14 Who Is The Neighbor?
The Kingdom Is Near • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsBig Idea: YOU are the neighbor, go and show mercy.
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Introduction
Introduction
Jesus had been teaching His many disciples, not just the 12. Earlier in , Jesus sent out 72 disciples in pairs ahead to the towns where He was about to go.
Heal the sick, tell them the Kingdom of God has come near.
The 72 returned with stories of God’s power and results. Even the demons submit to Jesus name. Jesus told them it is by the Authority He gave them that spirits submit, but don’t rejoice in that. Rejoice that your names are written in Heaven.
Then – amazing – Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit in what the Father did in the disciples.
He turned to the disciples and told the disciples they are blessed because prophets and kings who wanted to see the Messiah and His miracles did not get to see it.
At this, an expert in the law tries to challenge Jesus. They have not yet learned that they are not smarter than Jesus.
Read through Luke 10:25-37
Who Is My Neighbor?
Who Is My Neighbor?
Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Who Is My Neighbor?
Luke 10:
Expert in the law – likely a Pharisee. Lawyer. Picking at the little details.
Stood to test - looking for a way to discredit Jesus’ teaching
Addressed Jesus as teacher. Not exactly respecting Jesus as the Rabbi.
What must I do? Works based eternal life.
As always, Jesus turns the question back on the one asking.
“What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?”
:
Jesus appeals to his knowledge of the Law since it is God’s authority the man should know it well.
Jesus appeals to his knowledge of the Law since it is God’s authority the man should know it well.
He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind;” and “your neighbor as yourself.”
:27
“You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.”
The lawyer’s answer is right and Jesus tells him he answered correctly. Maybe he had heard Jesus’ teaching and emphasis on this before. Right answer, wrong understanding.
The lawyer’s answer is right and Jesus tells him he answered correctly. Maybe he had heard Jesus’ teaching and emphasis on this before. Right answer, wrong understanding.
The answer here is to love God and love neighbors. Love is an action. Do. But it is also driven from the heart. A heart response. Love. Charity. Compassion. Heart response that drives action.
Now to pick at the answer and split hairs. Challenge. Potential trap.
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
To avoid looking foolish, he tries to “justify himself” is not just to give an excuse, but to try to make himself appear righteous.
Neighbor – greek word indicates, not just the one who lives next to me, brother, neighbor, culturally or ethnically linked, group, fellowship
Neighbor – greek word indicates, not just the one who lives next to me, brother, neighbor, culturally or ethnically linked, group, fellowship
Jesus doesn’t give this guy any answers. He asks more questions and holds him to his answers.
Who is my neighbor?
The Good Samaritan
The Good Samaritan
Jesus took up the question and said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead.
took up the question = engaged in response
luke 10:
a man - would be understood as one of them - a Jew
Going down from Jerusalem on the mountain to Jericho. Away from the temple. Heading northwest, not directly toward but in the general northerly direction toward Samaria as well.
Rough road in mountains.
Robbers attacked, beat, robbed, then fled. It just wasn’t his day.
A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
luke 10:
Priest – representative of religion and the temple, not only passed by, but moved to other side. Could be a trap. Would be inconvenient. Could be a dead man so he would become ritually unclean.
Priest – representative of religion and the temple, not only passed by, but moved to other side. Could be a trap. Would be inconvenient. No compassion for a Jewish brother in need.
No compassion for a Jewish brother in need.
In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
luke 10:32
In the same way… just like the priest. Levite – also a role in the temple. Went around.
In the same way… just like the priest. Levite – also a role in the temple. Went around.
perception of listeners
perception of listeners
By now the listeners would likely be expecting another Jew to come by. An ordinary man, not religious leader. Jesus got their attention.
But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.
luke 10:
But a Samaritan… to show obvious contrast to the others. Not just a normal Jew.
Samaritan – half Jew, half other nationality. Jews and Samaritans despise each other. Different ethnically, different religiously. Not who the Jews would normally consider their neighbor.The Samaritan came up to the man. Brought the man to an inn. Brought to Jerusalem?
Samaritan – half Jew, half pagan. Jews and Samaritans despise each other. Different ethnically, different religiously. Not who the Jews would normally consider their neighbor.
He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
The Samaritan saw a man in need and approached him.
The Samaritan came up to the man. Brought the man to an inn. Brought to Jerusalem?
Took care of his injuries. Pouring wine and oil both to cleanse (wine) and to soothe (oil). Bandaged. Transported. Lodged. Cared for. Paid for.
The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’
Denarius = a days wage, so 2 days wages but a month or two worth of lodging.
luke 10:
Denarius = a days wage, so2 days wages but a month or two worth of lodging.
Also made arrangement for future care and repayment, meaning he was planning to continue thinking about and caring for this man. Not just a drive-by fix. Following through to make sure the victim was healed.
Jesus finished the story and turned back to the Pharisee to get him to answer his own question.
Now, Who Is The Neighbor?
Now, Who Is The Neighbor?
So it was the Samaritan who stopped. Who showed compassion. Who loved. Who cared.
First, look at this from the perspective of the hearers.
The crowd would likely have identified with the Jew who was robbed and passed over by the religious leaders. So, their neighbor would have been the other guy. The Samaritan. Still a shocker, because they would have had the same perspective, dislike for the stranger. Now they are being shown mercy by someone they would not have liked.
The other perspective would have been the expert in law. Pharisee. He would likely have identified more with the religious leaders and felt shame for their response being held up against the response of someone who was undesirable like the Samaritan.
Jesus turns the question back to the man. Who is my neighbor?
“Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”
Jesus turns the question back to the man.
The question or answer wasn’t about the victim and whether he should be considered a neighbor or not.
Which of the three proved to be the neighbor
Not the one being treated, but the one treating
The question or answer wasn’t about the Samaritan and whether he should be considered a neighbor or not.
“The one who showed mercy to him,” he said.
Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”
luke 10:37
The expert in law answered the one who showed mercy. Not the Samaritan. He either couldn’t bring himself to say the word Samaritan, or he realized the reason this was a neighbor.
The expert in law answered the one who showed mercy. Not the Samaritan. He either couldn’t bring himself to say the word Samaritan, or he realized the reason this was a neighbor.
The expert in law answered the one who showed mercy. Not the Samaritan. He either couldn’t bring himself to say the word Samaritan, or he realized the reason this was a neighbor.
The one who showed mercy and compassion was the neighbor. The one who stopped and helped was the neighbor.
Now for the real challenge – go and do the same. You are the neighbor. Go be the neighbor, show mercy, have compassion on those who are different, those who need help, those who have been abandoned.
Now for the real challenge – go and do likewise. You are the neighbor. Go be the neighbor, show mercy, have compassion on those who are different, those who need help, those who have been abandoned.
Jesus was answering both questions -
What must I do to inherit eternal life, and
Who is my neighbor. He used the parable to demonstrate both.
Conclusion
Conclusion
What must I do… Jesus demonstrated the rule following of the religious leaders was not enough. Just like our parables last week showed that it isn’t about following the rules. it is the outworking of what is in the heart.
They neglected the command of God to follow their rules.
They neglected the command of God to follow their rules.
Mercy, compassion - these are heart attitudes driving right behavior. Jesus told them to go and do the same as the Samaritan in the parable.
The one who showed mercy is the neighbor.
Who is my neighbor? The one who showed mercy is the neighbor.
This can actually work both ways. Sometimes, we are the fellow who is in dire need of help and someone steps up like the Good Samaritan. It’s humbling. But it builds relationship if we receive it. Think of our relationship with Rios. They have stepped up to help Mt. Rock in a time of need.
Many times, we are like the Samaritan. On our journey we see needs and can offer mercy and compassion.
Big Idea: YOU are the neighbor, go and show mercy.
Big Idea: YOU are the neighbor, go and show mercy.
YOU are the neighbor, go and show mercy.
Have compassion on those in need and show mercy to others, even if they are not like you. Even if they do not like you or you do not like them.
This is living out the Great Commandment - love God and love others.
What About You?
What About You?
Don’t look the other way. Don’t cross to the other side. Reach out. Offer compassion. Offer mercy. Offer help.