Luke's Gospel

If you'd like to, turn your bibles to, Luke chapter 10. We'll be reading from verse 25, which she's on page 1041. It's Luke chapter 10, starting in verse 25. On 1 occasion, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. Teacher, he asked what must I do to inherit eternal life?

What is written in the law he replied? How do you read it? 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 neighbors yourself. You have answered correctly. Jesus replied, do this, and you will live.

But he wanted to justify himself so he asked Jesus and who is my neighbor. 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. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So to a Levi when he came to the place and saw him passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was, and when he saw him he took pity on him. 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. The next day, he took out 2 Denari and gave him to the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.

Which of these 3, do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? The expert in the law replied, the 1 who had mercy on him. Jesus told him go and do likewise. Well, good evening from me. Hello?

Well, I think we're all probably familiar with this, passage Although, we were talking about this just, just before the service started. And, actually, it seems like, in our age, We've gone so far away from the bible that actually a lot of people don't know this passage. But if you are coming here and you are familiar with this passage and you've heard it all for, please don't come thinking, I know this. Okay. We must come to the word of god saying, this is the word of god that can equip us and challenges and convict us.

And so we must think, and know that god is talking to us tonight. So let me pray again, and then we'll we'll start. Father, we thank you, again, for your words. We thank you for this passage, and we know, that, yes, many of us may have heard it before. But we pray that we will not fall into, sort of the the mindset of familiarity, but actually that we will be willing to hear and listen and learn, from this passage.

So will you help us tonight? We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Now I think 1 of the the most asked questions that spans centuries and centuries is how can I live forever? How can we live forever? I think if you if you go back through the ages, you have things like people looking for a thing called the the fountain of of youth.

That sounds lovely. You have people with the study of alchemy, who are looking for combining various elements to, make the elixir of life. In fact, if any of 1 any of you have read Harry Potter and the philosopher's Stone, The first book is all about how can I get eternal life? There's a bloke called Nicholas Flamel, and he makes the philosopher's stone. That means that he can live forever.

Or you could go down the Voldemort route and just kill lots of people and split your soul and you have eternal life. In fact, it seems to be all over the place in our media that that we want eternal life. In fact, even, in, in today's age, people pour money into research about how can we live forever? How can we make sure that we don't die. In fact, there's a thing called, cryonics.

I think that's how you say it. And, you can pay money to have your body frozen for when we find out how we can live forever, and then they can unfreeze you and fool you, and then they can, have you live forever. In fact, I think in the US, you can spend 36000 dollars to get your body frozen. But if you haven't got 36000 dollars, you can spend 18000 dollars and just have your head done. So if you haven't got that money, there you go.

But the the these beliefs sort of go everywhere. So you think about religions and there's always something after life. How can we live forever? What do we need to do to live forever? And even in in our modern age, they might not get a eternal life, but there's people always thinking how can I prolong my life?

What exercise do I need to do? What rules do I need to keep? What things must I not eat? What things must I eat? What things must I have a job done to?

Do I need to get a a plastic surgery? Or I don't know. I have a nose job or my eyes lift so that I look young forever so then maybe I'll live forever. People are always asking this question. How do I live forever?

What rules do I have to keep? What do I have to do for eternal life? And actually, the question is exactly the same here. That is the question. What must I do to inherit eternal life?

And that's my first point. What must I do to inherit eternal life. So we get that question asked in verse 25. An expert in the law has come up to Jesus and said, What what things must I do? What rules do I have to keep so that I may live forever?

Now on the surface, That looks like a good question. Right? Looks like a good, open, honest question. He's asked it in a in a very pleasant way as as a teacher, I would like this, teacher, or maybe sir, brilliant. Well done.

You've you've know who you're addressing. Is respectful. What must I do to inherit eternal life? I mean, this is this is probably the most important question that anyone could ask. It's a great question.

And I suppose we when we hear that question, we expect Jesus to respond in this way. Yeah. In in in in him saying, listen, there's nothing you can do. There's nothing no rules you can keep. You just have to trust in me and you'll get eternal life.

And then you'll have access to my kingdom. But Jesus doesn't do that. Why doesn't he do that? Well, the reason why is because these this man's motives are wrong. They're all wrong.

In fact, he's not coming to Jesus to seek out real answers. He's not there to find out the genuine truth. See, if you read carefully, you would have seen inverse 25 that this expert in the law stands up to what? To test Jesus. He's standing up to trap him.

He's hoping that maybe he'll show up some sort of theological incompetency or or that he'll show up some heresy or that Jesus might say something that is contrary to the law. He's not interested in the truth. See, there is a difference between a genuine questioner and a hostile inquisitor. You got a gen gen gen, what? Genuine questioner.

And a hostile inquisitive. If you're a teacher or you've worked in schools, or even if you've done any sort of, public speaking, you'll know what these type of people are. Okay? They're not interested in the truth. They're interested in making you look a bit stupid.

Okay? The the type of people that will ask, were there polar bears in noah, in noah's ark? Yeah? Or who was Kane's wife? They they don't care really about the real answer.

In fact, I was reading, or reading about this on on Martin Luther, who, I don't know if you'd get away with this now, but when he was asked by a, hostile inquisitor, He was asked what was god doing before he created the world. Luther responded by saying he was making hell for people who asked stupid questions like that. That that is maybe 1 way of dealing with a hostile inquisitor. Now Jesus doesn't quite do that, but he doesn't give a straight reply. Now he answers the question with a question of his own.

Look at verse 26. What is written in the law? He replied? How do you read it? In other words, listen, lawyer.

That that is what this man is. You're you're a lawyer. You've studied the law. You know it off by heart what does the law say? And so the lawyer reels off the the law these kind of people are the people who memorize large chunks of things and can just reel it off and look very smug and clever.

And so he says in verse 26, verse 27, sorry. 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. What he does is directs directly quotes the old testament. He's, quote, and deuteronomy and leviticus. Well, and and and when god is given his law, in the old testament, he says, this is the the sum up of the law.

If you think about the 10 commandments, those first few commandments are all about loving guards. The second half are all about loving your neighbor. And god says in his in his in the word of in the old testament, if you follow my law, then you will have life. If you follow my law, you listen to me, you love god with all heart, soul, strength, mind, and you love your neighbor, you will live. But if you don't follow my law, Then there is death and there is destruction.

So this is a textbook textbook answer. And so how does Jesus respond? Well, he says in verse 28, you have answered correctly. Well, done lawyer, I couldn't have put it better myself. Do this, and you'll live.

Do this, and you will have basically brilliant weather, mate. On you go then, you know the answer off you go and live it. See, this isn't going as this man thought. He thought Jesus was gonna argue and debate and discuss and and and go against him. But actually, Jesus has just affirmed what the law of god says.

He says, yeah, that's right. Do it. On you go. Do it. And you'll live, which brings me to my second point.

Who is my neighbor? Who is my neighbor? So as I said, the law this is not going as as the lawyer thought it would. He thought he was gonna come up top trumps and a and a nice argument with Jesus. And now he feels a bit stung because that that answer that Jesus has given seems to have been a little bit accusatory.

It says if Jesus is saying that's the right answer, you probably should start doing it. On you go, do that. And so now he wants to prove that he does love like this. He does what what what the law says. So look in verse 29.

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, and who is my neighbor? See, This lawyer wants to show that he's innocent. He wanted to justify himself. He wants to show that he was right. He wants to show that he was worthy that he was deserving of god's kingdom, that he was deserving of eternal life.

And so what was a testing question in verse 25 has given away given way, sorry, to a a justifying question in verse 29. And so he's saying, who is my neighbor? You you say that I've gotta love my neighbor, but which Which ones do I have to love in particular? Which which specific? I mean, surely surely can't mean mean that I have to love everyone in this room.

Which 1? Again, Jesus could probably go into her a theological discussion with this man, but he doesn't. He he's he's dealing with him differently. Why? Well, because he wants to win this man's soul, and he doesn't wanna win an argument.

If you were here last week or if you caught up on the recording, Tilly was taking us through the first part of this chapter. And when the disciples come back to Jesus after going out and spreading the word of of Jesus, Jesus says in verse 21, I praise you father, lord of heaven and earth because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. Yes, father, for this, is what you are pleased to do. And then along comes what? A wise and learned lawyer?

A proud man a self confident man. A man who thinks that there's something that he can do to inherit eternal life. And so Jesus, knowing that this man is very clever, is very intelligent, who has all the theological arguments, who's who's who's answered all the theological arguments that have come to him and has even made up hypothetical theological arguments so that he can answer them too if they ever arise. Jesus sees this man and says, I've gotta do something different. I've gotta humble this man.

I've gotta show him to be flawed. I need to expose his heart. I need to show how far far short he falls to following my command. And so what does he do? Well, he doesn't answer a question like you might do with an intelligent person.

No. He tells a story like you would to a child because this man needs humbling. And and so in reply, excuse me, he tells this story in verse 30. You see that in reply Jesus has said? And he begins with this man in verse 30.

A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him off his clothes, beat him and went away leaving him half dead. So we've got this man. He's on a journey from, Jerusalem to Jericho. And as he goes on that road, I think historically, this road would have been a very dangerous road to walk upon, maybe a darkened alley with lots of curves and turns and bends and nooks and crannies that and hide in.

And as he walks down that road, he set upon by robbers. And they beat him. They batter him. They they bruise him. They take his clothes.

They take his possessions. And they leave him on the road to die. Now the interesting thing is that we're not actually told many details about this man. We're not told who he is. We're not told what he is.

We're not told anything about him. In fact, especially after the attack, he's got his clothes taken, he's got his possessions taken. So there's nothing about him that would tell us Here he is. We don't know if he's a Jew, we don't know if he's a gentile. We don't know anything about his race.

We don't know age. We don't know his status. We don't know his class. We don't know. All we know is that here is a man who is in dire need for help.

Here is a man who needs someone to pity him. To have mercy on him. And there are 3 men that Jesus now introduces us who have a decision Will we have mercy or will we neglect to do so? And so the first man you get is in verse 31. We have the priest.

A priest happened to be going down the same road. And when he saw the man, he passed on the other side. We have a priest, a man who works in the temple, a man whose job, it was to do sacrifices, to perform many services for the the nation of Israel who is meant to teach people about god and about god's law. So if he was meant to teach people about god and about god's law, then I'm pretty sure he would have known, love the lord your god, with all your hearts, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor. And so when he sees this man, What should he do?

He should have mercy. What does he do? He crosses to the other side. Now he might have had reasons for this. Maybe he thought I didn't inflict the pain on this man.

Sheupid man should have gone with a with a with some other people and a sword. And actually, I don't know him. He might not be my neighbor. He might be, from another country. And and, actually, I'm a I'm a I'm a priest.

You gotta expect me to get unclean for this man. Whatever the reason is, he breaks the law. He breaks the law of god. He breaks that second half. Love your neighbor as yourself.

He rejects god's law by neglecting to have mercy on this man. So that's the first man, the priest, the second man will hope. Who's next? Let's look. Verse 32.

So too. A levite when he came to the place and saw him pass by. On the other side. Again, a levite. Someone who works in the temple, someone who helps the priests, Someone who would have known the word of god does not have mercy.

In fact, the original text suggests that this levite not only sees the man. He sort of goes up to him, has a look. And then crosses over to the other side. It's like, you know, in the modern day now when people are in trouble. And rather than helping someone in distress and in in great need of help, people take out the phones and start filming for a bit, and then they leave.

That's what this levite's like. Oh, I'll have a nice picture. I'm not doing anything wrong. I didn't do anything to hurt this man, but I have a good photo posted on my Instagram account and everyone's laughing. That's what the Leviites doing.

And again, he neglects to do anything. And by neglecting to do anything, he neglects to live out the law of god. So 2 men know the the word of god inside out. They know the law. But they've not lived it out.

They've not helped this man. They failed to reflect the guards that they claim to serve and love and worship the god that says I desire mercy, not sacrifice, the god that says, the god the lord, the lord, the most gracious and compassionate god And they've ignored this man failing to love him and failing to love god. Now at this stage of the story, the audience is probably getting very excited because We've had a a priest. We've had a a levite. Oh, who's gonna be next?

Now they're probably expecting just an ordinary Jewish bloke to turn up to help. And it's a really this is gonna be a story that sticks it to the religious establishment up yours religious establishment down with a man. This is gonna be a hero who's just ordinary, but Jesus does something that no 1 could ever expect. He introduces someone that would make people what? The gasp?

This is scandalous what he does next. He introduces a samaritan. Now you've gotta understand this. Good Samaritans, you would not think they were good in those days. The good Samaritan, they're not these people were not the people that were helping people not to commit suicide.

Right? That's not what Samaritans were. Samararitans were utterly despised by Jewish people. I mean, this is racism as as deep as it goes. They saw samaritans as like as mongrels, They they'd intermarried with other people.

They they saw him as rivals. They set up a temple elsewhere to worship gods. They thought they were utterly filthy disgusting human beings. In fact, if you were a poor man, or woman. And, you were begging.

They said that if you're if that was a comparison about to give you money, You should say no to it because it's so dirty. They would they would say the only good Samaritan is a dead Samaritan. It's true. They used to pray to god not to remember samaritans in the resurrection. They hate them.

This is a bit like this. I I was trying you think about the the conflicts that we've had in this world. You think about the northern Irish and the troubles. This is a bit like a Protestant coming in and saying, and then a Catholic came in. What's Catholics?

Anyway, or or or the rewinding conflict, and you had a hutu and they said Tootsie came in, or even just think about our modern day. Who is it that we don't like? What who is it that our culture fears? Maybe it's as a middle class person tells his story, and then a chav came in. What a chav, they have got nothing good.

Alright. Traveler. We all they're, yeah, they're disgusting people. What a traveler helped? That's what Jesus is doing here.

But let's have a look at that samaritan verse 33. But a samaritan As he traveled, came where the man was. And when he saw him, he took pity on him. This man does what the 2 before him did not do. These the 2 before him with all their religious knowledge and all their service and all their duty that they do at the temple.

They didn't have pity on this man. It's a Samaritan. Finally, we have a man who has compassion, who has mercy, who when he sees this man in his his dire state, his heart goes out to him. He has that feeling when you see something that you know is morally wrong where you have your your heart is somewhere down in your stomach for some reason. And you know that's wrong, and you wanna help.

And just look at the lengths this man is willing to go. First, 34, he went to him. That's amazing in itself. Really what this Samaritan is doing, he's risking his life to go to this man. This is a road where people have Robbyball.

What if these robbers haven't gone? I don't know if you remember a few years back on the news. There was a story about people pretending to be dead on the road so that cars would stop, and they'd get out someone would get out to check out if this person was okay. And then a load of other people would run out and beat the man up and take his stuff. That could happen to this Samaritan.

He could go find this man and then have people come upon him and beat him and strip him and take him stuff and leave him for dead. So he risks danger to go to this man. He bandages his wounds. He pours oil and wine on them. His oil, his wine, expensive commodities.

He puts him on his donkey. He pays for his upkeep in an inn and promises to pay more if so needed. Can you see this love? This mercy, it's reckless. He's pouring it out this hated samaritan is pouring out mercy on this man.

It's a great story. The the religious, the law keeper, the 1 who knows the law, nothing. He keeps his money so he can pay his 10 percent tie to the temple and feel good about himself. But this man here, he spends his money to help someone, to love someone. And so Jesus concludes the story with a with this, brewing.

As this don't know if you noticed this is a story full of questions. It's brilliant. I don't think he needs to ask this, but I think this really just punches at home. Verse, 36. Which of these 3 Do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?

Doesn't need to ask that this. That's really you know, twisting the dagger. But can you see how Jesus had changed the question. Can you see that? What did the lawyer ask?

And who is my neighbor? And what does Jesus ask at the end? Which of these 3 do you think was a neighbor? He's changed it. He's changed the question.

Not who is my neighbor, but who are who can I be a neighbor to? So he moves away from other people. And, oh, which 1 in, in particular? Is that are you my neighbor or are you my neighbor? And do I have to love you?

Or do I well, you look a bit ugly? No longer is it that, but actually now it's the nature of the man. Who can I be a neighbor to? It's not about which 1 do I have to love. It's more about I've gotta love anyone and everyone.

Jesus says, who was a neighbor to this man? And then you get the lawyer's reply. This is brilliant. The 1 who had mercy on him. Can you you can sort of hear him, can't you?

He he he struggles to say it. A gulp. It's a a shaking voice. It's a a slightly angry maybe. He can't even bring himself to say the word Samaritan.

As his heart has been exposed, but he's right, though. It is the Samaritan who has mercy on this man. It is a Samaritan who is a neighbor to the man. And so what does Jesus say at the end? Go.

And do likewise. That's my third point. Go and do likewise. Now it's interesting I think that Luke ends it there because this conversation has to go on, doesn't it? If it doesn't go on, it definitely should have.

Because this story should have highlighted a whole load of issues for this lawyer. So his initial question was, what must I do to inherit eternal life? And the answer is you must love. Yesterday, we're at a wedding, and we said, love is everything. All you need is love.

Love. Love. To quote the Beatles. I actually read that song. Not rubbish lyrics, but that quote, great.

You must love like this. If you love You need to love god perfectly. You need to love god with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your stroke, with all your strength, with everything that you have, you need to love god. And when you love god like that, then you're gonna love your neighbor like that. And so the questions should come to the lawyer.

Well, I don't do this. So who can do it? Can I do it? No. You can't love like this.

And so it shows the lawyer and it shows us today. How far we fall short of god's standards? And this should drive us to despair. To get eternal life, you need to love god with all heart, soul, strength, and mind, And we know that none of us do that because we don't love our neighbors. And we try and say we're right with God by saying, oh, well, we love these people here.

But even the people that we say we love here, We don't even love them that well. And so Jesus is saying, go and do likewise, He's actually saying go and do the impossible. That's amazing. I think that's been evident throughout Luke. Have you seen that?

Jesus constantly tells people to do the impossible? You can go and love your neighbor. I can't do that. We can't do this. It's impossible.

We cannot live like this. And so we said before, the Old Testament says, if you follow the law perfectly, you will live. But if I don't love, god, and I don't love my neighbor, I haven't followed the law. And so, therefore, I fought faced a problem of death. And I'm outside of eternal life.

So we have a problem. So we need someone who can love like this. This is the whole point. Only Jesus could ever live like this. It was only Jesus who didn't see people with categories.

He didn't see age, gender, race, status, or class. This is the Jesus that we've seen in this book in chapter 4. Just heal people all over the place. In chapter 5, he eats with the the sinners and the tax collectors. In chapter 7, he sees a widow, and what does he have He has compassion on her, and he raises her son up.

This is the Jesus that in Matthew 9 verse 6. 36. Sorry. When he sees a crowds, He sees the crowds. He had compassion on them.

He had mercy on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus does not see categories. He sees sheep without a shepherd. He doesn't see travelers, chas, middle class, upper class. He doesn't see Catholics and protestants.

He doesn't see hootoos and pouties. He sees people. He sees man. He sees woman, and he's willing to have mercy and help give help to those people. This Jesus is the only Jesus who love god perfectly with all his being.

This Jesus is the only Jesus who loved his neighbor perfectly. So loved his neighbor, even though the neighbor was terrible. The neighbor was awful. He was the neighbor there that was good. And said, I'm gonna help you in your greatest need.

I'm gonna deal with your greatest problem. The fact that you've broken god's law I will go to a cross on your behalf. We sang about it. This is amazing grace. This is in failing love that you would take my place.

Just like the Samaritan, great personal cost. Jesus. Great personal cost. He gives up his throne in heaven. He lives the perfect life, and he gives his life.

On a cross. Do you see the love and the mercy of the lord Jesus Christ? He loved so much. He had so much mercy, and he died so that we may have eternal life. He lived the life of love.

He died the death of love. So that we may have eternal life. And so I wonder, do you know that tonight? Do you know that Christ is the only way to eternal life? All those other ways to life are meaningless.

Don't freeze your body or your head. It's ridiculous. Don't look for the fountain of youth. Don't look for the elixir of life. Come to Jesus.

Come to the lover. Come to the 1 who is merciful. And let him live the life that you can't live and die the death that you can't die so that you may have eternal life. Trust in him. If you haven't done that, do that tonight.

And the thing is when you trust him this is the beautiful thing. When you trust him, then you can do the impossible. Then I can listen to him and and I can obey that command to go and do likewise. And so in chapter 6 36, we let read out the other day, Jesus says, be merciful just as your father is merciful. I can now reflect the father.

John 13 34 says, love 1 another. This is Jesus's words. Love 1 another as I have loved you. If you trust in Jesus, you experience his love and his mercy, and then I can then give out the love and mercy to other people to my neighbors. 1 John 3 14 says this.

We know that we have passed from death to life because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. If you trust in the lord Jesus, if you've experienced his, his love and his mercy, then you know life. And then you love 1 another. See, loving your neighbor is not a means to heaven.

That's what that's what this lawyer thought. Right? He said he thought if I can love my neighbor, If I can do everything in my power to love the neighbor, then I'll get to heaven. But loving your neighbor is not a means to heaven. It's the fruit that shows that we are heaven bound.

Loving your neighbor shows that you've trusted the lord Jesus Christ and that you have life and that you will have eternal life. Shows that you've crossed over from death to life. Some how are you doing with this? How are you being a neighbor to those around you? Or are you selective with the people you are a neighbor to?

Are you saying, well, I love that person, but not that person? Who is it that you're not willing to be a neighbor to? It's interesting when I did this with a with a youth at rooted, I I did the Good Samaritan And, 1 of the the young people said, oh, I hate that type of people. When I was talking about the different categories. And I said, listen, I hate people too.

And, And often I don't I don't wanna love those people, but because of what the lord Jesus has done, I'm commanded to love all people. So just because he said I hate those people, let's not get get it wrong. We hate people as well. And so you need to identify, and I need to identify who is it that I don't want to show love to. Remember that Christ was merciful to all people, to sinners.

That's why I I I love What Cornerstone's doing at the moment, isn't it great that we have ministries, like, besides with the working with prostitutes? No 1 else wants to work with the prostitutes? But there are neighbors, and I can be a neighbor to them. Grace advocacy now wants to work with those people. We can be neighbors to them.

We can love them. And what is more merciful? What is more compassionate than telling people about the good news of the lord Jesus Christ. What is more compassionate than telling people about the compassionate Christ? Now that might come at personal cost.

That might come at rejection. That might come at mocking. That might come at laughter. But there is nothing more loving. There is nothing more merciful than telling sinners that the lord Jesus Christ is merciful and compassionate and die to save them.

And surely it's worth it. Surely it's worth going through those things. Surely, it's worth going through the hardship and the soft ring. For eternal life awaits. And if they trust in the lord Jesus Christ, eternal life awaits for them too.

So let me ask you this, or let me take give give you this challenge. Don't ask who is my neighbor. Don't ask who is my neighbor, but in the light of the lord Jesus Christ, and the immense cost that he was willing to, go through, and the immense mercy that he had. Ask the question, who can I be a neighbor to? Then go, love, and be merciful and be proud.

Father, we we thank you once again for this story, and we thank you for how it challenges us and how it reveals to us our our sort of legalism and, lack of empathy and and love and mercy. And we pray father that we will realize and and see a new how merciful and compassionate the lord Jesus Christ was for us. And we pray that in the light of that, that we will be lovers, that we will love those around us, that we won't ask the question which 1 is my neighbor, But who can I be a neighbor to? And so you pray this in Jesus' name. Oh, man.