Sermon Tone Analysis

Reaching Out In Love

 

*Story:*  Near Fang & the Myanmar border, a notorious drug trafficker lived in a village.

Everyone was scared to go into this village, because it was like an armed camp.

Recently, the man has been arrested.

Christians have been praying for this village & there are now Christian families in the village.

Just recently, an evangelist went to this man’s home & prayed a blessing over this drug-king’s family.

A strong-hold of Satan in breaking down & becoming a part of God’s kingdom.

There are now people in this village who will receive eternal life.

But if someone did not go & share the love of Christ, today, the village may still be on complete darkness.

*Parable of the Good Samaritan*

 

Background: 

 

The story of the Good Samaritan is found in Chapter 10.

In this chapter, we find: Christ appoints 70 disciples, two by two, to preach, heal; Pronounces woes on Chorazin & Capernaum; The seventy return, & give account of their mission; Christ rejoices that the things which were hidden from the wise & prudent had been revealed unto babes, & shows the great privileges of the Gospel.

A lawyer inquires how he shall inherit eternal life, & is answered.

The story of the good Samaritan.

The account of Martha & Mary.

This parable is told by Jesus & is meant to be understood in context of what has already been said in Lk 10.

You may remember that in praising the Father, Jesus has just said in Lk 10:21b: “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven & earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise & learned, & revealed them to little children.

Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.”

Today, I want to ask:  1)  *How do we inherit eternal life?*    2) *How is my neighbor?*

Questions about achieving eternal life & about the essence of the law were common in Judaism.

*Lk 10:25-37: 25* On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.

"Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" *26* "What is written in the Law?" he replied.

"How do you read it?"

*27* He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart & with all your soul & with all your strength & with all your mind'; &, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

*28* "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied.

"Do this & you will live."

*29* But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "& who is my neighbor?"

*30* In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers.

They stripped him of his clothes, beat him & went away, leaving him half dead.

*31* A priest happened to be going down the same road, & when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.

*32* So too, a Levite, when he came to the place & saw him, passed by on the other side.

*33* But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; & when he saw him, he took pity on him.

*34* He went to him & bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil & wine.

Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn & took care of him.

*35* The next day he took out two silver coins & gave them to the innkeeper.

'Look after him,' he said, '& when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

*36* "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" *37* The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

Jesus told him, "Go & do likewise."

(NIV)

* *

/Exposition//:/  Let’s look carefully at this passage.

*25    *The lawyer is an expert in the law & in details of the Jewish religion.

Often this individual was called upon to settle legal issues.

"He stood up."

This is a social courtesy & a greeting of respect.

Yet, in his heart he sought to test Jesus.

So there’s a contradiction between his actions & his words.

He addressed Jesus as "teacher" & asked him about eternal life – our first question.

Questions about achieving eternal life & about the essence of the law were common in Judaism.

“What is the essence of your teaching?”

His intention is to compare Jesus’ teaching &  compare it with Judaism so that he can then say, “Your system is wrong.”

It is important that we understand that Jesus is not teaching works as a means of salvation; rather, He’s actually teaching that doing good works (law keeping) cannot save anyone, because no one can keep the law perfectly.

This man asks the question, “How can I be saved?”

Jesus answers, “You tell Me, according to the law.”

He responds, “One can be saved by perfectly & persistently obeying the whole law, with one’s whole heart, soul, mind & strength.”

The lawyer now has a problem, because the system he’s seeking to defend is a system that can’t save anyone.

In seeking to condemn Jesus, the lawyer has just condemned himself & the whole world.

Note his assumption of human responsibility in the attainment of eternal life - salvation is by works!

He probably had no concept of God’s love & grace played in salvation.

*Application:* 

 

“What must I do?” is a most important question.

To answer this we must first understand& that the Bible says that we were created for God to enjoy us & to worship Him forever.

So what must we do for this to happen?

God has clearly given the answer to eternal life - so clear we are left without excuse:

 

v        He has given us the answer in written words – clear & unmistakable.

v        He has given us the answer in the life of Christ Himself.

v        Jesus allows us to discover about life in creation (Rom 1) &  the Word of God.

We must therefore diligently study God’s word.

We see this in v. 26.

 

*26*   Jesus' counter question directs the questioner back to the law, the commandments of the OT, which are not only his special field but also the ultimate source of religious knowledge.

*Application:*  We are to diligently study Scriptures.

To grow in knowledge of the Word.

We need to grow in might & power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, & in God’s Word.

Knowing God & who He is & what He is helps us to grow in Spirit, too!

 

*26    *Notice that the lawyer, not Jesus, quotes the commandment.

The lawyer knew the law!

The answer is satisfactory so far as it goes.

He sums up what is most important – to love God & to love others with all your heart, strength & mind.

This is based on the OT (Deut 6:5; Lev 19:18; cf.

Rom 13:9).

The words “/as yourself/” will provide the crucial means of evaluating one's love of neighbor.

The ultimate evaluation will have to be based on deeds, not words, as the parable shows.

*Application:* 

 

1)  We are to love God with all our hearts!

*Do you?*

This is a personal relationship – not distant.

God is not impersonal, not far out in distant space someplace.

God is close, personal, & we are to be personally involved with God.

Loving God is alive & active, not dead & inactive.

2)  We are to love our neighbor as our self.

v     Love is an active experience, not inactive & dormant.

This is the point Jesus is making.

Love for God acts.

Love acts demonstrating through deeds & action.

v     God wants us to love our neighbor, not just do “religious” things, i.e.: rituals, observances, ordinances & laws.

God wants us to make loving our neighbor the first priority of our lives.

*28* Although Jesus affirms that the lawyer has answered correctly, this does not mean that he has grasped the full meaning of the law, nor does it support the idea held by many Pharisees that by keeping the law can earn eternal life.

No one can ever keep the whole law in its entirety.

In fact, to slip once is to fail.

So Jesus put the problem squarely up to the lawyer who wanted to know by doing what.