The early chapters of the Bible contain some very important questions, questions that have changed and continue to influence human history.
The first question asked - "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Gen. 3.1b). The questioner, of course, was the snake - Satan's representative. Variations of that question are still asked today. It may come in the form of "Who said you have to do what your parents tell you?" or "Who said you should wait till you're married?" or "Who said it's wrong to go off with someone else's wife or husband?" or "You don't really have to do that!"
It centres around an important word that has been given a bad name in recent times - the word "submission". The starting point of human sin and its consequences has been refusal to submit to God. "Did God really tell you?"
But soon there was another question - "Where are you?" (v. 9b). The questioner was God. And God knew, of course, where they were - and what they had done! It had been normal and natural to walk and talk with God in the cool of the evening. Sharing their life with God was wonderful and enriching. The God who created them loved them and wanted all that was good for them. The first effect of their rebellion was that they felt ashamed and wanted to hide from God. But God, who is so basic to our lives, showed by his question that he wasn't going to leave the human race in their rejection and isolation - heading to death. But neither was he going to take away our freedom to choose. He called on Adam and Eve to tell what they had done.
The call to repent of sin and return to God is implicit in this question. Again and again throughout the Bible we are aware of God's question - still there behind all that he says and does. "Where are you?"
Following that first sin, life in the Garden was no longer possible. Life would involve lots of sweat and toil. Adam and Eve still believed in God. With the birth of their first son, Eve said, "With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man," and she named him Cain (4.1). Their next son was Abel.
But that first sin had released sin into the world and Cain killed Abel - the first murder. Again, God comes with a question, "Where is your brother Abel?" God had given Cain a warning, "Why are you angry?… sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it" (v. 7) Cain had given in to anger and murdered his brother. But God is still reaching out to Cain. That question, "Where is your brother Abel?" is saying - "Come on, Cain! Tell me what you have done. You can still repent and turn back to me. It's not too late, even now!"
But Cain replied with another question - "Am I my brother's keeper?" (v. 9b)
And there we have a third question from the dawn of history reaching down to us today! Of course, he had murdered his brother and was trying to cover up! Most would agree that the choice to harm or destroy the life of another person is wrong. And yet - the theme of so much of modern life is "I'm not my brother's and sister's keeper!" I'm not responsible to respect them, to care for them, to be glad with them and for them in their successes… I am Number One. What matters is my life, my ambitions, my goals…
When the teacher of the Law came to try to trap Jesus, Jesus asked him to tell what the Scriptures said. The man replied with two Scriptures. Deut. 6.5, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" And Lev. 19.18b, "Love your neighbour as yourself." "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." But the teacher had come to trap Jesus, so he asked another question - "And who is my neighbour?"
Jesus answered with a story. A man was walking down from Jerusalem to Jericho. It was a dangerous road. It was just over thirty kilometres from Jerusalem to Jericho, but the road was steep and narrow as it descended 1000 metres in altitude. Along the way there were caves where wild bands would hide to attack and rob travellers. It has had that bad reputation until comparatively recent times. And that is what happens to this man. Robbers attack him, strip him of anything of value, beat him up and leave him half dead.
Then a priest walks along that road - probably thinking his own thoughts and anxious to get home safely. He sees the man. His immediate thought is for his own safety. "There are robbers around. They might get me, if I stay here." So he walked by on the other side.
Soon a Levite comes - a helper from the Temple. He at least goes over and has a look at him. It isn't a pretty sight. Can't he see that the man is still breathing? that he is still alive? that he needs help? But the Levite, too, steps around the man and hurries on.
Jesus deliberately chose the priest and the Levite because they should have known what God expects of us. And, theoretically, they did. If Jesus had asked them, "What do the Scriptures say?", they would have been able to quote chapter and verse like the teacher of the Law in our reading.
A Sunday School superintendent was laying a new front path. Just as he had worked the concrete to a good non-slip surface, his four-year-old son walked across it. The father blew his top. His wife came out to see what was happening. "I thought you loved children," she said. "Well yes, I do," the father replied, "in the abstract, but not in the concrete!"
The whole point isn't whether the priest and the Levite knew their obligations to love their neighbour, but what will they do about this neighbour?
Then the Samaritan comes along. Samaritans were hated by the Jews. They had been brought in to populate the land while the Jews were in exile. They had adopted some of the principles of the Jewish religion and accepted the first five books of the Bible. The Samaritan comes along, sees the man, is filled with pity.
"He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him" He pays the inn-keeper and offers to pay more next time he is through, if there are any more expenses to be met.
Notice how Jesus now changed the question. "Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" "Who is my neighbour?" can be a very theoretical question. But Jesus is saying, "To whom should I act as a neighbour?"
The expert in the law answers, "The one who had mercy on him." He doesn't say, "The Samaritan," but Jesus' point is clear to him.
"Go and do likewise."
In a remarkable way we see, in the Samaritan, the love of God in his Son, Jesus Christ. God has loved wayward humanity so much that he gave his only Son. Jesus came, and at risk - yes, and even more, at cost - of his own life has rescued us, paying the ultimate price.
The more deeply we have grasped for ourselves God's loving sacrificial care for us the more we are motivated into practical caring service for others.
Under the minister of Rev. Arthur Preston, the West End Methodist Mission in Brisbane was well-known as a place where people were challenged to faith in Christ. Sunday evening services moved into the Rialto picture theatre and Arthur was in demand to lead evangelistic missions throughout Australia and beyond.
This deep understanding of God's caring love led to the establishment of the Blue Nursing Service in 1953. Without government funding, one Blue Nurse, Olive Crombie, travelled by tram to the very first patients.
The report of the Mission in 1962 stated, "The growth of the Blue Nursing Service since its launching in September 1953 has been nothing short of phenomenal. Commencing with one sister, no transport and no money, but with large faith, today our Brisbane Centre employs 16 full-time and five part-time sisters, uses eight cars and serves just over 200 patients daily."
As others caught the vision - and with the financial support of community and governments - the Service grew, spread and developed beyond Brisbane, beyond home nursing. For eleven years I was closely associated with Blue Nursing - six of them as a member of State Council. Always there has been a strong need to maintain both professional excellence and Christian compassion.
More recently, a wider range of caring services sponsored by the Uniting Church has been brought together under the name Uniting Care Australia. Three years ago the name "Blue Care" was announced at the Uniting Church Synod in Brisbane.
The stated mission of Blue Care is "to promote and deliver quality caring services based on the compassion of Christ."
Today, as we reflect on the story of the Good Samaritan, we see the redemptive practical love of God for humanity in Jesus Christ himself. We also hear his word of challenge, "Go and do likewise." God cares - we care.
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