The Good Samaritan: Christ's Pattern for Intervention

“But a certain Samaritan, as he jour­neyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, “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. “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.” Luke 10:33-35.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is an allegorical gold­mine. In three short verses it relates the spiritual history of man, the mission of Christ into the world, the purpose and power of God in redemption, and defines the role of the church in the world. In terms of our theme, this parable spells out the steps for both physical and spiritual intervention care with amazing clarity.

The Samaritan’s Attitude

“A certain Samaritan… came where he was.” First, we must get on the level of the sinner. This does not mean to partake of his sin, but to relate to him up close, in his language, in a relevant fashion, and with respect to his specific needs. We cannot redefine the sinner according to our own tastes. We cannot minister to today’s environ­ment in the mode or mindset that was appropriate decades ago.

“When he saw him.” The Samaritan needed to get an ac­curate picture of his condition. Although it was not a pretty sight, he looked directly at the victim and assessed his need. He did not turn away in disgust, nor did he pretend the problem was not as bad as it was.

“He had compassion on him.” The Samaritan did not see an oppor­tunity to make money, fame or acclaim. He did not take advantage of a helpless man. He considered how it must feel to be beaten and robbed. But for a few hours, it may have been himself lying there broken and bloody. For us, evan­gelism must be seen as an unselfish act of compas­sion.

The Samaritan’s Action

“And went to him.” The Samaritan did not offer the beaten man words, philo­sophies or ideas. He got phy­sically, actively involved in the process. He com­mitted himself, sacri­ficed his time, expended his energy and exe­cuted the task.

“And bound up his wounds.” Open, bleeding wounds demand urgent care. Al­though the Samaritan may not have been a doctor, he simply used common sense in taking what he had available to him and bound up his wounds. He knew time was of the essence. Before the healing can start, the bleeding has to stop.

“Pouring in oil and wine.” In Bible times, both oil and wine were known for their soothing, curative effects. The Samar­itan applied the medicines he had to the wounded man. Oil and wine are both types of the Holy Spirit and speak of anoin­ting, cleansing, grace and power. Long before a sinner is regenerated, the virtues of the Spirit of God can bless, indeed, must bless him.

The Samaritan’s Aftercare

“Set him on his own beast.” The thieves left this man im­mobile and generally helpless. He had to have physical help to leave the ditch where the robbers had thrown him. Thus, this caregiver wil­lingly used his own resources to transport him. He felt per­sonal respon­sibility toward the victim.

“Brought him to an inn.” Shelter, protection and basic comfort was necessary to nurse this man back to health. He could not stay out in the cold night. This is a beautiful type of the church’s role in the salvation of the sinner. The church must remain visible, functional and strong so the sinner has a place to come for help.

“And took care of him.” The Samar­itan did not fall short in his efforts to bring a man back from the dead. He could have justified himself in dropping him off at the inn and rushing on to his ap­pointments. Instead, he took care of him throughout the night, paid for his use of the room, and committed himself to the innkeeper to reimburse him for any further expenses incurred by caring for the wounded man. This implies that more treatment and care would be necessary for full recovery. Ur­gent care must be given first, and then full and proper treatment comes later.

As this parable demonstrates, healing encompasses the entire scope of salvation. Man’s sin has filled his life with pain, guilt and loneliness. God, through His infinite grace and compassion, condes­cended to man’s level, entered into his pain, and ministered healing to the soul.

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16.

Jesus held out this parable as a model for the church. Let us now examine our philosophy of winning souls in the light of this parable. Without the attitude of the Samaritan, we cannot have the kind of results that our Lord intends. As we re-shape our thinking about reaching the lost in terms of Christ’s purpose, we will come closer to fulfilling the mission of the church.

The Medical Philosophy

The medical profession has a tradi­tion for dedication to human service. For centuries, the Hippocratic Oath, so named in honor of Hippocrates, a medical man of great influ­ence in ancient Greece, solem­nized the conduct of medical doctors upon entering into their profession. Even today, it is used in the commen­cement exercises of schools of medi­cine. This oath endures because it conveys the sacredness of life. Every doctor, accor­ding to the oath, must dedicate his life’s efforts to benefit the sick.

The first part of the oath pertains to teaching medical know­ledge. The second part, given below, applies directly to the doctor’s work.

The Hippocratic Oath

“The regimen I adopt shall be for the benefit of my patients according to my ability and judgment, and not for their hurt or for any wrong. I will give no deadly drug to any, though it be asked of me, nor will I counsel such, and especially I will not aid a woman to procure abortion.

Whatsoever house I enter, there will I go for the benefit of the sick, refraining from all wrongdoing or corruption, and especially from any act of seduction, of male or female, of bond or free.”

The Declaration of Geneva

In 1948 in Geneva the World Medical Association drew up a modern version of the oath. Its text was amended in 1968.

At the time of being admitted a member of the medical pro­fession: I solemnly pledge myself to consecrate my life to the service of human­ity;
I will give my teachers the respect and grati­tude which is their due;
I will practice my profession with conscience and dignity;
The health of my patient will be my first consideration;
I will respect the secrets which are confided in me, even after the patient has died;
I will maintain by all the means in my po­wer, the honor and the noble traditions of the medical profession;
My colleagues will be my brothers;
I will not permit considerations of religion, nationality, race, party politics or social stan­ding to intervene between my duty and my patient;
I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from the time of conception; even under threat I will not use my medical knowl­edge con­trary to the laws of humanity. I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honor.

Health care experts find people in their most vul­nerable and helpless con­dition. Very often, their decisions result in the life or death of the patient. Thus, the patients expect health profes­sionals to perform at their highest level of skill and commit­ment every moment. Pro­fes­sionals cannot afford to misdiag­nose a patient, prescribe improper medications, and fail to anticipate harmful side effects of medications or treatments, or delay proper treat­ment. Today, of course, the danger of a malpractice suit haunts every medical deci­sion or act. But it is a pathe­tic physician who depends on negative consequen­ces to ply his trade. Beyond the legal and finan­cial considerations, a moral basis exists to motivate people in the health care industry to achieve an ideal. That ideal, to give the best possible care to every patient, is the guiding philosophy of the medical field.

A Philosophy for Spiritual Healing

A philosophy is a broad theme, which underlies and gives meaning to a way of life. If the med­ical profession embraces such a noble philoso­phy as the Hippocratic Oath and the Declaration of Geneva, soulwinners must be no less con­cerned about saving people for eternity. The Bible sets forth our philosophy for evan­gelism. As we survey the verses which deal with reaching the lost, at least two ideas emerge. First, we see a profile of the kind of person Jesus targets with the gospel. Second, the purpose of Christ speaks of itself loud and clear.

• “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. “Go ye therefore, and teach all na­tions, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: “Teaching them to observe all things what­soever I have com­manded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20.
• “So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. “And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast com­manded, and yet there is room. “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:21-23.
• “It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” Luke 15:32
• “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10.
• “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusa­lem.” Luke 24:47.
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
• “He that believeth on him is not con­demned: but he that believeth not is con­demned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16-18.
• “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 2:38.
• “And all things are of God, who hath recon­ciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; “To wit, that God was in Christ, re­con­ciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath com­mitted unto us the word of recon­ciliation. “Now then we are ambas­sadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” II Corinthians 5:18-20.

What kind of person should we reach with the gospel? Soulwinners must not permit prejudice or animosity to interfere with the task at hand. They should consider each person to be loved by God. They must not assign condemnation to anyone, and must always reach out to people with compassion.

What motive becomes a person who leads people to Christ? Soulwinners should share the gospel with the understanding that all the necessary authority is given to them. They should go forth with the purpose of seeing lost people saved to the uttermost, and should use the resources of the full gospel to accomplish this purpose.

We conclude that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” T­here­fore, those who have not been deliv­ered from sin are “poor, maimed, halt and blind.” In today’s vocabulary, we may de­fine them as dysfunctional, addictive, im­balanced, co-dependant, or suffering from emotional, psychologi­cal or social problems. They may be lonely, rejec­ted or guilt-ridden. They may be outwardly successful, but inwardly troubled. The key concept is that people in sin are people in pain. Without a cure, these people will die an eternal death.

Jesus Christ came to rid each believer of his sin, relieve him of the pain caused by sin, and recreate him in the image of God and give him everlasting life. He did not come so man could merely exchange one pain for another. He did not come to establish another religion in a world already glutted with reli­gion. He did not come to simply identify sin and preach condem­nation. He came to save. “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.” Salvation is, above all else, God’s plan to restore man to a right relationship with Himself. We, as the church, are Christ’s ambas­sadors to this world, recon­ciling it to God. We must incor­porate these ideals into our philosophy of soulwinning.

People in sin are people in pain.