Recently I heard a story about a clergy person who was called as rector to a large church in California. His first sermon was a pretty good one, the people were pretty complimentary, as they went out they said "fine sermon," and then others said, "everybody needs to hear that kind of sermon." The next Sunday, he preached the same sermon, word for word. People were kind and in the back of the church, they said that was a very interesting sermon and others just said, "yes, we’re glad to have you here." But they were perplexed. And even more so on the third Sunday, when he repeated the same sermon! After the service, the wardens took the rector aside, and said, "Look, that was a nice sermon, but you preached it three times in a row. What is going on here?" The new rector replied, "When you start acting as if you have gotten the message, I’ll write another one." Not sure on how long that fellow lasted but the story comes to mind when I read today’s Gospel.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is about someone who acts like he got the message and two others who heard but did not get the message. It’s not that they didn’t know better, it’s just that they failed to act. As a preacher, I’m particularly interested in motivation. We clergy are very good in telling people what to do, the problem lies in getting people to act. People often leave our church "great sermon, you really spoke to me," but then on Monday, there are so little results. It’s as if people forget what they hear on Sunday.

Looking once again at our parable, I’m somewhat embarrassed that Jesus uses that to illustrate, those two people that pass by on the other side, are a bit red-faced, because I know those people quite well. A priest, and an insider, I know them from looking in the mirror! I know them because they are symbolic of people who hear the word on Sunday, but on Monday choose to walk on the other side of the street. It’s not that they didn’t know better. It’s just that they seem to lack a certain motivation, they appear to be committed people, but something is missing.

At dinner parties, I often hear people speak of their diets. And they often moan about the troubles they have in keeping to Weight Watchers, or South Beach Diet, or whatever is popular. And I often want to say to them, "let’s not knock the diet, or even your commitment to whatever is in vogue. It’s simply your commitment to your commitments! We’re great at reading books, but we’re not very good at doing the hard work.

Turning back to the parable, we find that one person was committed to his commitments, One person took the time to assume the risk, bothered to act out his faith, we’re not told about his motivations there might have been a host of reasons, some good and some bad, he might have done this to show up the other two, we’ll never know. But the point of the story, the point of the parable, is that he acted.

You know, we Christians talk a good game. We come to church, we read the Bible, we say our prayers, we even some of us listen to sermons. But when it comes out, time to act out our Christianity, we’re just a little hesitant, we’re a little slow, we’re a little timid. There’s a wonderful story, or saying, from Alcoholics Anonymous, and it goes this way, "you’ve got to do more than talk the talk, you’ve got to learn to walk the walk." Most of us are good talkers. We’re just not very good as walkers. When Jesus says take up your cross and follow - we act as if He was speaking to someone else. The point of the parable is not to make you think that priests and Levites are bad guys. They probably did a lot of good works where ever they got to when they were going. It’s just that they didn’t stop, they obviously were too busy, too harried, to caught up in the important things they were doing to stop and help.

I can just hear that priest and that Levite, singing along with Stanley Holloway, and that wonderful song from "My Fair Lady:"

"The Lord above made man to help his neighbor, no matter whether on land or sea or foam,

The Lord above made man to help his neighbor.

But with a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck,

When He comes around, you won’t be home."

Don Poorman came into my office the other day, and he told me about someone who came by when he and his really great group of volunteers were giving out food in the F.I.N.D. program. This man said, "Do you know that you are probably feeding a bunch of illegal immigrants - do you know that you might get into trouble with the Border Patrol?" Don simply answered, "I’m here to feed the hungry, not to inquire as to their status of American citizens." That person who questioned Don was very much like the lawyer in our Gospel. He wasn’t against being a good neighbor; it’s just that he wasn’t sure who qualified as a neighbor. Now we’re so adroit at looking for an out, looking for a way that we can decide who is a good neighbor. Looking for a way not to do the work of Jesus.

I have another story. I seemed to be filled with stories today. I heard it from Clarence Jordan, who founded the "Community of Farms in the Sixties." The farm was a Christian community built across the lines of race, class, gender, and age, all of them mixed together. They were all witnessing to the Gospel. And it’s not surprising that in the sixties in Georgia, that farm was constantly in trouble with its neighbors. On one occasion, Clarence approached his brother, Robert, and he asked him to become a legal representative of the farm. Robert answered, "I can’t do that, you know my political aspirations, why if I represented you now, I might loose my job, my house, everything I’ve got." : We might loose everything also, Bob." "It’s different for you," he said, "why is it different," Clarence said. "I remember that you and I joined the church on the same day as boys, when we came forward the preacher asked me the same question as he did you. He asked the question, will you follow Jesus Christ from now on. And I said yes, what did you say?" "I said yes," Robert said. "But I’ll only follow Jesus up to a point. What is that point? I’m not about to get myself crucified at this time of my life." Clarence said, "Robert, I don’t believe your committed, you’re an admirer of Jesus, you are not a follower, you know Jesus from a distance, but not up close."

Good people, have we got the message yet? We’re all tempted to be admirers, to be like the lawyer in the story, to talk the talk, we’re tempted to say yes in church, but somehow we fail to see or hear Jesus when he says, "go and do on Monday." So today Jesus tells a simple story. It’s a simply story that leaves us with a time of decision. We know Jesus tells us to love our neighbor, but much as we like, we know that we can’t specify, we can’t analyze, we can’t weigh the consequences, all we can do is go - go and do, go and do likewise. Sometimes, Sunday mornings are time to think, to feel, to ponder, and sometimes Sunday morning are times to do. I think this is one of those Sundays!

Amen.