The Mirror is Cracked...
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How do you see yourself? - When you think about what people say about you, what do you think they say?
How do you see others? When you talk about other groups of people, what do you say?
Reflection is difficult.
It is especially difficult because lets face it, we’re biased.
We tend to dislike people who always think they’re right. But, if we think about it, that describes us too. Why would we say something that we thought was wrong? Should we dislike ourselves?
Clearly, the answer is no. Whether you realize it or not, whether you consider yourself a disciple of Jesus or not, God loves you.
Some people hear that and they get the “YaButs” - it may be a Hebrew word or something. It’s where you hear that God loves you and inside something says, “Ya, but...” and you come up with a reason why God shouldn ‘t love you. So let me put it this way, “God loves you, anyway!”
Our text this morning deals a lot with love, not only the way we love ourselves but how we love others. It’s a familiar text, we’ve heard the story before whether from Scripture or not. It’s a common story. So let’s ask God to help us hear the message for us today.
Let’s pray:
God of grace, love, mercy, patience, peace: we gather today to hear from you. Our week has been full. Our lives have been busy. So Lord, help us hear and respond to the command, “Be still.” Help us take comfort in the invitation for all who are weary and heavy laden to come. As we hear from you today, help us find rest. We invite you to speak Lord, for your servants are listening. AMEN.
Our text this morning comes from Luke chapter 10, vs. 25-37.
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
The Word of our Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Labels, labels everywhere: Religious. Liberal. Alt-Right. Socialist. Radical. Evangelicals. Terrorist. Conservative. Racist. Fundamentalist. Fascist. Antifa. Black. White. Jew. Samaritan.
The idea of labels is not new. It goes back to the beginning of time. Labels are not necessarily bad, but they can be used in bad ways. Our politicians (yes, that’s a label) and our media (another label) use labels all the time, and often to evoke a response. Some of the word labels I just shared raise up in us a deep seeded response.
As Christians (another label) we are described by the One who is the beginning and end of our faith, Jesus, the Christ. He is the epitome of what we would like our lives to reflect. It was Jesus who said,
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Of course, that wasn’t published yet in the New Testament during Jesus’ time, because it hadn’t been written yet. So what this lawyer (and expert in the Jewish Law) knew was the Law of the Old Testament. And as we read the exchange, he stands up to test Jesus, “Teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life?” That is the question of the ages.
I love the fact that Jesus doesn’t answer his question, instead he asks him a question: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” Jesus immediately knew that this man was an expert in the law, so Jesus puts this teacher back in the spotlight. A position I think he liked.
The lawyer responds with two statements key in Jewish teaching. The first is from the Shema, in Deuteronomy. Shema means “to Hear” in Hebrew, and the passage begins with “O hear O Israel, the Lord you God, the Lord is one.” It continues as quoted by the lawyer:
And he answered, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.”
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” and he adds, “and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Loving your neighbor actually comes from a different place in Jewish Law, from Leviticus 19:18.
It’s the right answer, and Jesus affirms him in it. He has given Jesus the perfect, textbook, Sunday School, Churchy answer. But then Luke tells us the lawyer wanted to “justify himself,” and asks, “who is my neighbor.” In other words, he’s looking for an escape clause.
I saw a comic strip this past week of Jesus telling his disciples to they are commanded to love their neighbor as themselves. In the next frame, one of the disciples pipes up and says, “Everyone but Dave, right?” Jesus says, “No, Dave too.” In the next frame Dave responds, “See! I told you so.” In the next frame Jesus is looking at him and simply says, “Dave.”
It’s easy to give the Sunday School answer and call for love. It’s not so easy to do. In the story Jesus uses to illustrate it is not those that have the correct answers that are lifted up. He speaks of a traveler who is robbed, stripped, beaten, and left to die. Note the reactions:
Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.
The priests were the ones who administered religious rites of the day. We’re not told, but it’s not a stretch to think this would have been a jewish priest - someone that would have known the same law that the lawyer just spoke of.
Then, a Levite:
So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
Levites were people of the tribe separated from the other tribes of Israel as special. They were called upon to uphold the letter of the law. They didn’t shave nor cut their hair in their adherence to the Law, and yet he too passed on the other side.
The third person that journeyed by was a person of the race hated by the Israelites. They were considered “Half-breeds”, they were considered less than, they were not valued people but to put it politely would have been considered the scum of the earth in that region. If there is a disparaging remark you’ve used to describe another it’s equivalent would have been used to describe this man because of his race. And yet, Jesus makes him the hero of the story.
But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
It is from this story we get the term “Good Samaritan”.
Not only does this man stop, he goes to him, binds his wounds, pouring on oil and wine (the medical care of the time), he transports him on his own animal (meaning he now likely had to walk), takes him to the nearest Holiday Inn and cares for him - he would have paid for both of their stay. Then he gives the equivalent of two days wages to the innkeeper to take care of him, and promises to repay anything more when he comes back.
Wow. Such over the top sacrifice for one who represented a group that had been anything but helpful to him. Someone who represented a people who engaged in cheating him in business, no doubt using racial slurs and epithets against him, and by any standard of fairness did not deserve his compassion.
When Jesus asked,
Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
The lawyers answer was honest and no excuses:
He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Go and do likewise, is likely one of the most difficult commands Jesus gives.
Be Holy as your heavenly father is Holy.
Holiness, Rightousness, Purity, Compassion, - no evil within....
Yeah right.
God loves you!
God loves you!
Are you perfect? No. Is anyone else? No.
Okay, I told you to forget the Yabutz, but think of them for just a second. Do you hold a grudge? Do you get angry? Are you sometimes self-righteous? Have you ever said something mean?
God loves you, anyway!
God loves you, anyway!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
That doesn’t make you perfect. It doesn’t make you right. It doesn’t make you better than anyone else.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
We are broken. The mirror that is to reflect God’s glory is cracked. And God loves you anyway! Jesus invites you to come and to find your rest in Him. Not in getting things your own way. Not in riches or possessions, or family, or accolades of others, or stature, or position.
None of these fill the need in your heart of knowing you are God’s precious child. If you are following Jesus, you are the disciple Jesus loved.
What Now?
What Now?
What can we do to not be like the lawyer in our story.
Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
Quit justifying yourself and confess it when you do.
Repent - turn back to God. Seek to “go and do likewise”.
Repeat.
Now I know there are situations where we are not justifying ourselves, we might be on the receiving end of judgment, ingratitude, anger and hatred.
You are not called to be a doormat. You are a wonderfully loved child of God. Remember the command is to love your neighbor as yourself. Don’t forget within that command is love yourself too. We have to have healthy boundaries.
Love builds up it does not tear down. Don’t tear yourself down in order to build another up.
Remember,
You are the disciple Jesus loves!
You are the disciple Jesus loves!
Let’s pray.
Lord, we have heard your word today. We have heard your call to love our neighbor. We want to do that. Forgive us Lord for those times we have labeled others in negative ways. Forgive us for times we have allowed anger and hatred to find a foothold in our hearts. Forgive us for times we have thought less of another simply due to their race, their ability, their position in society, their religion or group affiliation.
Give us eyes to see ourselves as you see us. Give us eyes to see our neighbors as you see them. Give us the courage, grace, and strength to extend love as you would. Fill us Lord with your Holy Spirit this day, that we might reflect your heart for those around us and in all the spaces we inhabit: our homes, our communities (both personal and virtual), and our workplaces. We ask this to your glory. AMEN!