon Him in the events surrounding the Crucifixion is too graphic to describe. All of these things occurred to the One who went about doing nothing but good. (See John 1:11.)


Jesus told us how to respond when persecuted. We are not to go about with a martyr complex or a sad countenance, but we should rejoice in the Lord and respond with kindness to those who mistreat us. (See Matthew 5:39-41.) Some commentators have stated that Roman soldiers who were walking through the country could require citizens to carry their baggage for one mile. Jesus told His hearers that if someone were to request such of them, they should go two miles instead of the required one mile.


We are not to do good to our enemies with the thought that God will punish them for harming us. Jesus instructed us to forgive them, realizing that they do not even know why they are doing evil. Stephen prayed that God would not lay his executors’ sin to their charge. We should love our enemies and not wish them harm. It is true that God will exact vengeance and justice, but such emotions should never be our underlying motive. Instead, we should love them with the love of God and not hold it against them.


Living in sharp contrast to the eye-for-an-eye principle to which most people adhere, we are interested in our lives being good testimonies and witnesses for the Lord. When we respond with kindness toward those who have abused us, we are allowing our light to shine for Jesus.


It is possible for anyone with empathy and compassion to do good deeds to a certain degree or level. Many people donate to various charities and give of their time and money for various causes. Sometimes people seek to justify their carnality by being good, moral people and helping others. However, our own goodness has extreme limitations.


The Scriptures state that there is none good but God (Matthew 19:17), and our own righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). To love our enemies and those who despitefully use us requires a Holy Ghost filled and controlled life. If our flesh dominates or controls us, it is impossible for us to love our enemies as Christ loves them. (See Romans 8:8.) But God has called us to live such a life of selfless love and compassion.

II. The Commitment of the Caregiver (A)

The Commitment of the Caregiver

A. Responds to the Need

Most people well know the story of the Good Samaritan. A certain man was on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell among thieves. The roadside had areas where thieves could hide in caves and wait for unsuspecting travelers to venture by.

II. The Commitment of the Caregiver (A)In those isolated places, robbers would plunder and

leave their victims helpless—exposed to the elements and without medical attention for their injuries. In such a situation, robbers left the wounded man by the side of the road to die.


This is so typical of a sinner who finds himself abused by sin and left to die by the side of the road of life. Sin is a cruel taskmaster that leaves us poor and destitute. The bright lights of sin are alluring, but people do not see the consequences ahead. Jericho, the city of palm trees, would be a type of the world and a life of sin. The man went down from Jerusalem toward Jericho, a difference of approximately 3,900 feet in elevation. Certainly, a life of sin is always a downward journey.


As the man lay on the road helplessly facing certain death, he waited for someone to rescue him. Sometimes people caught in sin’s clutches feel as if no one cares for them. The psalmist described the plight of many in his lonely cry: “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul” (Psalm 142:4).


He did not say that no one was in the vicinity. It is possible that hordes of people could surround a sinner, but he still would feel utterly alone. No one would attend to his needs or acknowledge his condition. Such was the case of the man by the side of the road. No one seemed concerned about the wounded man or even cared about him.


The priest and the Levite both saw the man and chose to pass him by without stopping to help. Although both should have felt obligated to assist him, they ignored him. Their positions in the priesthood normally should have caused them to be compassionate and tender toward a man of their own nation and religion, but they chose not to get involved.


The Levite saw him and even looked down on his injuries, so he was completely without excuse. He obviously knew how severe the man’s condition was. Surely, the man’s cries of pain must have reached their ears, yet both of these religious traditionalists passed by without lending aid or assistance. It seemed that they were trying to get as far away from him as they possibly could.


Likewise, we have the right to choose whether to do good. When we see a need, our mind is involved first in the process. We receive knowledge that someone is in need, and then our emotions become involved. We may choose to halt the process at any level—stopping when we see a problem or before allowing ourselves to become emotionally involved. The priest and the Levite both were aware of the injured man, but it never got past their level of thinking and knowledge.


Empathy is the ability to place oneself in another individual’s dilemma and to feel that person’s pain and suffering. Compassion follows, as we feel personally responsible to assist in some manner. Our will then becomes involved as we make the choice to take action and help the individual.


Often, our own needs can so consume us and cloud our vision that we do not see the needs of others. It then becomes easy for us to excuse ourselves by saying, “I have my own needs. Let someone else take care of others.” Some people are content to leave tasks for others to handle, but the one who answers the call for action shoulders the burden of making sure that he meets the need. Someone has to feel personally responsible to help in the situation.


Our experiences in life often will soften us and cause us to respond with empathy and compassion. When we have walked through valleys of heartache and rejection, we more easily understand what others are going through. When disappointment has crushed our hearts, the flooding tears that have baptized us tend to make us more merciful and sensitive to the needs of others.


The Samaritan had known the pain and humiliation of rejection and slander because of his mixed race. This is perhaps why he was more compassionate and easily touched. He saw the hurting man by the side of the road and could empathize with him because of the years of hurt that he had endured.


To do good often requires immediate action. The window of opportunity to assist the wounded man was small, and delay would have been disastrous because the man could have died in a short time. There was no time to wait for someone else to come along. God sometimes places us in situations to assist in the hour of need. In such cases, we should act quickly and shoulder our responsibility. Indeed, God orders “the steps of a good man” (Psalm 37:23) and often places us in situations “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).


The apostle Paul keenly felt his obligation to a lost world. Although there were times in his life that he could have excused himself and rationalized his way to a more comfortable lifestyle, he wrote, “I am debtor” (Romans 1:14). His response to the needs around him drove him onward.

II. The Commitment of the Caregiver (B-C)

B. Ignores Social Status

There was a social barrier between the Jews and the Samaritans. When Jesus ministered to various Samaritan people, the religious people of the day became upset or shocked. When the ten lepers came to Jesus for healing, the one who returned to thank Him was a Samaritan. The woman at the well in Sychar was a Samaritan. Jesus sometimes went outside the family of Israel and ministered to people of other ethnic groups.

II. The Commitment of the Caregiver (B-C)While the priest and the Levite passed by and failed to assist the wounded man, the hated Samaritan ignored the social status of the day by showing compassion and empathy for the hapless one. We should realize that we are to minister to numerous ethnic cultures in order to fulfill the great commission. We gladly reach to all ethnicities because the gospel is for everyone from every nation.

II. The Commitment of the Caregiver (B-C)In the Book of Acts, God flung wide open the doors of salvation to every Gentile who wants to come and drink of the water of life freely. The Jewish believers who came with Peter witnessed the events that changed their minds about who had the opportunity for salvation. (See Acts 10:44-48.)

II. The Commitment of the Caregiver (B-C)We live in a society where the gospel net brings in people from every social status in life. Jesus came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Since God is no respecter of persons, no barriers or status should exclude anyone from the church. Whether they are upstanding citizens in the community or drunkards and drug peddlers, the grace of God will redeem them from sin.


C. Disregards Personal ComfortThe good Samaritan placed his needs and desires aside in the interest of the injured man’s needs. He took the time to care for the injured man’s wounds and prepare him for the trip to the inn. He placed him on his own beast, and he humbled himself to walk along with the wounded man—obviously a Jew. Laying aside racial barriers and prejudices, he trekked the slow, arduous road to transport a badly wounded individual to safety. This involved risking both of their lives, since other robbers might have lurked along the way.

II. The Commitment of the Caregiver (B-C)When they did arrive at the inn, he was weary from the journey, but he felt responsible for the care of this stranger. After caring for him and nursing him through the night, he paid all the expenses and left extra money with the innkeeper to take care of anything further as he left the next day. He then offered to pay any additional expenses when he passed that way again.

II. The Commitment of the Caregiver (B-C)A stranger who owed nothing to the wounded man did all of this. He saw an opportunity to do good, and he did so of his own volition. It was not expected or required of him, and no laws demanded that he help this Jewish stranger. To disregard his personal discomfort and to pay out of his own finances for this stranger was a sacrifice. This was no small matter. It cost him much, but there is no hint of his complaining or heaping praise upon himself. He simply did it without any fanfare or the seeking of publicity.


The Scriptures declare that if we are to please God, we must deny ourselves and think of others first. (See Matthew 16:25; Philippians 2:4.) If we do many wonderful things and have not the love of God, it is like “sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal” (I Corinthians 13:1). Our motives to do good must be pure and honest. Our motivation should be the agape love of God. We are to live a sacrificial life—our reasonable service—even if it costs us personal discomfort and expense. (See Romans 12:1.) We cannot overemphasize the commitment of the caregiver. Commitment has a price. Empathy, compassion, and sacrifice are not cheap.

III. The Church as Caregiver (A-C)

The Church as Caregiver

A. The Inn

The good Samaritan knew where to take the wounded man. His objective was to get him down the road safely to the inn where the robbers and thieves would no longer be a threat. The inn was a place of refuge and safety.


When we are caring for the lost and wounded, we also know where to take them to get help. The house of God is a refuge for the weary—a place where the healing balm of God will soothe the wounds that sin has inflicted over time. The Scriptures instruct us to go “into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23).


Evangelism is the ultimate expression of doing good. Various organizations across the world spend large sums of money to feed the hungry, and that is commendable. Volunteers go into poor countries to take medical help to the afflicted with serious diseases, which also is commendable. However, the church does more than feed the hungry and provide medicines and vaccines.


We take care of more than the human body. We tell people how they can find salvation and deliverance from sin and offer to them the hope of eternal life. What better way of doing good than to offer a means of deliverance from enslaving habits and chains of sin. The song expresses it well: “Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed.”


B. The Innkeeper

The Samaritan needed a place to take the injured man. Thankfully, an inn awaited his arrival with an understanding innkeeper who wanted to help. When the Samaritan was leaving the next morning, he could feel comfortable about leaving the man in the care of the innkeeper.


God has instituted the church to be the soul-saving refuge for lost humanity. Thankfully, churches exist across North America and around the world where the emotionally bruised and bleeding can find healing for their souls. God has placed pastors as overseers of churches to make sure that the doctrinal purity and spirit of praise and worship is present in His house to provide a proper refuge for the lost.


He has placed the ministry of the body of Christ to work with the pastors in helping to reach the world. Thus, the local members in our churches assist in nurturing the new ones that are coming in through evangelism. The mission of the church is to evangelize and make disciples for the Lord, and He instituted it as the caregiver of the hurting and dying.


C. The Reward

“It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). If we give, it will come back to us in some way or another. The law of the harvest also applies when we are doing good. Even though we do good without regard of getting something in return, we still reap what we sow. If we cast our bread upon the waters, it will come back to us in due time (Ecclesiastes 11:1).


Jesus instructed us to lay up treasures in heaven where thieves cannot steal and moths do not corrupt. He also promised that if we give a cup of cold water to someone in the name of a disciple, He would reward us (Matthew 10:42). Doing good is contagious. When we do good to someone, that person often wants to reciprocate and pass on the blessing to another. By doing good, we start an avalanche of good that spreads rapidly.


While it is true that good feelings of satisfaction accompany doing good, the greatest reward is that which we shall receive eternally in heaven. A mighty host of faithful believers that probably go unnoticed here intercede secretly in prayer for various ones in need, but God keeps good records for the eternal rewards awaiting the faithful on that day.

ReflectionsIt is human nature to look to mentors as examples to follow in life. As children, our parents had a strong influence on our lives. Through the years, other significant people influenced us as well. However, Jesus is the master example for us to emulate. This lesson clearly shows the Lord emphasizing by His example and teachings the importance of serving others. He went far beyond what anyone could even imagine as He was good to those who rejected Him and eventually conspired to crucify Him.

ReflectionsJesus left us with many parables, illustrations, and actual happenings to define these principles of living. One of these is the story of the Good Samaritan. The man in his helpless condition reminds us of where we were in life when the Lord rescued us from a life of debilitating sinful bondage. The Samaritan did for the wounded man what Jesus did for us, and, like Jesus, he was despised and rejected. Jesus had a cross of His own to bear, but He ignored His own humiliation and reached out to assist a stranger who needed a friend.

ReflectionsThankfully, someone cared enough for us to take us to the inn, the church, where we could be treated for our malady of sin and begin the process of healing from our wounds inflicted by sinful living.

ReflectionsAs members of the body of Christ, we minister to the hurting in Christ’s stead. We reach out with compassion because we remember that He brought us from a long way off. His grace and mercy rescued us from dying by the side of the road of life. We now have the opportunity to do good and pass the blessing to others along the way. We should follow our master caregiver’s example by going out of our way to help the hurting people of this world. The people we touch and help in this life will someday say, “Thank you for giving to the Lord.”

Title Page. Lesson Three Luke 6:27-30 27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you,

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