The Parables of Christ no.
38
The Good Samaritan
Rev. Brian Kocourek
This morning we shall study the pasrable of the Good
Samaritan. Jesus tells this parable as a result of a conversation he has with a
Certain Lawyre who wished to justify Himself. Therefore, since Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday, today and forever, this parable should be seen as one that
is directed towards those who would seem to have a need to justify themselves.
And when one feels the need to justify themselves, then you should understand
that there is a war going on within that person. For why would you feel that you have need of
justification unless you also feel that you are being unrightly accused of
something you have not done.
LUKE
Now this statemenmt here is the key to understanding
this parable, because Jesus says, You answered right,
now this you must also do and thou shalt live. In other words, it is not enough
to know to do what is right but you must also do it, and then you shalt live.
The word live is translated from the
Greek word ZAO and it means “to be alive,
or to live life and to enjoy life.” And the word neighbor,
does not mean just the person next door. It simply means others. Jesus is
saying we must be willing to live life by enjoying life and sharing it with
others by loving God with all of our strength, with all of our heart and with
all of our energies, and then we must also be willing to love our neighbor with
the same love that we would have for our own selves.
29
But he, willing to justify himself,
said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? Now, as I mentioned earlier, if you feel that you are in a situation
that you have to justify yourself, then you are in a situation where you are
suspect of something. In other words, when you feel you have to justify
yourself is when you think someone else is not thinking of you as you are
thinking of yourself. That means your thoughts and focus are on self instead of
others, and that is what Jesus was trying to get this lawyer to
understand. And that is why Jesus tells
the following parable.
30
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. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as
he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
Now, do not forget that the Jews and Samaritans had
very little to do with one another. Remember, the woman at the well? When Jesus
asked her for a drink, she said, JOHN 4:9 Then saith the woman of
So we see a scene laid out before us of a man from
Now if you want to apply that to today, we could say
this is a man who was in the Message, and he became hurt, injured, mistreated
by someone, anyone, it does not matter for the story is not who mistreated this
man, but those who could have done something about helping him after the fact and didn’t.
And I find it amazing that eveb within this most
Glorious Message, where God Himself has come down to gather together His Elect.
Where God Himself has given us evidence of His Presence among us showing us a
Pillar of Fire, and a Cloud designating He has come, and still we have people
still who are self centric who actually avoid other persons in this message who
may be down and out and need their love
and helping hand.
Now, I realize that there are a lot of con artists,
or what we call in the mission field, “gold diggers” out there. But just because there are those kind of
people, does not mean that we should have no compassion on people who legitimately
need our help. After all, Brother Branham said, “Eternal
Life is Living for others”, and that is
exactly what this parable is all about. The man wanted to know how to inherit
Eternal Life, and Jesus through this parable is trying to tell him.
THAT
DAY ON
15-6 Someone said, "How can you stand and
let anyone call you such bad names?" You
don't live for yourself. You live for others that you might redeem that
man. You become sons. And the
trouble of it is that the church has forgot they were sons. You are sons. You're taking Christ's place. You are sons;
so don't live for yourself; live for others.
"Well,
Brother Branham, I can live for this brother because he sure is a nice
man." That's not it. Live for that
man who hates you. Live for that person who'd kill you if they could.
That's what they done to Him. They killed Him, and He died that He might save
them. That's Eternal Life. When you’ve got that in your bosom, you're facing
heaven then. But you sacrifice your own things, give
them up like the sheep gives its wool. You look on towards
15-8
I hope this helps you to get in a place... That's what the Tabernacle,
that's what all people has got to do, is find out what you are and what's the
purpose. Church isn't going to church just to play music, sing songs. Church is
a place where correction... Judgment begins at the house of God. We must reckon ourselves dead and alive to
Christ. Then He made the way that we could sacrifice ourselves to His
service to follow Him. If we follow Him,
we lead the life that He led. That's wonderful. Jesus said, and spoke of
it. Let me just give you a few quotations on it. Listen close. Don't miss it.
16-1 Jesus said at that
day He would separate the people like the sheep and the goats, and He would say
to the goats, "Stand on the left side," and to the sheep, "Stand
on the right side." And He said to the goats, "Depart from Me, because I was hungry and you didn't feed Me. I was in
prison, and you did not visit Me. I was naked, and you
clothed Me not. I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink. I was sick, and you didn't visit Me. So depart from Me." And on
the sheep, He said, "I was hungry and you fed Me.
I was naked and you give Me clothing. I was sick and
you ministered to Me." And notice, don't fail to get this, church.
Keep this in your heart forever. It was so unconsciously done. The people
don't do it for a line of duty. A man that gives you something or other because
he ought to do it, a man that feeds you
because he ought to do it, he's got a selfish idea.
It should be your very life, your very action.
16-2 It was so surprising to these sheep that
they said, "Lord, when were You hungry and we
wouldn't feed You? When were You hungry, and we fed
You? When were You naked, and we give You clothes?
When were You thirsty, and we give You drink? When
were You sick, and we ministered to You?" It was
so automatically, out of love, it's just their life lived in them. God, let the people see what
16-5 Now, I say, "When the Lord would--the
Lord want me to do that." It's not that. You're just part of Him. His Spirit's in you, and you act the way He acted. Do get it.
"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the
way of death. Not all that saith Lord, Lord, shall enter in, but they that do the will of My Father,"
just from their hearts, just freely.
Now, that day at
17-2 Oh, you feel that blessed Spirit, that
life, "Not me that liveth," said Paul, "but Christ liveth in
me." Just so automatic... "Well, I tell you,
Brother Branham. We are Christians here. We help these people. We help them
people." Oh, my, shame on you. That's not Christianity. Christianity is
just automatically got a--it's to be done. And you just forget about, all
about... Go do it. Christ just completely surrendered His Life to God. He gave
Hisself as a public Servant to the people. He gave His Life freely. He didn't
have to do it. He didn't begrudgingly do it. He didn't say, "Now, brother,
you all ought to think a whole lot of Me, because I
come to die for you." He never said a word about it. He died anyhow,
because it was God in Him. It's God in you. It's God in me that makes us look
at others.
17-5 Sheep on one side.
One of them will say, "Well, Lord, I did this, and, Lord, I did
that." He said, "Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity, I never
even knew you." If the church can ever come to those fundamental facts,
that it's not something you try to do, you work yourself up to do; it's
something that's born in you.
17-8 Forgive me, my Pentecostal friends. I am
Pentecostal, but my Pentecostal friends has got to a spot to where there has to
be a lot of fast music, beating of some bands, or clapping hands, or
tambourines to bring up a shout. That's only emotions. They play the bands
before they go to battle to get people in the emotion of battle. I believe in
music. I believe in clapping of hands, but I believe in these things. That's
exactly true. We ought to have that, but you have left the great things undone...?... that self-sacrifice Life that God lives in you,
automatically doing that which is right, because it's right: just going on,
don't even think nothing about it, just living it. Then watch... You see what's
going on, you just--you don't--you're on the highway. That's what
18-1 Now, now remember, you cannot be half goat
and half sheep. They won't mix. Now, there's a lot of
people who say, "Yes, you know what? We got a
organization in our group. We--we help the poor. We do this." That's all
right, but you're tooting your own horn about it. You don't do that. You do
your alms in secret; Jesus said. Just automatically something to you; it's no
more than going and getting a drink of water. You're thirsty. If the next man's
thirsty, you think about him too. The next man's need, you think about him the
same as your own need, and don't pay no attention to
it, just live on.
18-3
Now, you can't be half sheep and half goat. So if you say, "Well,
our church has got an organization. We give to the poor. We do this, and do
that, and do the other." If you had that without that other, the life of
Christ in you, you're just absolutely doing it in vain. Jesus... Paul said, I
Corinthians 13, "Though I give all my goods to feed the poor, and have my
body burned as a sacrifice, it profit me
nothing." Now, this is hard but it's truth. You
got to come to that fact. Recognize what
And so we see in this parable Jesus is telling us
that in this Good Samaritan, there was something in this man that he was
willing to help, even a Jew whom his race of people had very little if anything
to do with the Jews and visa versa. And
so we follow this act of kindness of this Samaritan that was filled with the
Love of God in His heart. And we see by hs actions what was in his heart. 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. 35 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.
This is our example. This is the way God wants us to
live out our lives here on earth.
PHILIPPIANS
2:1 ¶ If [there be]
therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship
of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be
likeminded, having the same love, [being] of one accord, of one mind. 3 [Let] nothing [be
done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem
other better than themselves. 4 Look
not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it
not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took
upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross.
I
THESSALONIANS 1:2 ¶
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our
prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our
Father;
Now, remember the word OF is an acronym which means
belonging to or more specifically, OUT
FROM.
Therefore we should read this verse as Remembering without
ceasing your work out from your
faith, and labour out from your love, and patience out from your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God
and our Father. And to be more exact, we should read it as thus, Remembering
without ceasing your work produced and
characterized by the faith which is yours, and
your labor which is shaped and characterized by the Love you embrace, and
evidently manifested through the patience you possess due to the hope you have in
our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence
of God our Father.
So you see how that your shapes and molds the very
nature of the expression that comes forth from your being as an evident token
that you have been made alive, and your love expresses itself in self
sacrifiicial acts of charity towards others, with no regard to self, and this
then brings upon you a peace which is characterized by the patience you show
forth which is an evident token of your earnest expectation in our Lord Jesus
Christ.
II
THESSALONIANS 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you,
brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the
charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; 4 So that we
ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in
all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 5 ¶ [Which is] a manifest token of the righteous
judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which
ye also suffer: 6 Seeing [it is] a righteous thing with God to recompense
tribulation to them that trouble you; 7 And to you who are troubled rest with
us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them
that believe (because our testimony among you was believed ) in that day. 11 ¶ Wherefore also we
pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of [this] calling, and
fulfil all the good pleasure of [his] goodness, and the work of faith with power:
12 That the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our
God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
And our Faith works by Love. In other words, Love is
the motivating force that brings ourr faith into expression. It is love that takes
ahold of your faith and moves it from a dormant passive Faith into a vibrant
acive faith. Bercause Faith is not about
self, and neither is Eternal Life living for self, but eternal Life is living
for others. Its not the works that avil anything, buty
the works which have been prioduced because of Love.
GALATIANS
5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither
circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by
love.
Because Faith is a revelation, and Hope is an earnest
expectation and Love is the outward expression of that Revelation. Paul said
there remaineth, Faith, Hope and Love, and the greatest of these is Love.
I
CORINTHIANS 13:1 ¶ Though I speak with the tongues of
men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a
tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all
mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could
remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all
my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have
not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4
¶ Charity suffereth long, [and]
is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all
things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 ¶ Charity never faileth: but whether
[there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall
cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For
we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when
that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought
as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to
face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And
now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.
JOHN
13:34A new commandment I give unto you, That
ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all [men] know that
ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
JOHN
15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even
as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These
things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your
joy might be full. 12 This is my
commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved
you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I
command you. 15 Henceforth I call you
not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called
you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known
unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me,
but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth
fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the
Father in my name, he may give it you. 17
These things I command you, that ye love one another. 18 ¶ If the world hate you, ye know that it
hated me before [it hated] you. 19 If
ye were of the world, the world would love his own:
but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world,
therefore the world hateth you. 20
Remember the word that I said unto you, The
servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will
also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
ROMANS
13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to
love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not
kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not
covet; and if [there be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in
this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no
ill to his neighbour: therefore love [is] the fulfilling of the law.
I
PETER
I
JOHN
1
JOHN
I
JOHN 4:7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is
of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God
is love. 9 In
this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only
begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we
ought also to love one another. 12 No
man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and
his love is perfected in us.