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7 - Loving the Unloveable |
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Luke 10:25-37
Sunday Morning, January 5, 2003
Loving the Unloveable
INTRODUCTION:
Let’s take a short drive down memory lane. Think back over the past five, ten, or twenty years. Remember where you lived, your homes, schools for the kids, jobs, and activities that occupied your time. Remember your neighborhood and all of your neighbors. Who would you identify as your most “memorable” neighbor? What made this person stand out in your memory?
Now consider this, “What reputation do you have as a neighbor?”
DIGGING DEEPER: “Who is my neighbor?”
I. This parable was prompted by the questioning of a lawyer as to what was required of a person to inherit eternal life (10:25-29). Some questions were asked by honest seekers. Others were asked to trap Jesus. Some were asked by people trying to draw attention to them selves. On several occasions the question of what one should do to inherit eternal life was put to Jesus (Matt. 19:16-22; 22:34-40; Mk. 12:28-34). This attitude characterized the Jews’ approach to being right with God.
a. To live in love is the whole meaning of life in the Kingdom of God. Jesus recognized that the lawyer’s original question was not asked with pure motives and when Jesus’ reply pointed to his deficiency, the lawyer sought a way to escape by asking, “Who is my neighbor?” The lawyer’s struggle to defend and justify himself was met with a penetrating illustration on true neighborliness.
b. The parable makes it clear that any attempt at self-justification is doomed to fail. The standard is too high. Eternal life cannot be earned.
II. The Parable of the Good Samaritan is the best known parable of Jesus. It continues to challenge the conscience of mankind. It started out as a theological controversy and ended up as a “first aid” story at a roadside. The hero of the story was a detested foreigner to the ones who first heard it. The villains, on the other hand, were the religious people of the time – a priest and Levite. This is typical of Jesus to shake up our traditional categories of thought.
a. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was known for its danger and covered seventeen miles. In ancient days, just as in modern times, robberies frequently took place on the Jericho Road.
b. Priests were the descendants of Aaron and served in the temple. Their highest duty was to offer sacrifices (Matt. 8:4; 12:4,5; Luke 1:5; 1 Chron. 24:4; Jn. 1:19; Heb. 5:1-4; 8:3-4; 9:7, 25).
c. The sons of Levi were consecrated as helpers for the priests. These Levites were divided into three families, each having specific duties. The principle function of the Levites was to assist in the maintenance of the temple services and order (Num. 3-4; 8:5-26).
d. The last man to appear on the scene was a Samaritan. A history of bitterness and resentment marked the relationship between Jews and Samaritans. In 722 B.C., the Assyrians deported the leading citizens of Israel (2 Kings 17:34-40) . Those Jews whom the Assyrians left in the land intermarried with non-Jews. During the period of the rebuilding of the temple, the Samaritans opposed the Jews, perhaps only for political reasons. By the time of Nehemiah, the feeling between the Jews and the Samaritans were running strong and deep. By the time of Jesus, feelings were at an all time low. Proud of their racial heritage, Jews looked upon the Samaritans as “half-breeds,” traitors and heretics. The Samaritans compounded this racial offense by using only the Pentateuch as their Bible. Furthermore, they used Mount Gerizim, not the Jerusalem Temple, as the place of their worship (Jn. 4:20-21; Deut. 11:29). What a shock to a Jew, then, that Jesus would choose a renegade Samaritan to become the hero.
i. The Samaritan’s knapsack seemed to have everything he needed for simple first aid. Oil and wine on wounds followed the approved practice of Jewish prescription (Isa. 1:6). He took him to the inn and paid for his care.
ii. The term “Samaritan” is now synonymous with “humanitarian.” Isn’t that great?
III. With this simple story, Jesus exposed an ugly prejudice deep in the hearts of the Jews. But the finger of this story points little to their failure to love their neighbors. Mostly it points to a man who conquered prejudice and did the right thing.
a. The distaste of the Jewish elite for Samaritans was extreme. Jesus could hardly have picked a character more abrasive and odious to his audience than a Samaritan. And it was particularly offensive that Jesus cast the hated Samaritan in the role of the good guy.
b. Since Jesus’ questioner was an expert in the law, he should have not asked such a question, for the law contained abundant teaching on caring for strangers (Deut. 10:16-19; Lev. 19:33-34).
IV. One final note. This parable is not concerned just with the kind Samaritan who went out of his way, at considerable cost in time and money, to help a person who was an alien to him. It also involves two special Jews whose calling obligated them to be good examples in obeying the law – a priest and a Levite. How could they have “passed by on the other side?”
a. What possible motivations could have caused them to show such callous disregard of a human in need?
CONCLUSION:
• Imagine the answers that could have been given to the lawyer’s original question without Jesus sharing this story. But when the story of a hurt man and who helped him was before the man, anyone could see the right answer. Jesus’ parables call for a decision. Following the parable, Jesus asked a convicting question, “Which one of these three was being neighborly?”
• Love is demonstrated in action, in this case, in an act of mercy. The Samaritan could have manufactured dozens of excuses to pass him by, like the priest and the Levite, but he didn’t. Love makes no excuses. We must individually get involved in the lives of people.
• Our assurance of salvation is closely tied to our being a living example of God’s “agape” love - - unprejudiced love in action (1 Cor. 13; Mt. 22:39; 1 Jn. 4:20).
• In order for me to be a Good Samaritan this week, I need to . . .
o Be more observant of others’ needs.
o Be less concerned about my needs and wishes.
o Be more tolerant and flexible.
o Be more aware and thankful for my blessings.
o Be willing to sacrifice time, energy, and resources.
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