1/26/2003 – Traveling with One Eye on the Ditch
An attorney asked a question of Jesus. People were always asking him questions because he gave them answers that were clear and crisp. You couldn’t miss the point of the message. In response to the man’s question Jesus told a story we call “The Story of the Good Samaritan.” In this story we learn that really loving your neighbor is an attitude of life that means looking for the opportunities to get dirty hands...
Traveling with One Eye on the Ditch
Today we will learn about a certain religious lawyer who tried to trap Jesus with carefully conceived arguments.
It ended up that the lawyer was caught in his own web of trickery. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. Just prior to this event, Jesus had sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?"
It’s curious then, that in spite of this, Jesus uses a Samaritan as the hero of the story.
The parable itself takes place on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. It was 17 miles of rough, winding road; plenty of places for robbers to hide. Dangerous journey.
“The Ploy”
Luke 10
25 Then an expert on the law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to get life forever?”
26 Jesus said, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?”
27 The man answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.” g Also, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
28 Jesus said to him, “Your answer is right. Do this and you will live.”
29 But the man, wanting to show the importance of his question, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
It’s important to understand that the main character in this “Jesus Story” is the lawyer – not the Samaritan
The Samaritan is the key character in the story that Jesus told in response to the questioning of the lawyer. His question was “How can I inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered him in not so many words, but if we read between the lines, “Eternal life is a gift from God, and when you get it you’ll be like the Samaritan who helped even his enemies.”
This is the main idea of the passage: If you understand this, you understand the meaning of our text. This legal expert is the central figure of this passage. He has the lead role. The parable that Jesus tells him is for his benefit. He needed to hear what Jesus had to say because he was focused on the wrong things in life
The lawyer was focused on the law
He knew the law but he didn’t comprehend its purpose.
He was an expert in the law. He had studied it and understood it.
We see this clearly because when Jesus asked him about the law he answered well and wisely. But despite his knowledge he had no wisdom about the law of God. Let me just say this briefly about God’s law – which as Paul Kissling mentioned last week – is not about a picky and demanding God but about a loving and compassionate God.
The law is for our benefit – not for a mean God who wants to keep us “down on the farm”.
Still the law reveals some very important truths:
1. The law reveals the nature and holiness of God
We see in the law his desire to have from us the best in us. We see in him his desire to protect and cherish us as his people.
2. The law reveals the sinfulness and short comings of humankind
Who here has a clear record when you look at the 10 commandments? Anyone want to raise his or her hand? I didn’t think so.
3. The law reveals the powerlessness of the law to redeem us
The law has limitations. It sets the standard and reveals the limitations and there it ends. Galatians calls the law a “school teacher” which teaches, rebukes, and corrects us. The limitation is that it cannot erase the past…
In Sierra Leone a boy was forced into war at age 12. He killed too many people to keep track of. He was active for 5 years and 10 months and now at age 17 he is unable to sleep. He speaks of terrible depression and is unable to get past his grief. I heard him say on the radio interview that there was "no way to get beyond the evil he did."
I wanted to tell him that there is a way… That he can be forgiven… And it is not through the law… It is through the one who came to fulfil the law with his life.
The lawyer thought he could obtain eternal life through the law. He thought that knowing the law was the same as being obedient to the law. Some carried the law in little boxes on their arms. Posted them in little containers on the door posts to their homes. (Like little plaques we put on our walls – say nice things – which are mostly overlooked and ignored in our daily lives.)
This man was proud of his knowledge and wanted people to see it. His questions were just a way to be noticed. He was really sold on himself and his religious quality.
But Jesus said, “Do this and you will live”
Vs. 28 says "You have answered correctly, Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live.” The word for correctly in vs. 28 is the Greek word “orthos” from which we get the word orthodox. Jesus was essentially saying, “Okay, your belief system is orthodox, your thinking is right enough, you’re not a liberal or heretic – now try and do what you believe.
The lawyer’s answer was right on, but the trouble was that no one in his own strength could ever live up to the spiritual requirements of the Law to obtain eternal life.
His response? – Classic: “Who is my neighbor?”
In asking this question he revealed his heart and his unwillingness to be real. He was simply looking for the easiest and lowest cost way out!
What is the least I can do and still inherit Eternal life? How can I obey and do it with the least amount of cost? How do I live by the minimums?
Jesus responded – so gently and yet so powerfully – with a parable. That alone tells us how important it is for us to love people. Now the parable.
“The Parable”
Luke 10
30 Jesus answered, “As a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, some robbers attacked him. They tore off his clothes, beat him, and left him lying there, almost dead. 31 It happened that a Jewish priest was going down that road. When he saw the man, he walked by on the other side. 32 Next, a Levite i came there, and after he went over and looked at the man, he walked by on the other side of the road. 33 Then a Samaritan j traveling down the road came to where the hurt man was. When he saw the man, he felt very sorry for him. 34 The Samaritan went to him, poured olive oil and wine k on his wounds, and bandaged them. Then he put the hurt man on his own donkey and took him to an inn where he cared for him. 35 The next day, the Samaritan brought out two coins, l gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of this man. If you spend more money on him, I will pay it back to you when I come again.’ ”
Let’s for a moment picture ourselves somewhere in the story. We are all in this story somewhere.
Priests and Levites; Ministers and Church goers – there isn’t much difference. This story is about religious people who worship God and live by the minimums.
The fact of the matter was that the robbers, the priest, and the Levite all went away leaving the poor man half dead. What or who have we avoided, passing by on the other side, as far as we can distance ourselves because of fear, embarrassment, busyness, or not wanting to get involved—getting our hands dirty?
I wonder how the lawyer felt when Jesus told this story?
I say this because the main character in this story is the lawyer – how do you think he felt when he was told about a Levite and a Priest leaving a poor beat-up man laying on the road? My guess is that the lawyer rationalized the behavior of his religious comrades.
· Hey, he must have done something wrong to deserve this.
· They didn’t have time to help this guy bec. they were late for their duties at the Temple.
· What could they do to help him? Someone else should have come and taken care of him.
· They just didn’t want to get involved; it wasn’t their problem!
· Why should they get their hands dirty with this man’s blood?
Contrast this with the actions of the Samaritan
Jew vs. Samaritan
The lawyer was undoubtedly bristling with anger when Jesus presented the Samaritan as the hero and the Jewish religious leaders as the anti-heroes. Jews hated Samaritans.
But what did the good Samaritan do? Look at vss. 33-35
(a.) He took pity on the beaten man.
(b.) He went to him.
(c.) He bandaged his wounds.
(d.) He poured oil and wine on him.
(e.) He put the man on his own donkey.
(f.) He took him to an inn.
(g.) He then took care of him that day.
(h.) The next day he took out two silver coins and
gave them to the innkeeper asking him to ’Look
after him.
(i.) Finally, he promised to reimburse the
innkeeper for any extra expense he might
incur.’
Rob Nedds, my son-in-law, was with us while we took the grandchildren to a McDonalds Playland. On the way we passed a woman with a flat tire at the side of the off ramp of the freeway. After we got there safely he went back and helped lady on off ramp of 270 with flat tire. I’m not sure how selfless this was because he left us with the children at the playland... Still, I was proud of my son-in-law that day.
“The Principle”
Luke 10
36 Then Jesus said, “Which one of these three men do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by the robbers?”
37 The expert on the law answered, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “Then go and do what he did.”
God wants us to travel through life with one eye on the ditch. He wants us to look for opportunities to get a little dirty… Jesus did!
Have you ever considered how Jesus became dirty so that we could be made clean? On His way to Golgotha, Jesus carried His own cross. He was covered with sweat. The crown of thorns caused blood to trickle down his face. His back was covered with ugly welts from the whip that the Romans used to punish Him. Jesus fell on the ground from the weight of the cross and dirt covered His body. Then rusty spikes were driven into his hands and feet. In the course of His ministry for you and me,
He got dirty so that we could be made clean. Can we not do the same to our neighbors?
Ghandhi
In a conference with the British Government, Ghandhi said that human beings must take great care not to be molded by external forces that can destroy their lives, their families, their community, and their nation. He called these forces “The 7 social sins”
1. Politicians without moral character
Can you think of anyone like this?
2. Riches without working for it
Do you know anyone who fits this?
3. Business or commerce without morality
Have you ever been ripped off by someone in the marketplace?
4. Pleasure without conscience
Our nation allows the murder of unborn human beings just for a few moments of pleasure.
5. Education without moral principles
Have you ever heard the credo “the world is filled with educated derelects?
6. Science without a commitment to humanity
Would you agree that technology is growing at exponential rates but we are far behind in our moral commitments to humanity in which technology is made to serve?
The 7th social sin is the one that Ghandhi referred that hits us right between the eyes.
7. Worship without Sacrifice
It is a refusal to get our hands dirty in performing ministry to a world that needs to see Jesus Christ in us.
The Values we have at MCC reflect this commitment to Worship With Sacrifice
Worshipping God… Authentically and without boundaries
Caring for Everyone… Regardless of who they are, what they’ve done, or where they’re from
Nurturing one another… Teaching children, guiding youth, training believers, and mentoring leaders
Serving People… Using the gifts and passions God gives us with excellence
Reaching Others… Building relationships in our community & across the world
By the way – Who is our neighbor?
Our neighbor is the very next hurting person we meet, whether friend or enemy.
Walk with one eye on the ditch looking for opportunities to serve the people you find there.
