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Why does it seem so hard to be kind in today’s society?
Tolerance of others
Background
Jesus is journeying towards His appointed time in Jerusalem.
Along the way, He continued to teach the basics of discipleship through discourse and parables.
On one occasion, Jesus encountered a lawyer concerned about eternal life.
In the dialogue that followed, Jesus told the powerful story of the Good Samaritan.
Who were the Samaritans?
The people of Samaria were of mixed Israelite and foreign descent, so the Jewish people did not accept them as part of the Jewish community.
The Samaritans worshiped Yahweh and used a version of the Pentateuch as their Scripture, but they worshipped on Mount Gerizim, not in Jerusalem.
The hostilities between Jews and Samaritans dated all the way back to the late sixth-century bc.
Thus the Samaritans were despised by Jews for both ethnic and religious reasons; there was mutual hatred by the Samaritans toward Jews.
The hostilities between Jews and Samaritans dated all the way back to the late sixth-century bc.
Thus the Samaritans were despised by Jews for both ethnic and religious reasons; there was mutual hatred by the Samaritans toward Jews.
With a Samaritan playing the positive role—and a priest and Levite in negative roles—Jesus’ parable would have been shocking.
It shows the extreme universality of the term “neighbor” and demonstrates the depths of mercy that should be extended to all people.
Our love for God is tied to our love for others
Let’s start with
What do you think of the words “to test” in verse 25?
The same word for test, ekpeirazo, used in
What about his question, “what shall I do?”
from the Greek word pue-el which connotes a physical action of making or doing something
clearly he “was thinking of some sort of salvation by works and had no understanding of divine grace”
10:25–29.
Luke provided no background for this exchange.
Apparently Jesus was teaching in a public setting when a lawyer (10:25a) (a scribe schooled in the law of Moses) asked Jesus a question, attempting to find a flaw in Jesus’ teaching (put Him to the test, 10:25a).
While the question itself is a good one—what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
(10:25b), clearly he “was thinking of some sort of salvation by works and had no understanding of divine grace” (Morris, Luke, 187).
Jesus’ question in response was not intended to be evasive—What is written in the Law?
(10:26a)—but meant to limit the discussion so as to eliminate from the outset fruitless exchanges and debates involving human speculations (cf.
).
In His next question—How does it read to you?—Jesus was not asking for the lawyer’s own relativistic take on the law but was conducting a counter-test.
There was a right and a wrong answer to this question.
When the lawyer quoted (“love the Lord your God”) and (“love your neighbor as yourself”) (both cited in ), Jesus acknowledged that he had answered correctly (10:28a).
However, Jesus’ quotation of —do this and you will live ()—brought home the devastating point that perfect obedience to the law was not possible.
At this point the lawyer should have realized the inherent error of “works righteousness” implied in his opening question.
What do you think of Jesus answering a question with a question?
In His next question—How does it read to you?—Jesus was not asking for the lawyer’s own relativistic take on the law but was conducting a counter-test.
There was a right and a wrong answer to this question.
When the lawyer quoted (“love the Lord your God”) and (“love your neighbor as yourself”) (both cited in ), Jesus acknowledged that he had answered correctly (10:28a).
However, Jesus’ quotation of —do this and you will live ()—brought home the devastating point that perfect obedience to the law was not possible.
At this point the lawyer should have realized the inherent error of “works righteousness” implied in his opening question.
Tangent - Importance of bible study (topics, word study, etc).
the word love in verse 27? Agape
To entrap Jesus in argumentation for the purpose of discrediting Him (see and note).
The question here is different than the one asked in Matthew’s similar account, but it may reflect the same thinking (see and note).
10:25.
A man with excellent religious credentials stood among the crowd.
He studied God’s law continually and interpreted it so the people would know how to obey it.
He tried his best to obey the law himself.
He helped administer justice within the Jewish system.
People respected his expertise and his life.
He had a question for Jesus.
He thought it would reveal the weakness and falseness in Jesus’ teaching and lead people away from him back to the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, the qualified religious leaders.
God had given Israel an inheritance, namely the land of Israel.
They had forfeited this inheritance through disobedience.
Now they looked for a new inheritance, one that would last forever.
The rabbis debated exactly what this inheritance was.
The lawyer gave Jesus opportunity to provide a new definition.
10:26 Since He is conversing with a legal expert, Jesus appeals to the law.
meanings of love in NT Greek:
Storge - empathy type of love
10:27.
True to his profession, the lawyer quoted Scripture.
Interestingly, in and , Jesus quotes the same Scriptures (; ).
Thus, both from the Jewish leaders’ viewpoint and from Jesus’ unique teaching, these Scriptures stand at the top of all other Old Testament teaching.
Love God.
Love neighbor.
Then you will be and do what God expects in the Old Testament.
Such love must not be half-hearted.
It must be all-encompassing.
Every part of you—thoughts, emotions, feelings, actions—must be controlled by love for God and for others.
10:28 These commands reflect the heart of Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of God: love of God and love of neighbor.
Phileo - friendship, or brotherly love
10:28.
For once Jesus agreed with a Jewish religious leader.
Again, he emphasized the nature of this answer—not just an idea of the mind, but an action of one’s strength, a feeling of one’s soul, an emotion of one’s heart.
Love must control the entire person.
Eros - romantic love
Agape - unconditional “God” like love
We fail to love when we are indifferent to others
Let’s move to
Side Study: Jesus’ feeling for those in need (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ).
Fellow travelers soon happened on the situation.
A priest, the highest of Jewish religious officials, hurriedly stepped to the other side of the road and continued on his important business, even though rabbinic law expected him to bury any corpse he discovered.
Similarly, a Levite, who carried out the more mundane tasks of temple worship and operation, passed quickly by.
No reason why, except not enough love for this “neighbor.”
It is the feeling and attitude of a master who cancels a servant’s massive debt ().
This is true neighborly love—a love that goes beyond anything society or religious law expects and acts simply because of the extreme need of another.
Next we expect a member of the Jewish laity, the clergy having failed the love test.
Instead, we get an unexpected Samaritan, one who in Jewish eyes had little reason to be in Jewish territory and who would be the last person to qualify as a neighbor to be loved.
Such qualification is made from the lawyer’s worktable interpreting the law.
From the dying man’s ditch, anyone who will offer first aid and emergency assistance qualifies as a loving neighbor.
Thus, Jesus uttered shocking words for a Jewish audience grilled in legal interpretations and prejudiced judgments.
The Samaritan had compassion—a Greek expression built on the word for a person’s inner parts, the seat of emotions and feelings.
It expresses Jesus’ feeling for those in need (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ).
It is the feeling and attitude of a master who cancels a servant’s massive debt ().
This is true neighborly love—a love that goes beyond anything society or religious law expects and acts simply because of the extreme need of another.
What do you draw from verse 29?
10:29 The legal expert seeks to support his claim to be righteous (perhaps only in his own mind) and presses Jesus to define the term “neighbor.”
The legal expert’s question and his own answer in frame the parable of the Good Samaritan.
10:29.
The leader tried to take the offense again and put Jesus on the defensive.
One more trick question: Who is my neighbor?
That is, how far does my love have to extend?
The lawyer was not ready to give up and so wishing to justify himself (10:29a) he evasively asked another question—And who is my neighbor?
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