DOING LIKEWISE
A sermon by George R. Pasley
Amos 7:7-17; Luke 10:25-37
I once heard a friend refer to a sermon on the Good Samaritan as “an easy passage to preach.”
On another occasion I heard a seminary professor say that preaching on love was like “shooting fish in a barrel.”
But I have to wonder, not because it’s a difficult message- love your neighbor as your self, but because of the way the passage ends.
“Go and do likewise.”
In October 2006 a man named Charles Roberts entered a small wooden schoolhouse in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. He took ten occupants hostage, and within a half-hour he killed five young Amish girls and injured five others before killing himself.
For generation after generation, the families of those Amish victims had been taught to “love their neighbor as themselves.” On that day they were put to the test: is it really possible to do as Jesus taught, to go and do likewise?
“The afternoon of the shooting an Amish grandfather of one of the girls who was killed expressed forgiveness toward the killer, Charles Roberts. That same day Amish neighbors visited the Roberts family to comfort them in their sorrow and pain.
Later that week the Roberts family was invited to the funeral of one of the Amish girls who had been killed. And Amish mourners outnumbered the non-Amish at Charles Roberts' funeral.” (http://www.800padutch.com/amishforgiveness.shtml)
Let me say this: I have worked among the Amish, and when I left
But still, the first response of the Lancaster Amish was to “do likewise”, and to a degree far beyond the ability of most Christians- let alone most Americans- they did.
I have to admit, that story makes me nervous- do we have to go THAT far? Doesn’t it leave us incredibly at risk? Maybe we should read Jesus’ story again, and figure out where the lines are drawn…
In fact, the lawyer who was questioning Jesus- testing him really, was trying to draw lines- who is my neighbor- whom do I have to love, and who can I ignore?
In response, Jesus told a story about 5 people- one a complete stranger, unnamed and un-described, two of them practitioners of the faith, one of them an unidentified innkeeper, and last, “the one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus described that man as a Samaritan.
Samaritans were considered interlopers, pretenders, and heretics by the Jews.
The “one who showed mercy,” the one who did, was a stranger, a supposed enemy, someone who was different.
Jesus used a Samaritan example, and erased all possible limits to obedience to the command, Love your neighbor as yourself.”
At least, as far as whom to love and who not to love are concerned.
What about how to love- how far do we have to go?
The Samaritan interrupted his trip.
Was he in a hurry?
Did he have along way to go?
Who knows- but he stopped, he tended, and he stopped again to find more help for the man who was robbed.
The Samaritan put himself out- he put the man on his donkey, and walked.
He paid the expenses at the inn.
Furthermore, he promised to pay any additional expenses.
To be sure, the standard of care provided by the innkeeper was far lower- and far cheaper- than what we might pay at Ketchikan General Hospital, but the principal is this: when someone is in need, we need to put ourselves out.
That’s a hard thing to do.
I don’t like to be inconvenienced by people parking temporarily in my driveway, but my neighbor pleaded with me- they are mostly single parents, coming to pick their kids up at her day care, and they are hurried and worried and stressed and my willingness to be inconvenienced might just be a blessing to them.
So I’m trying, and I know one thing- it is a blessing to my neighbor, and she appreciates it.
On the day that France surrendered to Nazi Germany during World War Two, Andre’ Trocme’, pastor of the Reformed Congregation on the small village of Le Chambon, stepped into the pulpit and proclaimed: “The responsibility in Christians is to resist the violence that will be brought to bear on their consciences…” Over the next four years the villagers, most of them descendants of the Huguenots, did just that. In a remarkable display of faithfulness and courage, which cost several participants their lives, the approximately 5,000 people in the village and the surrounding hamlets provided sanctuary to over 5,000 Jews, saving them from the massacre of the Nazi death camps.” (Charles L. Campbell, “The Word Before the Powers,” p. 1)
I’d like to think that if push came to shove, I would be that courageous. Maybe I would, but maybe I wouldn’t. But here’s a word of possibility- when asked, the villagers said they did not consider their actions heroic or notable. They were simply doing what they had practiced doing all their lives- loving their neighbors, even when they were strangers.
So that’s a clue to us: loving our neighbors in a way that is costly, courageous and life-changing is possible, if we practice.
It has to be something that we talk about, and it has to be something that we watch each other do, and it has to be something that we do, and it has to be something that we strive to improve.
After all, that’s what practice is.
We all enjoy Steve’s singing, but we probably wouldn’t enjoy it so much if he never practiced.
A few weeks go I went to the Lumberjack show after hours to watch John and Annie practice log rolling. It was an experience I enjoyed, though it might be a stretch to say that the all the kids were enjoying it- after all, that water is COLD!
But their practice was mostly fun, and it was worthwhile- because it improved their skills, their reflexes, their strength and their character.
So where do we start?
We start by looking. Agnes came to Lord’s Table and noticed there were children- and wondered if they needed something tasty they could take back home with them.
Grace noticed that some of the folk who come to food pantry didn’t know how to use basic foods, and that some of them hardly have a kitchen- so she wondered if they could use crock pots.
We start by listening. It was hard listening to the lament of my neighbor. I still want to defend myself- after all, I’m the one who sometimes can’t get in, or out, of my driveway!
But listening might help me to love better.
Then we continue.
We continue to notice what needs doing, and we notice what others are doing, and we do what we can.
But most of all, we continue to remember what Jesus did for us.
While we were still strangers to him- while we were still enemies of God, he came.
When he came, he stopped for strangers, he touched the outcastes, he ate with sinners, and he forgave his enemies.
We remember that he did all of that, and that each act was meaningful and life changing.
But we remember one more thing. We remember that it was all the practice of love.
So it’s no small wonder that when push came to shove,
He was able to die for us,
Because he knew how to love.
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
