Being A Good Neighbor Series

Being a Good Neighbor

Luke 10:25-37

This morning we will be looking at the practice of being good neighbors. Our text comes from Luke chapter 10, versus 25 to 37, (read).

Jesus is the master storyteller. And this morning we will learn the truth he wanted to communicate through this parable of the good Samaritan. We will be looking at the purpose of the parable, the people in the parable, the power from the parable, and finally the proof from the parable.

First, the purpose of the parable. Versus 25 to 29.

Parables usually have one purpose per audience. For instance, The Hare and The Tortoise is a good illustration of a different purpose for a different audience.

When the parable is told to a prideful person, the purpose would be to discourage overconfidence. When the parable is told to a discouraged person, the purpose would be to encourage perseverance. Same story; different lesson for each audience.

So the purpose for the audience is important to understanding a parable accurately and fully. The first question we will answer is, “What is the purpose for which Jesus told the parables in Luke 10? Let’s look together at versus 25 to 29.

There was a lawyer who wanted to test Jesus. And a lawyer at that time could be translated as a teacher of the law. One who instituted The law of Moses and the law of the Jews in their society.

He asked Jesus, "what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus responded with a question, "what is written in the law? How do you read it?"

The lawyer replied by summarizing the 10 Commandments with two familiar old testament teachings, Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. Deuteronomy 6:5 reads “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” And Leviticus 19:18 reads “...but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

And Jesus replied, you’ve got it; go do it. Jesus understood the difference between knowing and doing. And the lawyer knew that he knew the law, but knew that he didn’t do the law. So he tried justified himself by asking the question, “who is my neighbor?”

This lawyer was self-righteous. Instead of admitting his inability to live out the law, he asked a question hoping to come up with an excuse for failing to live out the law.

Jesus, instead of confronting him directly, tells the story of the good Samaritan. So the story was to challenge the self-righteousness of the lawyer. While many have used the story of the good Samaritan to encourage compassion and kindness, the original purpose for which Jesus told this parable was to challenge self-righteousness.

The Bible tells us that eternal life is inherited through God's righteousness by those who believe in Jesus and his death on the cross as payment for our sins. Eternal life is not inherited through self-righteousness by obeying God’s law because no one can obey God’s law perfectly.

First, the purpose of the parable is to challenge self-righteousness. Second, let’s look at the people in the parable. Jesus used these people in the parable to define what it means to love your neighbor or to be good neighbor.

First there were the robbers. Their actions could be summarized as, what is yours is mine, and if I want it, I will take it. The victim of robbery and beating could be summarized as, what was mine is now yours. I once had it but now I’ve lost it. The priest and the levite who could’ve helped but didn’t. Their actions could be summarized with, What is mine is mine, and if you need it you can’t have it. The Samaritan who did help could be summarized as, What is mine is mine, but if you need it I will share it.

The priest, the Levite and the Samaritan did have much in common.The priest, the Levite and the Samaritan all saw the need of the victim. This is the foundation for being a good neighbor. We first have to see the need.

If you want to be a good neighbor, start with what need do you see? Do you see someone needing the good news of Jesus Christ? Do you see a need in your neighborhood or your workplace? Do you see a need in the news?

Here’s what else they had in common. They were all within reach of helping. We can only be good neighbor to those we are able to reach. Reach with our skills, our finances, our efforts, our time. We need not feel guilty for not being a neighbor to those we cannot reach. We should start with the neighbors nearby.

Here’s another thing they had in common. They all had the resources to help in someway; maybe not to the same degree.