The Good Samaritan

Series Prop: Mercy is your ticket to heaven

Intro:

Prop: If you have failed to show mercy then you need to cry out for it.

Turn to Luke 10

Context as you turn: Last week we witnessed the great debate between Jesus and a lawyer of the scriptures. The lawyer you may remember is a man in the group of elite religious leaders over Isreal. If you gave a biography of this guy to the average person they would say HE IS GOING TO HEAVEN. So he begins this debate with Jesus by asking a question he should no the answer to in effort to test Jesus “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”. Jesus doesn’t immediately give him to answer because before you can receive salvation you must understand you NEED it. So Jesus has the lawyer recite the Law and he does so by summarizing it w/ the 2 most important commands in the OT “Love God” “Love your neighbor”. Jesus then says DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.

It was at this point the lawyer should have fallen to his knees and begged God for mercy because the very law he cited as the way to heaven he has failed, along with the rest of us. None of us have loved God perfectly constantly, none of us have loved others perfectly and therefore we are not people waiting for a heavenly reward but criminals awaiting the punishment of Hell.

But look at Luke 10:29 “But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?””

In the lawyers self righteousness and pride he attempts you justify himself. In a sense he is saying “Yeah I know the law and have done the law” But maybe where we disagree is on the definition of labor. He’s a lawyer and needs specificity - he will exploit any vague term in the law as a way to explain how he hasn’t broken it.

And so we come to our passage tonight. A familiar and commonly misunderstood parable of the Good Samaritan. I say misunderstood because majority of people don’t understand the point AND that is really why Jesus told parables right?

Luke 10:21 “At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.”

1. Who needs MERCY? v.30-32

If you have failed to show mercy then you need to cry out for it.

Obviously the answer in this story is THIS GUY

He was headed down the hill from Jerusalem to Jericho which would translate something to walking down an ally in Chicago at night. It was A dangerous place infested with thieves and thugs

And he was left there to die - he needed help

This is where the story gets a glimmer of hope because a priest walks by - A man who is supposed to represent God and represent the people to God SURLEY he knows the law quoted earlier and will do the right thing BUT no… he keeps to other side of the road and walks by him

Then another glimmer of hope from a levite. Levites were also people involved in the religious system. They were temple workers who saw the most intimate side of the Jewish religion. Levites too would claim to Love God and their neighbor surely he will show this man mercy BUT again he passes by him.

If you listen to enough sermons and read enough books on this parable you will begin to hear the variety of interpretations that arise over these guys. How they represent isreal, the jewish system, the law etc.

But remember Jesus is telling this story in response to a lawyer asking him how to get to heaven and in order for him to understand the REAL ANSWER he needs to first see HIS REAL CONDITION. He still thinks he has fulfilled the law and so this parable is primarily meant to expose the self righteous heart of the lawyer. Its main goal is to show the lawyer that he has failed to show mercy and in turn is actually the ONE WHO NEEDS IT!

So who needs mercy from you? Those who are in difficult circumstances, hard times, those who are desperate, broken and beaten up by life.

And if you think “How terrible are that priest and levite?” then you have missed the point and condemned yourself.

Sure they didn’t show mercy to the man who needed it most BUT HOW MANY TIMES in your life have you walked on the otherside of the road?

How many times have you seen the girl crying at school and though “Ugh she just needs attention”

How many times have you walked past the kid alone in the hallway at lunch?

How many times have you laughed and mocked those injured at your game?

How many times have you asked your crying sibling whats wrong?

Unless you have always shown mercy perfectly, you actually NEED IT from God because you have failed to uphold Leviticus 19:18 you shall love your neighbor as yourself

Most of us really prove with our life that we are confused on the question who needs mercy? Because we like the Priest and levite… WE commonly only show mercy to those in our immediate and exclusive circles, if we show it at all.

“Not my friend not my problem”, “They are a jerk, they had it coming”, ‘They wronged me, so they can suffer”

We excuse our lack of mercy with things like “Its none of my business” “Someone else will help”

But in reality our own disobedience to God law has made us slaves to sin and spiritually not half dead BUT ALL DEAD. No spiritual pulse, no morally good bone in our bodies.

The contrast between a wealthy, clean priest and a naked, bloodied half dead random guy DOESN’t EVEN BEGIN to illustrate the INFINITE difference between us and God.

You and I left to our own devices are in DESPERATE NEED of God to not pass by us but to CALL US, RESCUE US and show mercy to us or else we will spend eternity separated from God.

We need God to show us MERCY and when YOU have recieved MERCY by God you will the BEGIN to SHOW MERCY to others… which leads us to the next question, How do we show mercy?

2. How do we show MERCY? v.33-35

A samaritan was not a well liked person from the Jews.

w/o taking too much time to look at the history, Samaritans were traitors in Israel's eyes and so they were cut off from Jewish society, banned from the temple, banned from worship, cut of from Accessing God

If you wanted to insult someone and I mean seriously insult someone you'd call them a Samaritan

Jews and Samaritans are enemies and the most likely outcome of this situation would be that the samaritan finished the job for the robbers and deals the final blow.

But what comes next is the most unexpected thing he could do

came to him = asseses the situation

bandages him - probably with his own clothes

oil and wine = soothing antiseptic

put him on his beats = lifting him up on his donkey

inn = a ragedy place used in case of emergencies

took care of him/ on the next day = stayed with him overnight

2 denarii = 2 months rent

Take care of Him = open tab, unlimited credit card

The lawyer gets a lesson in mercy from his enemy, a samaritan

Lest you still think “I am generally a kind person” “Im a good person” Now Jesus in this story has further clarified the height of the bar, its not just that you show mercy to EVERYBODY but that you show them unconditional, sacrificial, generous and lavish mercy.

How deep does your mercy go? Because God doesn’t demand just a perfect quantity of your mercy but also perfect quality.

Our mercy cannot merely be superficial and comfortable it must be lavishing and sacrificial.

It starts with showing it to everyone, not just people we like BUT it continues to showing it deeply. The mercy God requires is not just not saying something mean BUT being genuinely kind to someone who “doesn’t deserve it”

It doesn’t just mean smiling and saying hi to the loner but inviting them in to your group or to your hangout and then caring for them

Our mercy must go to the further extent we can take it...

Because that is exactly the mercy we have been show in and by Jesus Christ

God showed mercy to us not just as strangers to him but enemies to Him.

He didn’t just feel bad for us, say hope youre okay, He SENT HIS SON Jesus, to live a perfect life and die your death. He didn’t just cover your past sins and say “Heres another chance” He took the punishment you earned for your sin IN FULL.

He exhuasted Gods wrath stored up for you on the cross- so that all your sin; past, present and future are erased from your account. He invites you to be adopted into His family, he will give you a new heart that will be able to actually love him and love others (Not perfectly but gradually increasing in the right direction). He gives you infinite joy, comfort, love, worth and most importantly ETERNAL LIFE.

Would you recognize that you have NOT shown mercy and SO you need to cry out for it?

and what happens when you do? leads us to our next and final question, what does mercy lead to...

3. What does MERCY lead to? v.36-37

Jesus leaves the lawyer (who previously claimed that he has perfectly kept the most important commandments to Love God and His neighbor) he leaves Him with the answer to his original question that opened up this entire discussion “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

He says Go and Do this, Go and love EVERYONE, ALWAYS like this.

So what does mercy lead to? Fulfillment of the law BUT we have failed

If Showing mercy PERFECTLY is your ticket to heaven then you and I have no ticket.

But for those who recognize they have not shown it and cry out to God for it WILL receive their ticket to heaven… mercy from God

When we receive mercy from God we receive eternal life

In HS i was the student that never had paper or a pencil

NEVER HAD IT and I would always need to borrow.

When I did have it I wouldn’t share it because I knew it was only a matter of time until I lose this pencil and need my extra

One day i went to class and we had to take a test on scantrons and ALL I HAD was a pen. and in my pride I searched my backpack and binder not wanting to be THAT GUY again.

It got to the point that the test started, everyone was silent and I had nothing

I made the walk of shame up to the techer and no matter how much i whsipered everyone could hear me say “Can I borrow a pencil” “You don’t have a pencil? well i dont have one, ‘CLASS does anyone have a pencil for Jesse?’ kids laugh my reputation is ruined face red palms sweating. Awkward silence until finally the girl with a bag of pens and pencils lets me borrow one as long as i sign with blood that I give it back.

See in my situation I was surrounded by 30 people who could give me what I needed. AND unless I asked NOTHING would have changed. The longer I waited to ask was just burning time until I ran out of it and turned in an empty scantron

Our spiritual need is far greater than a pencil, its infinite mercy from God. You only have one option of who to ask for it from. The longer you wait the more time you waste and the consequence is worse than a failed test its an eternity of punishment.

Do not play with fire, don’t fool yourself into thinking I am okay I don’t need mercy. Don’t think you can just ask for it later.

We don’t know how the lawyer responds but we do have an example of how you should…

Luke 18.13 ““But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’”

If you would repent from your sin and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord you will be saved forever.

His mercy will never fail - if you have already TRULY received mercy from God trust that there is nothing you can do to lose it.

If you have recieved mercy from God than seek to show it to others

But evaluate tonight if you see yourself in the spritual confition necessary of mercy or if you like the lawyer are trusting in your own morality get you into heaven.

There is only one ticket to heaven and that is MERCY FROM GOD.