Good Samaritan

INTRO

What is a Parable?

Story with a single point - not an allegory.

Often a story in response to a question from a disciple or religious leader

It’s intended to be clear to some, but obstruct others (parable of the sower)

Setting for this Parable

Sent out 72 missionaries

Jesus gave them power over demons and the power to heal. They came back and rejoiced over the power of Christ’s name and His response was (vs 20) Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

Pronounced woe on the cities that reject the missionaries and by proxy Christ.

Finishes this section with a prayer. Luke 10:21

Luke 10:21 ESV

In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

Hidden these things from the wise and understanding (scribes and pharisees)

What we see in our passage today is an example of this principle. We see a scribe who is the epitome of academic study of Scripture desiring to test Jesus, and we see that his “wisdom” wasn’t as great as he thought. We see a different kind of wisdom from Christ.

Read the Passage

The Greatest Commandment (25-28)

Scribe is emboldened and tries to test Jesus.

“test” here indicates his motives are not pure.

Jesus sent out 72 people to tell of the Kingdom of God. Preaching eternal life. He told them not to rejoice in the power, but that their names were written in heaven.

Can almost imagine this scribe thinking, “These guys, really? Okay, let’s see if I can’t trip him up here.”

What shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Jesus things like this frequently: Mark 10, Luke 18 (rich man asks him)

Similar question and response is What is the greatest commandment asked in Matthew 22 and Mark 12.

These appear multiple occasions (once a lawyer, twice Jesus answers, once scribe answers).

Campus Evangelists - often get same objections over and over.

unique about this one from the others is that Jesus doesn’t actually answer him. He asks the scribe to answer. (vs 26)

This is important because it demonstrates that this is not a man that is ignorant to God’s Law. He know’s what he is supposed to do.

It also tells us that Jesus is not teaching a new doctrine, but is strictly keeping the basic principles of Gods Law.

Gives commandment (27-28)

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength

Repetition of with all emphasizes the complete wholeheartedness required.

essentially covers the first four commandments. (Deut 6:5)

Love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18)

as yourself - everyone who has ever raised a toddler knows you don’t have to teach a person to love themselves (May have to heal someone)

We are to apply that standard to everyone else.

Covers the final 6 commandments.

Encompasses all of the law of God in a simple statement.

It echos precisely what Jesus teaches elsewhere.

Jesus responds - you answer correctly, do this and live.

This is the standard, that we have to live by.

On the surface, this may seem achievable, but if we dig just a little bit, I don’t think any of us can actually live up to this standard.

put yourself first in anything?

never chased after an idol? money? comfort?

So often, we do precisely what the scribe does next.

We Try To Justify Ourselves (29)

He desired to justify himself. To make it ok that he isn’t following this exactly.

“Who is my neighbor”

putting in qualifications to make it easier.

This one hurts - I have definitely thought this.

we might have discussions in evangelical circles about who is our neighbor?

enemy? Opposing political party? People who actively fight against God?

We make Excuses to justify why we don’t follow the rest of God’s command.

All of our heart and soul, do we make exception for our idols?

Money - do we work too much under the guise of providing?

What if God calls you to sell all that you have and give to the poor?

Security/Comfort - are we willing to follow Christ if it means we don’t know what is going to happen next?

All of our strength/mind, do we put our all into following Christ?

Are we putting time into shaping our minds in the likeness of Christ? (Renewing our minds)

Loving your neighbor

Where we get the question “Who is my Neighbor?”

This is rooted in the idea of “cleanliness”

Throughout the gospels those considered unclean were treated as second class citizens.

Samaritans, Romans, lepers, sinners of all kinds, tax collectors, etc.

This scribe was trying to narrow who was his neighbor in order to ease his own conscience.

How can I really love them? -Homeless

I don’t believe it is loving just to hand them money (easy thing to do), but I let that stop me from doing anything.

We make excuses for so many things, just like this scribe does.

Now we need to look at how Jesus responds to this.

This Is Not The Answer You Are Looking For (30-37)

Jesus Responds to the question, but he doesn’t actually answer it. Responds with this parable.

Extremely well known parable. Easy for even a child to understand, we need to help people that need help. But when we put it into the context, there is another point that we need to wrestle with.

The Story (30-35)

(30) Person who clearly needs help (man beaten up)

Most scholars believe that it was intended that this man was a Jew.

based on the question he is responding to, the audience and the locations he was traveling between.

The road mentioned was known to be steep and full of caves for robbers to hide in. It was well known to be dangerous.

The point is very evident that this person is in desperate need of assistance.

Priest and Levite passes by (31-32)

Both would be highly esteemed in the culture, likely returning from temple duty.

They don’t just ignore, they actively move to the other side.

Maybe the priest was worried about being unclean. Maybe the Levite was anxious to get home.

Samaritan helps

Samaritans believed they were the true descendents of Israel and keepers of the law, and of course the Jews did as well.

A lot of conflict between these groups.(Samaritan woman in John 4 gives us some context to the relationship between Jews and Samaritans)

John 4:9 ESV

The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

John 4:20 ESV

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

As a Jewish leader, this scribe would have had that ingrained animosity towards Samaritans.

(read 33-35) Samaritan helps because the man needed help. Went above and beyond too.

More than first aid, more than calling 911, he made sure that the injured man would have everything he needed.

Samaritan did not owe this man anything, he did not know him at all. In fact, for all practical purposes they were enemies.

This is above and beyond what most people would do.

We see this magnificent act of compassion, above and beyond by any standard. Jesus is using this story to set up a question (very common in parables). The question draws out the point of the story.

Jesus asks the question, who was the one being a neighbor. (36) The answer was so obvious, that even one who hated the Samaritans couldn’t answer differently. (37a)

If you were the wounded man, which one would you want to come along?

“Go and do likewise”

Look at the command to love your neighbor as yourself, when you put yourself in that situation and ask what would I want someone to do? That is what the command is telling us to do.

Not “the Samaritan is your neighbor” or “Everyone is your neighbor”

He answers the question indirectly since a person is helping his enemy.

Bigger point is to quit making excuses and love your neighbor.

There are no qualifiers.

So where does this leave us?

Go back to some of those excuses.

Idols - Things that are good that we put in place of God.

Provide for my family - it’s true…does that give you an excuse to chase more money?

to chase comfort and security?

Renewing our hearts and minds?

Busy schedule, don’t want kids to fall behind- it’s true …does that give you an excuse to neglect your spiritual health?

Loving our neighbor?

Homeless example…not wanting to cause harm give an excuse to do nothing.

All of us make excuses and create qualifiers when we are not seeking God.

Romans 3:10–11 ESV

as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.

Look back at vs 28…do this and you will live.

we don’t do this, we stand condemned.

We need Grace, Not Excuses

Romans 5:8 ESV

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God gives grace, we are saved from the condemnation we deserve and given eternal life even though we don’t deserve it.

Romans 5:1 ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We trust in the work that Christ has done.

Can you see how this might be used as an excuse too?

It is not an excuse to not do what he has called us to do.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Gift of grace and mercy is profound and as a response we should to give all that we are to Christ.

Beauty of salvation is that we are given the Holy Spirit and have the ability to choose not to make those excuses.

Look at Romans 6.

Beginning of the chapter lays out that when we trust in Christ we are united with Christ in death and also in his resurrection.

Romans 6:7–8 ESV

For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

Romans 6:14 ESV

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

When we are united to Christ in death and resurrection (through faith), we are given the Holy Spirit that gives us the power to say no to sin. We are given the power to reject our excuses.

We need to examine ourselves, look for the qualifiers and excuses we are putting between us and Christ.

XRay questions!

When we find those, we give them over to Christ.

Prayer, accountability partners, Community Groups

Put off the excuses, and put on the righteous behavior.

One of the things we can do to keep Christ first in our minds is to come together to the table of the Lord’s Supper. When we participate in communion it is a reminder that we are united with Christ in his death and in His resurrection. We do it together because it is also a reminder that we don’t walk this road alone. The church is to stand together and build each other up in Christ.

-This is a symbol to remind us of what is ours - if you have not experienced this, don’t come

-Time of silence to prepare our hearts.