The Good Samaritan

INTRODUCTION

Luke 10:25–37 (ESV)

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 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.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 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 by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 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. 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.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

4 QUESTIONS AND WHY THEY MATTER...

1) “TEACHER, WHAT SHALL I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?”

The question is being asked by a “Lawyer,” (“expert in the law” in some translations).

Old Testament Understanding of Eternal Life

Clues in the Old Testament lead us to believe that when one dies, the righteous are gathered to their people, awaiting resurrection at the end times in the eternal Kingdom of God (Think to the raising of Lazarus and Jesus’ question to Martha). The unrighteous dead are in Sheol, where there is darkness, no hope.

The question is understood to be asked, “What can a man do to be deemed worthy of being gathered to his people, rather than entering Sheol?”

This is a great question for you and I. What can we do to be deemed worthy of God’s eternal kingdom?

Do we have that concern for ourselves?

Do we value the things of God enough to focus on the eternal?

Do we value God enough to ask what He deems worthy of our lives?

2) “WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE LAW? HOW DO YOU READ IT?”

Jesus is asking the law expert, what the law says. (The text tells us that the lawyer was seeking to “test” Jesus.)

Interestingly enough, the original question posed by the lawyer was an important question, though his motivation was from a different place.

He wanted to test Jesus. Culturally, he was setting up a potential trap for Jesus.

Jesus, as a response, turned the question back around and focused on the lawyer’s understanding of the Word of God rather than giving His own response.

It is important for us to look to God’s Word to see what is the life that God approves!

We have our own opinions of what we think God would approve, but how much is our opinion shaped by scripture, and how much is shaped by our own preferences?

The answer is “nothing”. On our own, we cannot love the Lord with all of our heart, all of our soul, and all of our strength. We cannot love our neighbor as ourselves.

It is only in Jesus and through Jesus, can we have a heart exchange, a shift in identity, and a change in motivation for living. It is only in Jesus we can be genuinely selfless towards others.

3) “WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?”

The text tells us that this question comes from a place of self-justification.

The lawyer wasn’t too concerned about how to love God, He felt as though he had that one down.

His question was seeking to show that he was justified in his love for fellow Jew.

Essentially, he was asking, if I love my fellow countrymen, is that not the same as loving God?

Love God...Love your fellow Jew…Reject gentiles, especially Romans.

What questions of self-justification do you have in your life?

In what ways are you hoping to show you are a “good person”?

In what ways are you hoping to show that as long as you love those who are easy to love, then you’re doing alright by God’s book?

Jesus’ response was the parable in question...

The priest and the levite valued their own lawful, ceremonial purity over the needs of their fellow man.

This would have been perfectly acceptable to the hearers because of their value on religion and their hopes that the next person to come along would have been a good Jewish layman who would have certainly provided aid.

When Jesus introduces the Samaritan, there was no expectation of help…yet the enemy of the Jew showed compassion and selfless love for the dying man.

The samaritan in the story...

...does not concern himself with ceremonial impurity over the needs of the dying man.

...inconveniences himself by placing the man on his own animal.

...provides for the man’s well-being from his own resources (one month’s provision with a promise of more if needed).

4) “WHICH OF THESE THREE, DO YOU THINK, PROVED TO BE A NEIGHBOR TO THE MAN WHO FELL AMONG THE ROBBERS?”

The question Jesus’ asks sets the tone for the entire conversation about God-approved ethics.

The lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus’ response was essentially, “Who are you a neighbor to?”

Jesus doesn’t want us just love the people that its easy for us to love. He wants to see that He is calling us to show compassion for all, especially those whom it doesn’t make sense for us to show compassion to.

Conclusion

IN OUR QUEST TO UNDERSTAND GOD-APPROVED ETHICS, IT’S NOT A MATTER OF “HOW FAR DO I HAVE TO GO?” IT’S A MATTER OF “HOW FAR IS JESUS TAKING ME?” AS GOD’S PEOPLE, LOVE BY THE FATHER, REDEEMED BY THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF JESUS, JUSTIFIED BY HIS RESURRECTION, AND BEING SANCTIFIED THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE MUST RAISE THE QUESTION, “HOW DOES MY LIFE HONOR GOD? HOW CAN I LIVE WORTHY OF THE SALVATION JESUS PROVIDES?” THE LAWYER LOOKED TO THE LAW, WHICH ONLY SHOWS HOW WE DON’T MEASURE UP. WE MUST LOOK TO THE CROSS, WHICH SHOWS THAT JESUS PAID IT ALL AND, IN HIS GRACE, WE CAN NOW GROW TO LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL OF OUR HEART, ALL OF OUR SOUL, ALL OF OUR STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE OTHERS WITH THE SAME BOLD, SELFLESS COMPASSION THAT JESUS HAS FOR US.

ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT KIND OF LIFE IS ACCEPTABLE TO GOD?

DO YOU GAIN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT GOD FINDS ACCEPTABLE FROM HIS WORD?

DO YOU TRY TO JUSTIFY YOURSELF, OR DO YOU LET CHRIST JUSTIFY YOU?

DO YOU PROVE TO BE A NEIGHBOR TO THOSE YOU COME ACROSS IN YOUR LIFE?