The Compassionate Samaritan
Notes
Transcript
Open your bible with me to Luke 10:25-37
We live in a world marked by division. Nations rage against nations. Political parties vilify one another. Social media amplifies outrage. Families fracture over differences. Communities divide along racial, cultural, and economic lines.
Hatred is NOT just something “out there” in the headlines—it simmers in everyday conversations, in quiet resentments, in the cold shoulder, in the grudge we refuse to release. Resentment grows when we feel wronged. Bitterness hardens when we believewe are justified. And before long, we begin to sort people into categories: those who deserve our love… and those who don’t.
But the deeper issue is NOT merely cultural or political. It is spiritual. It’s a problem of the HEART. The problem is NOT first the systems around us—it is the condition within us. The human heart has a remarkable ability to justify itself while withholding mercy from others. We can convince ourselves we are righteous, even while our love grows small and selective.
Into a world like that—and into hearts like ours—Jesus speaks.
Sermon Summary: Jesus exposes self-righteous hearts and calls us to love sacrificially.
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
This is God’s word, let’s pray.
You consider the context here. The theme of God who prevents discernment from the wise and understanding, and grants truth and insight to the humble. It’s why we hit heavy on the theme of “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”That is all over Luke’s gospel and all the more present in the context here. Of the Jews who reject Jesus, or Jesus’ own people living in a proud way, and instead of the religious elites coming to Jesus, they reject Him. And it’s the poor, the blind, the cripple, and the lame, who come in faith to Christ. And now here is a lawyer, who is the epitome of the WISE and UNDERSTANDING, who cannot grasp the simplest of truths of scripture.
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I. Beware of Obeying the Law While Missing Its Heart (vv. 25–29)
I. Beware of Obeying the Law While Missing Its Heart (vv. 25–29)
Now, I’m stretching this section beyond the natural paragraph break within most of your Bibles. Because we are introduced to a contrast in verse 29. So, allowme, if you will, to just walk through this text and make comments as I drive towards this point.
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Enter a lawyer. Now, we don’t know much about him. But we can consider the word Luke uses here. We can deduce that he was likely a Scribe of some sort. The word is Nomikos. It means to be a legal expert. He was an expert in the Law of Moses. He was equipped, studied, learned, and able to teach others. He was likely a first among equals, and hence why he was the one willing to come to Jesus and ask this question.
We also see his disposition: he comes to Jesus and stands up. Which, within itself, wouldn’t have necessarily been off-putting, but more telling if you see his heart. In that he was coming to Jesus, NOT necessarily to get insight or to have his question answered. He was coming to put Jesus to the test. The Pharisees and the scribes did this constantly. Trying to trap him. Trying to see if they could get him caught up in something.
And then finally notice that His question was among the most important questions a person could ask. What mustI do to inherit eternal life? And it’s here for the careful observer; you can already feel the tension. A teacher of the Law, asking Jesus, " What must I do to inherit eternal life. And buried beneath this question was a question of ability. Inferring that the lawyer may have actually believed that he could achieve salvation by law-keeping. That the promise for those who keep the law perfectly, is the promise of life. The only problem is that we can’t uphold the Law. Moreover, this lawyer could have been wrestling with his own effort. Asking again what must I do, and he misses grace. And then finally, I also think, wondering in his question, if grace is at all possible. Paraphrase: What must I do to inherit eternal life? What if I miss the mark? What if I’m off? That seems less likely given his posture, but nonetheless, there is no more important question for you to ask today!
And nonetheless, Jesus asks him a question.
26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
Now, even here, we can see that questions can have several uses. The lawyer uses a question with a false motive. Now, Jesus asks a question to turn in the direction of his own intelligence and growth. Jesus points him back to the Old Testament. I mean, you’re the lawyer, and don’t think Jesus doesn’t know his intent. I mean, what do you think, how do you understand the Law?
27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
The lawyer’s response drew on two primary passages in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. That is the essence of the LAW. The two tables of the Law. Love God, and love your neighbor. That is, love your God with all your HEART –with your emotions, your will, your deepest conviction. With all your SOUL, the immaterial part of a person, with all your STRENGTH, your total devotion (all you exceedingly), and your MIND – that is your reason. ….And LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR as you LOVE YOUR OWN SELF! ….and now comes a couple of interesting turns
28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
Well, you aren’t wrong. You are correct. All you have to do. All anyone has to do is live according to the Law, and they will live. This was the promise of life that the law offered in Leviticus 18:5 and in Ezekiel 20:11….DO THIS, and YOU WILL LIVE!! But the reality is, there is no way we can meet the Law’s demands!! This is Paul’s point in Gal 3:10-13
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—
In other words, this was the moment the man should have recognized his own inability to keep the Law. Israel couldn’t do it. Even the best of men have tried and failed. And the Law was always intended to point us to a redeemer, who was standing right before HIM!AND YET, even in his wisdom, He couldn’t see it!! His response should have been one of confession and humility. Lord, have mercy on me!! But instead, he doubles down. He doubles down in his ability and arrogance….and in pride!!
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Oh man, you talk about a bad turn! Rather than hear Jesus in humility. He doubles down, and now we see his heart, plan as day - Seeking to justify himself. His aim is to win. He’s got to be right. And in order to avoid the obvious implications of Jesus (namely, live according to the Law, NOT just understand it), and pivots to a technical argument. This was a technical question, and a question that seeks to avoid the heart and justify oneself. And in asking a technical question, he is asking the wrong question. He was looking to see who proved to be a neighbor, and Jesus was more concerned about him proving to be a neighbor to others. He’s concerned with externals and dressing, and Jesus is concerned with the HEART! And that was the very heart of the LAW, and this lawyer who thinks he gets it. Misses the point entirely!!
See, behind this question was an understanding for the Scribes and the religious elites that neighbor only meant those who loved God like THEY do. That a neighbor was only an Israelite and NOT a Gentile. That a neighbor, it was the righteous but NOT the sinner, NOT the unrighteous, the one who doesn’t love God like I do…I’m under no obligation to love them! So you tell me – WHO IS my neighbor!
And in asking the question, he misses the entire point. He misses the heart. He misses the summary of the law of God – to love God and Love neighbor! See, the lawyer knows the law, he answers correctly, he can quote the law, but he completely missed the heart of the law.
Beloved, it’s possible to know scripture, to quote scripture, and miss the heart of God. In fact, the scribes and Pharisees were proof of that. It’s possible to affirm the truth of scripture, even give a defense of scripture, memorize scripture, and miss the heart of Christ! Miss the love of God through Christ, and the commands of Christ to love God and our neighbor as ourselves.
We must be careful that we do NOT seek to justify ourselves and miss the heart. And think we have information but lack in transformation. And think that precision apart from compassion is faithfulness. The Lord desires both. He desires that we love God and love our neighbor. And that doesn’t mean affirming someone in sin, but it does mean drawing near with the heart of Christ.
See, the lawyer was determined to be right; he was looking for the law to free him. But the law couldn’t do it. And so long as we are looking to justify ourselves according to the law, we will miss what is hiding in plain sight, grace! And so, the lawyer missed Jesus, of whom the law pointed! And looking to justify himself, he missed the heart.
----------------------------------------------- BEWARE OF OBEYING THE LAW WHILE MISSING THE HEART
II. Acknowledge the Kind of Mercy God Desires (vv. 30–35)
II. Acknowledge the Kind of Mercy God Desires (vv. 30–35)
So Jesus, knowing this lawyer desired to test him, and seeing all that is within his heart, tells him this parable. We know it as the parable of the “Good Samaritan.”
30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.
Now, when Jesus tells these parables, there are details meant to be mysteries. We don’t know all the whys, the what’s, and the who’s. That’s NOT the point. The point lies in the clear meaning and implications of the story.
So any person travelling from Jerusalem would have to descend, because Jerusalem was positioned on top of a mountain ridge. And so, a manis traveling that road down the mount, some 3,200 feet and some 18 miles to a nearby city of Jericho. And because of its long stretches of terrain, it would have made an excellent hideout for robbers, thieves, and danger. And this man, traveling, encountered such. He was stripped of his clothes, beaten, and left for dead. And then Jesus introduces us to a few more characters in the story.
31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
Now, depending on who you asked, the priest would NOT have been a favorable helper. Most common folks believed that the priesthood was corrupt and despised as hypocritical. Maybe similar to some people today. But, likely to this lawyer, he was seen as favorable. He was of the godly. And rightfully should be. He had a religious duty in the temple. And it's reasonable to believe any priest travelling this road would have been returning from religious duty in the temple and returning home, where Jericho was the closest city and had the highest density of priests in the region.
He would have been one who knew the law. He would have known the right heart of compassion for someone in need (Lev 19:16), but the result was different. And perhaps, he, like the lawyer, found justification in his heart to pass by the other side. I’m a priest, I can’t touch someone dead or half-dead, lest I be defiled. Or are the ROBBER still close by, keep moving!...We don’t know. But we do know his actions were deliberately evasive. He sees the man, and rather than drawing near, he distances himself on the other side of the road.
And the text reads so that we would be shocked at this. I mean, here is a priest, and instead of helping this man, and doingthe obvious right thing. He turns away and refuses to help. He refuses to love his neighbor.
32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
Well, the priest was no help. So maybe the Levite can demonstrate some compassion. He’s NOT a priest, but he is a helper in the temple. He, too, held religious duties. He was a gatekeeper, musician, janitor, and servant in the service of God. Both the Priest and the Levite represent insiders, if you will. And the story is presented that everyone would have been travelling on this road for a similar reason. Everyone seems to be coming back from worship. And the assumption likely was this man was Jewish. A priest and a Levite both would have known the right thing to do. They would have known God’s command and the heart of compassion and common decency, but they didn’t do it. By all reasonable logic, there is no reason to pass the man by, other than there is something in the heart that would cause them to lookin the other direction. And so, the Levite, too, sees the man, and goes to the other side of the road, and passes him by.
And now, the story is about to take a very interesting turn. Because the next logical progression would be for a common Israeliteto enter the story, and maybe the expectation is that, oh, those religious elites, they're hypocrites, and now the hero of the story will be a common lay Israelite. So, go ahead, Jesus, make the gut punch, don’t be religious hypocrites. But that’s NOT where the story goes. Because it’s NOT a commonJew that enters, but in a shocking surprise….a Jewish enemy….A Samaritan.
33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
Here, the Samaritan did what the priest and the Levite would NOT. Namely, have compassion. The Samaritan was NOT a neutral player. He would have been viewed as an enemy to the Jewish people. They would have been appalled at the thought of this. Jews and Samaritans saw one another as rivals. It was a long history of racial strife, religious competition, and deep resentment. There was a history where Jews saw the Samaritans as compromisers and where the Samaritans saw the Jews as hateful. They didn’t get along at all!! It centered around the right place of worship, the right understanding of what it meant to obey God, and to live as holy unto Yahweh. So when Jesus meets a Samaritan woman, she says, " What are you doing talking to me?” And when others thought Jesus had a demon because of his proximity to Samaritans. And even just a few verses ago, James and John petition to call down fire to destroy a Samaritan village. This hatred was deep! And yet, it’s a Samaritan who is the hero here.
He sees the man and cares for him. 8 actions of compassion. He sees him and doesn’t turn away. He pursues him. He bound up his wounds and tended to them. Set him on his own animal (the man, likely couldn’t walk). Brings him to the inn, takes care of him. GIVES money to make sure that he’s cared for. Two Denarii would have been 2 days' salary and enough for him to live at the inn, for a few days or several weeks. And he’s even willing to go beyond that. He’s even willing to pay for an extra expense incurred!
Beloved, Mercy isn’t just a concept. It has feet! Theology isn’t just grasped intellectually. It’s lived!! And here is a Samaritan. The least likely candidate to have rightly understood. And yet, he’s demonstrating the heart of God to someone in need! He wasn’t concerned about his reputation. He wasn’t concerned about someone blaming him for this man’s trouble. Are you the one who did this to him? He wasn’t concerned about his stuff. He was willing to forego his financial comfort. He was willing to have his day interrupted. He was willing to draw near to help a neighbor in need. Now, I’m NOT at all saying that those considerations are unimportant. But rather, the point is NOT about prudence, but about compassion!! The primary question here was NOT, " Is this safe?” Is this beneficial to me? The question here was, is this loving? Is this compassion? And he was moved to action.
Beloved, this is the heart of God! This is why Jesus would say Luke 6:27-31
27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
And again in Luke 6:35-36
35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
And this is the heart of God in Christ, the one telling the story. Who too will consider an outsider by His own people. Who was willing to be a true neighbor to sinners and love even His enemies.
This is the heart of the law of God, and what we see in the heart of Christ fulfilling the law! To love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. It’s NOT just about understanding it. And Jesus knows that. And so he’s talking with a Lawyer who rightly summarizes the law, but is far from understanding the heart behind it. And he’s picked up a technical argumentand misses the heart of God entirely in the process.
The question, we will see in a moment, isn’t who is my neighbor. But to whom will you be a neighbor? Beloved, is this the way we live? That we don’t just love when it’s convenient or beneficial for us. Or that it’s safe. Or rewarding. Beloved, sometimes….maybe even often, there is real cost. There is a cost in loving others! There always is! There is always an interruption in loving others. There are usually lines that are crossed, and we continue to show mercy because that is how God has loved us! And so, help us…when we see it, NOT to pass by on the other side of the road! But instead, grow in compassion and mercy, God desires.
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III. Love others from a heart changed by grace (vv. 36–37)
III. Love others from a heart changed by grace (vv. 36–37)
Well, the parable is over, and Jesus now gives this lawyer one last question.
36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
I think the answer is obvious. The whole thing started with the lawyer's question. “And who is my neighbor?” And Jesus says, " My friend, that is the wrong question.” See, for the lawyer, a neighbor is a noun, but for Jesus, neighbor is a verb. The question is NOT, " Who is my neighbor, but instead, " How can I be a neighbor?”
You know we can all be tempted to define a neighbor in this way. We always want categories. Are they the right race, the right religion, the right political alignment, etc? And we begin to say, 'Are they really my neighbors?' And Jesus strips away categories and says, " Your neighbor is anyone God places in yourpath. For us to then say, "ok, what is compassion?" What is mercy? What is TRUTH, (and speak it!) lest we flatten the LOVE OF GOD!... WHAT IS COMPASSION? ….That we do what the lawyer would NOT …AND EVEN WHAT HE KNEW in his head, but couldn’t get it in his heart. TO LOVE GOD and TO LOVE OTHERS!! TO LOVE GOD, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
And do you see? The Lawyer can’t even bring himself to say that it was Samaritan who, in fact, was a neighbor. He can only say, the one who showed him mercy. And then Jesus brings us right back to the heart. GO and do likewise!!
See in both instances, Jesus encourages action (v.28, v.37). And so long as the lawyer is focused on justification and the jot and tittle of being right. Asking technical questions for clarification and defense….well, he’ll keep missing the heart! He’ll miss the heart of the law, and the heart of God, demonstrated in Jesus Christ!
And that’s what Jesus is helping him to see. Go and do this!! Don’t let it be some cognitive puzzle, and mere intelligent….Go and do what the Law commands. That’s the way you want to live, right? Then doit!! Stop missing the heart! So pulling up with just concepts and abstracts and LIVE this way!!
The irony is this: if he tries to obey, he will discover the mercy he must extend to others is the same mercy he himself desperately needs. Because attempting to live by the law will always point you to your need for a savior. One who could do for you what you could never do for yourself. THAT’s the heart here!!
CONCLUSION:
You know, as we close, I thought about a few things. I thought - Is the Samaritan really “good?” He’s never called that in this text. We call it. The parable of the Good Samaritan…. If so, it’s NOT because of his merit, NOT because of his nobility. In fact, the reason he stopped wasn’t out of moral goodness but out of a heart filled with compassion. His actions flow from a heart aligned with the very heart of God. The difference is one of eternal law-keeping and inward mercy! But see the lawyer only concerned with the externals, and seeking to justify himself, and was essentially asking the question of what must I do. It’s the question of meritand no merit. And it turned into, "Who is good enough for me?”
For the Samaritan, he stopped because of his heart. He stopped because the law of love compelled him to help someone in need. So it wasn’t morality or law that drove him, but love for God and love for his neighbor (HELLO – Do you see the irony). The lawyer is so concerned with what he can do that he misses the very thing he cannot do: transform his own heart. And do what the law requires
In seeking to justify himself. He is only proving Jesus’ point and concern. He can be right in his understanding but way off in his application. Jesus knows his heart is a million miles away from true religion. He’s a million miles away from even what HE THINKS HE KNOWS!! I KNOW WHAT THE LAWS SAYS !!... LOVE GOD and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR!! ….AND JESUS CALLS HIM ON IT….THEN GO DO IT!!
He isn’t loving his neighbor; he's seeking to justify himself and carve out technical caveats about whom his love will be applied.
And he isn’t loving God, as he comes to Jesus looking to trapHim and justify himself before Him, rather than agree with God in humility and repentance.
See, Jesus isn’t concerned with traps or technical arguments. Jesus is concerned with our hearts!! And that our heartsbe conformed to him!!
You know, as I studied this passage. I was wrestling. Where is the Gospel application? How do I apply this back to Christ? And I knew, I was close. I was seeing it, but it wasn’t landing, ironically….It wasn’t hitting the heart. Many have sought to do the same. In fact, throughout church history, there have been many who have made much ado about allegory regarding the Samaritan and the wounds, the oil and the wine, the animal, and the innkeeper…In reality, it can get a bit excessive and start reading something into the text that isn’t there.
And in doing so, we can potentially miss what is hiding in plain sight. And what I’ve tried to point to in every point. The gospel reality and implication is standing before this lawyer, in the face of Jesus!
In telling this parable, Jesus is showing the heart of the law. He is also demonstrating that he is the fulfillment of the law.
And in that sense, Jesus will love even his enemies. Just like the Samaritan by laying his own life down for sinners. And when we realize what love God has for us. And the compassion and mercy of God has demonstrated towards us!! He’s drawn near to us, who are broken, left for dead, worse, were DEAD in our trespasses and sin. He mends our wounds with his own merit, and promises to return….We recognize what God has donefor us in Christ, It will transform the heart!! This is the gospel truth that CHANGES US!! TRANSFORMS US!! NOT, by the letter, but by the SPIRIT of GOD. NOT by LAW KEEPINGand justification of ourselves. But through the mercy and grace of CHRIST, for us!! And when we recognize that, we have been transformed by this love of God towards us!! Then it will be our joy to extend that same mercy, grace, and love to others!!
And then, it just makes sense. It’s NOT about who they are? Or are they my neighbor? Or what’s the catch, or all the other technical jargon we may be tempted to get caught up in? It’s NOT about any of that anymore. It’s simple about what God has done for me, and how God then requires me to live!!
And that’s whyJesus can say. YOU GO and do likewise…. NOT FROM A HEART OF LEGALISM. But from a heart that’s been transformed by mercy!! A heart that’s been changed by LOVE, and the love of God through Jesus Christ! That is obligation. That’s far from legalism. That’s called GOSPEL LIVING!! The Gospel isn’t: “You can’t do it, so don’t try.” It’s: “You can’t do it to be justified.
But once justified through the mercy of Jesus, you now can begin to live like Jesus.”
And this is what John calls to mind
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
Law keeping will never save you…Because we can never keep it fully. There it will always lead to our condemnation, and that’s the reason the law is intended to point us to Christ.
And so here is a lawyer faced with that reality. And still clinging to the law while looking into the eyes of the only savior who can keep the law fully! And so long as he is looking to the law and seeking to justify himself. He will always stand condemned, and he’ll always miss the heart. But the moment he trades legalism for gospel joy, and lets get over his own pride, and humbly comes to Christ, he finds what he’s always needed, GRACE….and his heart is transformed, and he lives NOT from obligation or moralism, but in gratitude and love!! He lives with the right heart!! And from that heart, lives rightly before God – loving HIM with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loves HIS NEIGHBOR…as HIMSELF and in the same way that He too has been loved!!
Sermon Summary: Jesus exposes self-righteous hearts and calls us to love sacrificially.
When our hearts are transformed by His mercy, loving God and our neighbor becomes natural— NOT obligation, but gospel living.
