Luke 10
INTRO:
The parable of the Good Samaritan is a very well known
story & Some literary critics consider it the greatest story ever told.
The parable of the Good Samaritan came about as an answer
to a question that was asked by a Lawyer.
Jewish scribes
would have great interest in such questions, not only for personal reasons but
because they were interested in interpreting the law for the community.
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?”
1. Lawyer – a specialist in Jewish Law. (both written
& oral)
Not a lawyer who
prosecutes or defends a person in a court of Law
but rather, he was an interpreter of the Mosaic Law.
He assumes that he must do something to gain life
everlasting.
In effect he asks
how he can be sure to participate in and be blessed at the resurrection of the
dead.
The lawyer's question seems to assume that he must earn
such a reward.
2.Now the question that he asked is the GREATEST QUESTION
that a man can ask
It is a
question which deserves the total attention of every man, woman, and child on
earth.
THIS is THE question which people of every walk of life
ought to put to themselves, and never rest till they find an answer.
BUT - Sadly, it is a question which few really care to
consider.
Thousands are constantly inquiring, / What shall we
eat.... What shall we drink.... What am I going to wear? How can we get more
money ? How can we enjoy ourselves ? etc.
Few, will ever
give a moment's thought to the salvation of their souls.
3. NOTE: There are
TWO people in the Bible who asked Jesus this question
This man & a rich young ruler who came to Jesus (
MK.10: 17--22 )
17 As Jesus was
starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down,
and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
So the Rich young ruler & this lawyer both came to
Jesus asking the
question / What shall I do …… / how to possess Eternal
LIFE .
4. Q: How would
you answer someone if they asked you, “What do I have to do to go to
heaven?”
What was Jesus
reply?- another question- a rabbinic method
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.’”
1.THE LAWYER’S ANSWER!
An Adequate summary of the Law? Yes, he nailed it!
Heart(the emotional nature); soul(the willing nature);
strength(the physical nature); mind(the intellectual nature). i.e. the whole person is to love Him!
2.Jesus calls for reflection on the law, asking,
"What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"
He is asking for scriptural support & since this
person is expert in the law.
3.The reply shows that the issue is not action per se but
the heart. Do I love God fully?
This is a relationship of trust and devotion, a truth
that lies at the heart of Jesus' reply.
You have been saved through faith….by putting our trust
& devotion to God 100 %
It is interesting that Jesus takes both of them to the
LAW - WHY?
Through the LAW –comes the Knowledge of God & Sin!!!
In both cases Jesus used the Law to reveal – what should
be no.1 in their lives & what was lacking in their hearts.
28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you
will live!”
The chief end of humankind is to love God wholly.
The product of our love for God will be a regard for
others made in his image, those whom God has placed next to us as neighbors.
But like so many
w/ in the religious establishment of that day – this man had much head
knowledge but not much - practical application.
True of a lot of people who go to church today as well -
Know truth but don’t live truth)
2.In both cases
Jesus used the Law to reveal – what was
lacking in their hearts.
With the Lawyer
-That if you truly love God you will also – love your neighbor
Rich young
rulers – he loved his power & possessions more
than God.
29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so
he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
1.This man asks for some clarification which was really
an attempt to excuse the lack of application of this principle in his own life
but Jesus made it simple and practical.
2.The question Who is my neighbor? is really an attempt
to limit who one's neighbor might be.
In ancient culture, as today, such limits might have run
along ethnic lines.
In contemporary terms: there are neighbors, "my
folk," and then there are the rest, "them."
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.
Background: From Jerusalem to Jericho is 17 miles.
This rocky thoroughfare was lined with caves that made
good hideouts for robbers and bandits.
The road was notoriously dangerous, the ancient
equivalent to the inner city late at night.
Josephus notes how some took weapons to protect
themselves as they traveled this road
(Jewish Wars 2.8.4 125).
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.
1.The expectation culturally would be relief:
"Surely help is on the way now."
2.But the priest does not stop. Rather, he crosses to the
other side and keeps going. The detail about crossing the road is no accident.
32 A Temple assistant walked over and
looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
1.A Levite, another potential source of aid, arrives on
the scene. As one who served in the temple, he will surely have compassion,
stop and render aid. But when he sees the man, he also crosses to the other
side of the road and keeps on moving.
2.So two men of similar Jewish background have failed to
render aid.
Now by using a Priest & a Levite as two of the main
Characters in the Story – Jesus was illustrating that the religious leaders in
Israel had forgotten about the people.– they were so caught up in their
religious rituals – that they were out
of touch.
Their Job / their Life was supposed to be about helping
people. But they both passed by .
:Religious work does not make the worker righteous!
3.Watch out for that tendency of falling into routines /
or rituals /or that legalistic type of mentality
The legalist thinks things & says things like - Well
this happened because this guy must have been doing something wrong –or He should not have been in that place where
he could so easily be stumbled & robbed.
4.Interpreters speculate as to why they refuse to
help.
As is often the case, the bother and discomfort of
helping have kept the man dying on the road.
Getting involved is costly, and for many the
investment is too high. But to refuse to help is moral failure.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along,
and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.
1.But now another traveler comes on the scene. The text
highlights this man's arrival by placing his ethnic identity, a Samaritan, at
the front of the description.
2.The scribe hearing Jesus tell the story must be
thinking, "There will be no help from this half-breed."
But as often happens in Jesus' parables, a twist on
cultural expectations yields this story's major point.
3.Here we have a “foreigner”, not included in the Jewish
definition of a neighbor, is the one who showed himself neighbor to the
unfortunate Jew.
He must have shocked his audience with the hero of the
story being a hated Samaritan
You know the relationship between Jews & the
Samaritans was strained.
Q:
Where did Jesus just travel through? (Samaria)
Q:
What was James & Johns desire for the Samaritans? (fire)
To tear down these walls Jesus: rebuked their hostility
towards them (9:55);
Samaritans were
hated by the Jews - ½ breeds - unclean people .
So By having a
Samaritan as the Hero of the Story – insult to injury against the religious
establishment in Israel
4. But He was also illustrating very powerfully that Your
neighbor is anyone in need ! Race / Religion / Social status / none of that
mattered.
So here he was travelling down this road on…
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.’
We read in v. 33 -
He saw Him & had compassion on Him!
2nd thing he did was He went to Him - Pity plus action /
He got involved –
3rd
thing to note is that the Samaritan was equipped to minister. /Bandages
/ oil / Wine !
This guy was travelling along on His journey equipped w/
those things that were necessary to help people who were hurting & in need
4th thing to note
is that He took care of the man – He didn’t just give him medicine &
bandage him & leave him there – he carried him to Inn
5thTo minister to people this way will cost
you - / maybe financially - / maybe time / maybe in the way of comfort
Now In order to
be a person who sees the needs of others you need to be one who is not so
focused on yourself. (not like the priest & Levite)
And How you see
people & yourself will determine how much or how little the Lord uses you
in the lives of others.
The Thieves saw the Jew to be taken advantage, so they
got what were his. What is yours is mine- take it
The Priest & Levite saw the Jew as a bother costly,
so they kept their kindness. What is mine belongs to me - keep it
The Samaritan saw
the Jew as in need, so he gave what he got. Good Samaritan - What is mine is
yours - I will give it
36
“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was
attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
Jesus' question to close the story requires no brilliant
reply.
37 The man replied, “The one who showed him
mercy.”
The lawyer knows, but he cannot even bring himself to
mention the man's race.
The lawyer is choosy about his neighbors.
Nevertheless, he answers, "The one who had mercy on
him."
I wonder if he couldn’t say the word “Samaaarrrritan”!
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the
same.”
The
answer to who is my neighbor? is Anyone I can help!
If
your spirit is right there is no need to ask, who is my neighbor!
Neighbors are not determined by race, creed or gender;
neighbors consist of anyone in need made in the image of God. To love God means
to show mercy to those in need.
This man could be the Transient down at the park / or
your neighbor who is going through a divorce.
he could be a guy in jail or the guy or gal you work w/
who think they’re successful - but their empty inside
In the case of the Rich person- Mark 10. What was lacking
there?
The Rich young
rulers – he loved his power & possessions more
than God.
The Rich person
has money but he only thinks of himself….me….me…me..me
Conclusion:
The Right heart leads to right application….what a
beautiful life!!!
Samaritan Rich Man
Heart (the emotions)- compassion
Soul (the will)- went go
strength(the physical)- bandage,
carried/ sell
mind(the intellect)- convalescence/ give
Acknowledgment: Resources taken from: Darrell Bock, Rob Salvato & Brian bell
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