What Samaritans?

Many words in the Bible we look at and think they are a thing of the past. Words like Samaritans and idols and lepers are not our problem. They were things “in Jesus’ day”. I think that today most, if not all, of these words still apply. I have already explained my views on idols in the article “Hosea and our Idols”. I would like to focus on the Samaritans. On the surface, this is perhaps the easiest of these biblical words to apply in our lives. A different ethnic group hated by another ethnic group; we know all about that. Yet I would like to take it deeper. Let’s apply it not only to our different ethnicities, let’s apply this word to all groups we would identify as different than ourselves (when I say “ourselves” I mean the American church).
I want to talk about the group that perhaps we hate the most. A group that possibly brings out more hate and slander from the American Church than any other. We call them liberals; democrats. I’m talking about our picket lines, our t-shirts, our posters. Think of election time; about the only time we ever hear “evangelical” on the news. It seems this argument, Democrats versus Republicans, liberals versus conservatives, quickly gives us an excuse to throw out “love your neighbor”. Think how much we let our political views affect our social circle. There are left or right churches, not churches that accept both. If you’re one, you don’t associate with the other. It’s just how its done. But did Jesus do it like that?
Don’t think to yourself that Jesus didn’t have these social issues in His day. Are you kidding me? Politics in Israel in 33 A.D. were way worse than politics in America in the 21st century. Rome had divided the nation into two factions; those who hated the romans, the Zealots, and those who were submissive to Roman rule. The pharisees tried to get Jesus entangled in this debate in Matt 22:15-22. Without going into detail, it is sufficient to say that Jesus shuts the pharisees down. Among Jesus’ twelve disciples both groups were represented. Simon was a Zealot, he hated the Romans; Matthew was a tax collector, a man who worked with and profited from the Romans. Yet in Jesus these enemies became friends. Why can we not do the same in our day?
Don’t get me wrong; there are issues in politics that Christians need to speak out against. Abortions is one of these critical issues; so is any immoral behavior by our government. John the Baptist died for speaking out against Herod’s immoral marriage (Matt 14:1-12). Yet remember that Paul tells us that all authorities have been appointed by God, for one reason or another (Romans 13:1-7). “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1). I am not arguing against political stands for the right reasons; I am speaking out over hate of the other side.
Our Christianity should affect our politics, not the other way around. We are commanded to love. Not if’s or who’s. “But their sinners and what they believe is wrong!”. Well, so were the samaritans, but Jesus didn’t leave them behind. The Samaritans had disobeyed God and intermarried with the other nations around Israel; they also worshiped God at different places than the temple at Jerusalem, a hated thing at the time. Jews hated Samaritans; but Jesus didn’t. He spoke to the samaritan woman at the well (who was also quite the partier) in John 4:1-45. Also in John 4 it tell us “many Samaritans from that town believed in him” and that “the Samaritans came to him (Jesus), they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days”. He obviously didn’t have a problem with samaritans in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Jesus loved the hated, but we hate those who are slightly different.
My underlying theme I want to pound into your head is this: don’t hate the enemy. Don’t create a group you despise. Jesus continually talks about loving those you can’t stand; your enemies. Luke 6:27-36 is a hard passage. Love your enemies. Do good to your enemies. Turn the other cheek. Jesus doesn’t just say “Don’t do bad to people”; he actually says to do good to them. Are you really doing this? Taking this to the extreme? Do you love Barack Obama? George Bush? Bill Clinton? Oprah? Your friend down the street who voted agains propositions (insert number)? We are to love all; no matter what side of the fence you are on.
Who are your Samaritans? Liberals, conservatives, Ellen watchers, rockers, the poor? Find your samaritans, and I challenge you to go out of your way to love them today.