We have taken the past three Sundays to think together about how we need to obey the Great Commission. Now today, I want us to think together about how we need to also take the Great Commandment seriously by taking it literally. What is the Great Commandment?
Basically, to sum up what Jesus says, the great Commandment is simply “Love God supremely and love others selflessly.”
It’s interesting when this scribe asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asked him what was written in the law, and when said, “How do you read it?” Strict orthodox Jews wore around their wrists little leather boxes called phylacteries, which contained
certain passages of Scripture - Exodus 13:1-10; 11-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21. What Jesus was saying to this scribe was, “Look at the phylactery on your own wrist and it will answer your question.”
To these Scriptures, the scribes had added Leviticus 19:18, which bids a man to love his neighbor as himself; but with their passion for
definition, the Rabbis had determined that one’s neighbor was his fellow Jew. This scribe, in an effort to “justify himself,” that is, to make sure he was following this teaching correctly, asked for Jesus’ interpretation. In response, Jesus related a story which we have come to refer to as “The Parable of the Good Samaritan.”
The Scene of this Story - v. 30
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a very dangerous road. Jerusalem is 2300 feet above sea level; the Dead Sea, near which Jericho stood is 1300 feet below sea level. In somewhat less than 20 miles, this road dropped 3,600 feet. It was a road of narrow, rocky cliffs, and of sudden turns, which made it a favorite of thieves. The 5th century historian Jerome called it “the red or bloody way.” when Jesus told this story, He was telling about the kind of thing that was constantly happening on the Jerusalem to Jericho road.
2. The Characters of this Story - vs. 31-35
A) The Traveler - He was obviously a reckless and fool hearty person. People seldom traveled this road alone if they were carrying goods or valuables. They often sought safety in numbers. This man had no one to blame but himself for this situation.
B) The Priest - He hurried past. No doubt he remembered that he who touched a dead man was unclean for seven days (Numbers 19:11). He could not be sure if the man was dead, but he was unwilling to risk losing his turn of duty in the temple. He set the claims of ceremony above those of charity.
C) The Levite - He seems to have gone nearer to the man before going on. Bandits were in the habit of using decoys. How could he be sure this wasn’t a trick? His motto was “safety first.” He too, was unwilling to risk in order to help this man.
D) The Samaritan - Unlike the others, he was willing to risk in order to help this man. He may not have been correct in his understanding of of temple worship, etc., but the love of God was in his heart. It is no new thing to find the orthodox more interested in dogma than is doing something. In the end we will be judged not by the creed we held; but by the life we lived.
3) The Teachings of this Story - vs. 36-37
A) We must be willing to help others, even if they may have brought their trouble on themselves.
B) Any one of any race who is in need is our neighbor. The ground is level at the foot of the cross and our love must be as wide as the love of God.
C) To obey God and love our neighbor as ourselves involves risk. But that risk is especially worth it if someone’s life is saved.
D) Life is dangerous when we go it alone. That’s what the traveler found out; and that’s what too many people in this world learn as they go it alone. Sadly, that’s how too many people are living - alone. We live in a society where we can easily cut ourselves off from others and often do. This is why Christian community is so important. Our commitment to living life in community as the people of God is to be a distinguishing mark of our being followers of Jesus.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34–35 (NIV)
Now, as we take this truth and put it along-side the command to love our neighbor as ourselves, what do we conclude? We’ve got to take the love of God we share together as a church family and share it with our neighbors.
E) Obedience is better than orthodoxy. It is good to believe what is right; but it is better to do what is right. Those who know the truth are not equal to those who love it; and those who love the truth are not equal to those who live it.
The real issue is not are you orthodox; but are you obedient?
This Samaritan proved through his actions that he understood more about living for God than did either the Priest or the Levite. The Scribe who asked Jesus this question realized that what he needed to do was combine his knowledge of God’s Word with the doing of God’s Word.
We need to do the same.
Now, according to this story, everyone is my neighbor. That means that my co-workers, the parents on my kids team, the person I served on a short-term missions trip, all my neighbors. However, that doesn’t lessen the fact that our literal neighbors are still our neighbors.
The Scribe tried to define his neighbor as someone that he could choose to care for. How many of us have done something similar and thus excused ourselves from the call to know and love our literal neighbors?
Great things happen when we begin building relationships with those who live closest to us and then work out from there; and it’s a great place to start obeying the Great Commandment.
“God began by making one man, and from him he made all the different people who live everywhere in the world. He decided exactly when and where they would live. God wanted people to look for him, and perhaps in searching all around for him, they would find him. But he is not far from any of us.” - Acts 17:26-27 (Easy to Read)
We don’ live where we live by accident. It’s not because we like the floor plan, or the school system, or because it’s all we can afford. If this passage is true (and it is), then we live where we live because God has placed us in our specific neighborhoods for a reason; and part of that reason is that it is there, with our actual neighbors, that God wants us to start obeying the Great Commandment.
The power and genius of The Great Commandment is that it’s so simple and yet extremely powerful when acted on. The smartest thing that we can do collectively to impact our city is to actually live out Jesus’ command to love our neighbors. That’s what Donna and I want to do; and by God’s grace, we’re going to take steps to obey the great Commandment, starting with our actual neighbors.
We invite you to join us.
Have everyone do the Block Map exercise. Refer to the Block Map insert in the bulletin. Have the people reflect on those who live in the 8 houses that are closest to them and have them list out the names of the people in each of those 8 households.
Ask for a show of hands of who can list all of them.
Then ask for a show of hands of who can fill out 5 or more. Under 50% of the people will have 5 or more boxes filled in.
Let’s make a commitment to learn, retain, and use the names of our 8 closest neighbors. Many of us don’t even know our neighbors’ names. It’s hard to love someone if you don’t know their name.
Conclusion: Explain the Art of Neighboring Strategy:
Let’s all make the commitment today to live out the Great Commandment, “up close and personal” by taking the Great Commandment literally.
Give everyone that commits to taking the next step a Block Map Fridge Magnet as they walk out of the service.
