The Man at the Inn

I've been thinking lately about the parable Jesus told about the "Good Samaritan."  When tested by a man who sought to justify himself by asking, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus told a story about a man traveling the road to Jericho who fell among thieves.  He was beaten, robbed, stripped, and left for dead.  A priest who walked by ignored his plight, as well as a Levite who passed by on the other side.  It was the Samaritan, a man hailing from a group of people despised by the Jews, who showed compassion on the man when he stopped, lifted him from the ground, anointed his wounds, and took him to an inn so he might recover - all at his own expense.

Perhaps it is more ironic still that Christ alludes to Himself through the care of the foreign Samaritan who helped the wounded man.  Jesus has done for us far more than the Samaritan in the story did for the wounded man.  Jesus was despised and rejected by His own.  He revealed love and compassion for all people through coming to earth as God-made-flesh, and paid for our healing and salvation with His own blood on the cross.  He has not merely left us with money as we recover, but He has given us the Comforter -the Holy Spirit - who dwells within us.  Jesus will someday return to settle all accounts, and His reward is with Him.

From this perspective then, the picture of the man who was beaten, stripped, and robbed represents all people who have inherited the sin nature of Adam.  Man was stripped of his standing before God because of his sin, robbed of his innocence, and if left in his sinful condition faced certain death and eternal punishment in hell.  Those who respond to the Gospel by grace through faith are born again and receive new life through Christ.  We have been raised from the grave and restored to fellowship with God again.  Having been washed in His blood, He has placed upon each Christian a robe of righteousness.  He has provided a place of lodging for us in this world and a role in His Body, the church.  Jesus has promised to someday return for us and will set all things right.

The aspect of this parable which has captivated me is the attitude and thoughts of the man during his recovery at the inn.  I'm sure the healing man was thankful for the sacrifice of the Samaritan who helped him.  Yet is there a potential that the man had bitterness toward the Samaritan for not coming sooner and driving off the bandits?  Maybe he nursed a grudge against those who passed by and refused to help him.  Or perhaps he was annoyed with the fact he had to share a room with someone he didn't know or the toilet was too far away.  Maybe the healing process took longer than he would have liked and it was a growing source of frustration.  There are potentially thousands of complaints the man may have had even though his life had been saved!  How would we view someone who had nothing but complaints after being saved from certain death?  We might call him forgetful, self-centered, ungrateful, and foolish.  Before we judge him too harshly, let's remember that when we look at him we are looking at ourselves.

This is how we can be as Christians, even after all Jesus has done for us.  We can be frustrated with our circumstances, pain, or limitations.  The church is a place God has provided for healing and fellowship.  But we can be filled with criticism or complaints rather than grace and thankfulness.  Colossians 3:12-17 describes well the attitude we ought to have as we go through the healing process of our near-death experience while Christ tarries:  "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ¹⁴ But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  Hasn't God been good to us?  Let us remember how Christ has saved, restored, and reconciled us to God by His grace.  Let us demonstrate our thanks and gratefulness to God through loving one another.  In light of all God has done for us, our complaints ring hollow.  Instead of a critical spirit, let us praise God with thanksgiving.