One of the things I love about the parables that Jesus used is that they are so often like those lenticular images. You know the ones, you look at them from a slightly different perspective and they present you with a new and completely different picture. Yeah, those. Now you have to be somewhat careful with this and not go putting in stuff that’s just not there, but examining the layers of the stories can bring out additional challenges.

Our pastor did that this past Sunday with the parable known as the Good Samaritan.

“A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A levite walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

This was prompted by the question, “Who is my neighbor?”

So it’s clear from the text that part of the message is at least in part that we should be like the Samaritan, loving those that have fallen by the wayside, even if that person is someone that we find despicable. He also lays out pretty clearly that this love should be complete. It wasn’t enough to just take him to an inn, but the Samaritan paid all of his bills and demanded the best care. Our love for the man in the ditch should be as sacrificial. That’s the sermon I’ve heard nearly every time this passage has ever been brought up anyway.

Hunter was talking about the offering and how thankful we should be to be able to make one and he said, “I am the man in the ditch.” And I was like… “Yeah.” He didn’t really go too much further with that, but here are my thoughts.

We have been beaten and left for dead. We have been salved and taken care of. We will be given a place beyond that which we could acquire on our own. All of this by a man that, under most circumstances, we would find despicable. I think this is a great picture of our lives as believers. I’m not so sure it accurately portrays our salvation (except perhaps as part of it in a larger sense) since I think we weren’t just half dead in our transgressions, but rather completely dead. However I think it’s spot on for our sanctification and our ongoing relationship with Jesus.

Sin beats us about the head and shoulders. Satan is the bandit who wants to take what we have and leave us in that ditch. Jesus comes to take care of us, to bind our wounds and put us back in the place that he has for us. He has not only paid for those sins, but has gone further and deeper, showing us a sacrificial love alien to many. He does all of these things for a person that many may call unlovable or unworthy.

This is an example for me of “what Jesus would do” and as we have been given such a great gift, so should we give to others. Now that we are out of the ditch (a place we may well wind up in again) we must become the good neighbor and live the life that he laid out for us. For me that makes the image more powerful and meaningful (even though it was already both) and gives me a clearer picture not only of how we should love our neighbor, but yet another good reason as to why we should. “We love him, because he first loved us.”—1 John 4:19.