191; How to Neighbor; Won't you be a Neighbor; Luke 10:25-37
How to Neighbor • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro
Intro
Won’t you be a neighbor?
Fred Rogers
- I’ve preached on this text before but it’s one of those that just pierces my heart when we see it correctly.
Fred Rogers
Today we’re going to see the secret ingredient and frankly the radical nature of what it means to really be neighborly.
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 and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
The scene starts with a lawyer wanting to test Jesus. This guy is an expert in the first five books of the Bible. So he asks Jesus a question.
Have you ever asked a question when you already know the answer? We typically do that sort of thing when we want to feel good about ourselves and we want someone else to affirm us.
The lawyer asks a simple question but Jesus doesn’t take the bait. So he pushes a bit further. Who is my neighbor?
This seems like a pretty straightforward question. You almost expect Jesus to say; you don’t know your neighbors? “Neighbor” here πλησίον has the idea of community or fellowship. So the idea isn’t; who lives next to me? Rather, it is who should I invite to my table? If I am going to obey Scripture—if I want to be saved, who should I associate with? Who should I consider my neighbor?
Oddly, Jesus digs into the neighbor question; who is my neighbor, not, what must I do to be saved! The master surgeon goes to work!
πλησίον
He employs a parable . They’re often like a bit of a riddle. He taught this way all the time. You think you have it figured out, only to realize your standing on a trap-door.
Transition
Transition
Bring 4 guys down
Intro 4 characters in the parable.
A priest, a rabbi, and a billie-goat walk into a hardware store.
To understand the parable we have to have the right perspective. Remember, the lawyer said, “Who is my neighbor?”
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
We are to identify with a specific person in the story. We’ll call him “The Fall guy.” We look at the fall guy and analyze the other characters from his perspective. Super important.
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
Why would we call him “The Fall Guy”? We call him that because he keeps falling. He travels from Jerusalem to Jericho (Falls 3000 feet). It’s a three day walk, all downhill. He would have walked through the Pass of Adummim (comes from the Hebrew word for blood). Danger!
He is going down, then he falls into the hands of robbers, then he is beaten on the ground and left for dead. There is nothing he can do.
He has fallen and can’t get up!
Why is it so important to see the story from his perspective? Our own story. Utterly incapable of helping himself.
While we were yet sinners…. We were dead in sin….
More than anyone, a Christian should have compassion because we’ve been there. Who will help this man? Who will be his neighbor?
Three men walk by.
First passerby
First passerby
Priest
His job was to intercede. He brought the people to God and God to the people. Lucky for this guy, a priest walks by.
31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
Happened? Hapax Legomenon. God provides opportunities for us to part of his redemptive plan.
Interestingly, Jericho was one of the man country residences for priests. You would go to the Temple for your time of service then go home. In Jesus’ parable, the men may have been from the same town.
Interview the priest?
Uncleanliness? Going down the same road.
You’re busy and important! What if you get robbed too?!
Why should he help this man? Maybe he deserves it!
Does this sort of thinking sound familiar? We do the same thing all the time! We have a million excuses!
They made their bed; they can sleep in it.
That person is too far gone. They’ll never get it right, let alone become a Christian.
No body helped me! I did it all myself.
Notice how easy we change perspectives! From a forgiven standpoint, it’s easy to suddenly become the judge!
Second passerby
Second passerby
Intro the Levite
Not a priest but his job was take care of things at the Temple. He’s a priest’s assistant. He’s important. He’s sort of a deacon.
32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
You’ve got to be kidding!
Interview the Levite
Maybe Jesus
Luke 10:30
What’s your excuse?
There is always an excuse!!!
It just so happened? Have you ever realized God had you in a specific place at a specific time?
Our willingness to respond in the scenarios God places in and the leading of the Holy Spirit will set the limits on our usefulness to the Kingdom.
There is something here that Jesus says that the lawyer would have picked up. Jesus just pointed out that two of their best had the opportunity and they chose not to help. The system was broken.
Who will help? Who will he introduce? Possibly just a regular Joe? Remember that trap door I talked about?
33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
I
NOT A SAMARITAN!!!
They considered them half-breed Assyrians.
They weren’t allowed to testify in court.
Josephus tells a story about Samaritans sneaking into the Temple and scattering human bones. They hated Samaritans!
To insult Jesus, they called him a Samaritan.
Even today, they won’t intermarry.
Samaritans didn’t like Jews either. They rejected Jesus himself! Refer to
James and John offer to blow everyone up!
You can almost see the lawyers eyes rolling. “Are you kidding me? Jesus that story is so crazy it doesn't even make sense!” Who would even want this Samaritan’s help? Jesus is blowing up their whole understanding of a social order!
But there is something about the Samaritan. Jesus has us standing on a second trap door!
Notice something in the text: the (priest and Levite) whole Law system has offered no help to the Fall guy.
Notice something in the text: the (priest and Levite) whole Law system has offered no help to the Fall guy.
Someone they’ve rejected () would be driven by compassion.
σπλογνον - only used in the NT to describe Jesus.
He goes to the man - the Good Shepherd leaves the 99 and goes to the 1.
He bandaged the man’s wounds and cared for his healing.
He provided safety and ongoing care for the man.
Then he promised to return to make sure the healing was complete.
To understand the parable correctly, I need to see that I am the fallen. Jesus, moved by compassion, is the Good Samaritan.
Please don’t miss this: Jesus is so moved by compassion that he identifies with the despised and rejected so he can help the hopeless.
Notice Jesus identifies himself with the despised and rejected so he can help the hopeless.
Then he pulls the final trap-door lever
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 and do likewise.”
Luke 10:
Go and do likewise
Be a person driven by compassion
Grandma Polly
Fred Rogers
Pic of Pool
Pic of Pool with Rogers and Officer Clemens