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Once Upon A Time - 2
Introduction
Have you ever had a time in your life when you set your expectations too high?
Where you thought things were going to go one way but they turned out to go another?
Let me introduce you to Mila.
She recently went to Disneyland for the first time and discovered that maybe “The Happiest Place on Earth” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
She learned that sometimes reality doesn’t match up to expectations.
Video - Mila at DisneyLand
We are in this series called “Once Upon A Time” looking at some of the famous parables that Jesus told in Luke.
These are not just anecdotes with cute moral lessons.
These are the stories of God’s Kingdom, showing us God’s expectations.
In the parable we are going to look at today, Jesus speaks to some Great Expectations that he has for those who follow him.
- 30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits.
They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
This verse begins the Parable of the Good Samaritan, a fairly well-known story, even outside of the church.
Before we get into the rest of the story here, we need to pay attention to that first phrase…”Jesus replied…” There is something else going on here, a bigger context.
This story isn’t told in some bubble, it has been prompted by a conversation Jesus has been having.
- 25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say?
How do you read it?”
27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’
And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “Right!”
Jesus told him.
“Do this and you will live!”
This whole encounter begins with a pretty important question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
While that may be an important question, it is a flawed one.
An inheritance is a gift.
You really can’t “do” anything to earn an inheritance.
That is trying to earn what can only be given.
Luke tells us that not only is the question flawed, so is the motivation.
This expert in religious law “stood up to test” Jesus.
He isn’t asking because he genuinely wants to know.
He is asking to see of Jesus knows.
From the very beginning, it is clear that this guy wants to justify himself in some way.
He wants to look good.
He wants to be the guy to trip Jesus up and discredit him.
Unfortunately for this guy, Jesus doesn’t answer his question, but instead asks one of his own.
He puts the ball back in the expert’s court.
He points to the Bible…what does God say about that?
And to give credit where it is due…the expert answers correctly.
He quotes and on loving God and loving your neighbor.
Of the 613 commands in the Old Testament, these 2 summarize and fulfill the other 611.
Jesus will reaffirm that very truth in that these two are the greatest commandments.
These are what is highest on God’s priority list for his people.
Jesus commends this expert for this correct observation.
“Do this and you will live.”
Now, that ought to overwhelm the Expert.
These two commands are more than enough.
Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
That is pretty tough to do.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
I don’t even like myself half the time!
These two commands seem simple but they are incredibly difficult to actually live out.
And to do so perfectly, all the time!
Jesus is giving this guy a lot of homework as he sets out these high expectations.
This ought to humble this man.
Instead he makes it worse.
John MacArthur - Jesus was simply holding the mirror of the law up to this legal “expert” to demonstrate how the law condemned him.
If the lawyer were an honest man, he ought to have acknowledged that he did not love God as he should; he didn’t even love his neighbors as he should.
This man, steeped in the study of God’s law, should have been broken by the law’s message.
He should have felt deep conviction.
He should have been penitent, contrite, humble.
His follow-up question ought to have been something like this: “I know from bitter experience that I cannot fulfill even the most basic commandments of the law; where can I find redemption?”
That should have been his follow up question.
Instead, here is what he asks:
- 29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
So he hears this second command to love your neighbor and realizes he has blown it.
So now he needs a definition of neighbor to try to save face.
Because if his neighbor is just his friends, those who are around him all the time, that’s easy.
Because when you ask “who is my neighbor?”
you are really asking “who is NOT my neighbor?”
Who can I leave out?
Who can I ignore and not love?
Jesus replies to that question with the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Everything about this story is defined through that lens.
Jesus is telling us how to love our neighbor, how to live out something that is top on God’s priority list for us.
Here is what that looks like:
- 30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits.
They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
31 “By chance a priest came along.
But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.
32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.
34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them.
Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.
35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man.
If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
So here is a man that tragically gets caught up in a dangerous scenario.
He is traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho…only one road that does that.
18mi long, descends 4000 feet in elevation.
At times there are 300 foot crevices on either side of the road.
Multiple caves and hiding spots and was known to house criminals.
It was known as “The Way of Blood” and is still dangerous even today.
This man is jumped by bandits and take everything he has.
They beat him up and leave him for dead.
He is in an isolated location and in terrible shape.
Things initially look up for him because a Jewish priest comes walking by.
I mean, he’s obviously going to help, he works for God.
He is charged with keeping these two commands to love God and his neighbor.
Jericho was known as the “city of priests” because over 1000 of them lived there.
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