WHAT MUST I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?
July 30, 2006 - PENTECOST 8 - Luke 10:25-37
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Dear Fellow-Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:
What must I do to be saved? Or what must I do to inherit eternal life? These are age-old questions from the very beginning of time. Oh, it is true mankind spends a lot of time living as if this life is the ultimate destiny of mankind. Many live lives believing their heaven is here on earth. So it has become in our society and our day and age that not so many are too concerned about eternal life. If you ask them where they are going when they die, many certainly would say heaven, rather than hell. So man sometimes figures he can work out his own salvation. He figures he has another chance, figures that God is so good and kind that he will let anybody in. That is not the case, is it? We can’t depend on ourselves. We can’t depend on our own wisdom or knowledge. We can’t depend on our works, because we fall short of God’s glory. In fact when Jesus was with his disciples, he told them it would be easier for the camel to go through an eye of the needle than it would be for the rich to get into heaven.
The disciples said, "How can that happen? How can that be possible? No one would get into heaven." Jesus told them that answer was true. "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God" (Mark 10:27). With God all things are possible! With God we even are given our eternal salvation, something we don’t deserve, don’t earn, can’t buy. God gives to us freely. When we ask, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" The question is wrong, isn’t it? It is not what I do, but what God has done. We are going to use that as our theme: the words of this expert in the law when he says,
“WHAT MUST I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?”
Jesus said if he wanted to do something, I. Love God above all things.
II. Live God’s gospel of love
I. LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL THINGS
The expert in the law was only coming to test Jesus. "On one occasion an expert in the law came stood up to test Jesus, ’Teacher,’ he asked, ’what must I do to inherit eternal life?" That would be the right question for him. He was an expert in the law knowing what the law said. This expert in the law, of course, knew what God’s Law says. God’s Law says to do this and don’t do this. God’s Law was very clear, black and white. So when he asked, "What must I do," Jesus knows what the expert wants to hear. He says to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" The original says, "What do you recognize there? What do you believe there?"
Jesus told him to get his law books out and look at them and what do they say? Then the law expert quotes the very letter of the Law. "He replied, ’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.’" He doesn’t just quote the first commandment. He quotes the first commandment and its meaning. Then he quotes the summary of the second table. "Love God above all things, and love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus says the Law of God is summed up in those two commandments. Of course, that was the correct answer. If someone wanted to inherit eternal life, they would do those simple things.
Jesus agreed. Jesus said, "You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live." It doesn’t say to do part of it or some of it some of the time, but he says, "Do all of this and you will live." This is something that is impossible. Yet, what happens as we get to see the heart of this lawyer or expert in the law? He really wanted to know how he could save himself. He didn’t want to depend on Christ or God or anyone else. In verse 29: "But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ’And who is my neighbor?’" Supposedly, this expert in the law knew God. He recognized God, and he knew he could love him with all his heart, soul, strength and mind. He felt that way; but when he looked around him, he didn’t know his neighbor. He says, "Who is my neighbor?" He knew what the law said, but he didn’t recognize his neighbor. If he didn’t recognize his neighbor, he really, truly did not know God. In reality that was the question, "Who is my neighbor?"
What can you and I do to inherit eternal life? We could be like the lawyer, the expert in the law. We can know God’s Law and memorize it. It is a good thing to know what God’s word says. Just knowing God’s word is a bad thing if we cannot or do not live it. We learn the Ten Commandments. In the catechism Luther set up that next comes the Gospel, the Apostles’ Creed, the fulfillment of God’s promises to his people. It would be good for us to study that. We don’t want to end up like the lawyer who says, "I know what the law says, and I am going to try to obey God." Yet, what does the law say? As Moses said in Leviticus: "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ’Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy’" (Leviticus 19:2). The Law reminds us we can’t be like God. Jesus says in the New Testament, "Be perfect because the Lord God is perfect." We can’t do it.
God established the law and wrote in the hearts of men so that it would never be forgotten. It did not take long in the history of the world that God gave the law the second time written on tablets of stone. Before they were even given to the believers the first time, Moses smashed them on the ground because of their disobedience. So God wrote them down again. Because of our sinful nature wants to walk away from God and far away from his Word and not listening to his Law, the law can’t save. The law can only condemn and accuse and say, "This is right and this is wrong." More often than not, we are going to do what is wrong. Paul writes in Romans: "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" (Romans 3:20). We become aware of sin by God’s law. He says, "Be holy; be perfect. Love the Lord your God above all things." We don’t do that. We are concerned more about our own well-being. We take care of ourselves pretty well. There are very few of us who need more to eat than what we have. The Lord says we don’t always honor him or love him above all things. That is the Law and it condemns us.
The important part is to distinguish between the Law that shows us our sin and the Gospel that saves. A sad thing--many churches try to combine them and co-mingle them. They often say, "Christ died for your sins, but...." As soon as that word "but" is added, the Gospel is destroyed. "Christ died for your sins, but you have to obey." "Christ died for your sins, but you have to pray." "Christ died for your sins, but you have to believe hard enough." It is simply and better stated, "Christ died for our sins, and we are saved." All those things after the Gospel put the emphasis on us, and they bring nothing. Just like this expert of the law says, "What must I do?" We can’t do a thing. Galatians 3:10: "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ’Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law’" (Galatians 3:10). Jesus fulfilled everything in the Book of the Law. He did everything in the Scriptures so that we do not have to. Jesus died for our sins.
What must I do to inherit eternal life? Not a single thing. We do and can love God above all things only by grace, by faith. Actually as believers we live God’s Gospel of love.
II. LIVE GOD’S GOSPEL OF LOVE
The teacher of the law in his mind and in his heart he knew; but in his life he did not know, "Who is my neighbor?". How revealing a question that is. Those four words, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus has a beautiful way of teaching over and over again using everyday examples. Examples even this lawyer could understand, he who was blinded by the Law and could not see the Gospel. So Jesus replied and said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho," (A normal trip and a well-traveled road but dangerous) "when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead." Make no mistake this man was now lying on the road, naked, bleeding and half dead. To see him there you knew this man needed help.
So what happens? We are told about those who knew the Law. Those who knew the Law, they came and passed by; because the Law said, "You don’t know that person. He might be an unbeliever, untouchable." "A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side." He was well aware of what he was doing. Passed by on the other side. People might do that today when they drive by, but when walking it takes a while to get up to that something that you might see on the road and then pass by on the other side to get by. "So too, a Levite, when he came to a place and saw him, passed by on the other side." Here was another expert in the Law passing by. They would say, "Who is my neighbor? I don’t recognize him and he’s not a person I know and probably not my neighbor." After all, he may be an unbeliever or untouchable and therefore make me unclean.
"But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him." A Samaritan, one who was a mixed breed, an untouchable. This was one whom the Jews did not even think deserved eternal life or deserved any of God’s blessings. The Samaritan stopped and had compassion on him. The Greek says he poured out his insides with mercy and compassion. He couldn’t help himself. "He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine. Then put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him." This took a lot of time. "The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ’Look after him,’ he said, ’and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’" This is about two days’ wages. He would be provided for. It is easy to see, "Who is my neighbor?" It was easy to see who knew his neighbor.
Jesus asked the question anyway. Even this lawyer who didn’t know God’s love understood this example of God’s love. "Which of these three do you think was the neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?. The expert in the law replied, ’The one who had mercy on him.’" The one who lived God’s Gospel of love, the one who knew in his heart that he should love God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all of his strength and with his entire mind. Because he loved God with all his heart, soul, strength and mind, he loved his neighbor as himself. The Samaritan didn’t have to ask, "Who is my neighbor?" He didn’t have to ask, "Who is God?"
"Jesus said, ’Go and do likewise.’" Jesus looked at the true meaning of God’s Law and said, "This is eternal life. Help those who need help." Go do the same, live like this man. Go and live like this unbeliever if you could still call him that. Since he was a Samaritan, we would think that he was an unbeliever; but what do his actions show? His actions show there was something there. "Go and do likewise."
Who is my neighbor? Where is the love in this world? You read the papers, turn on the TV or listen to the radio; and you hear the hatred, the unconcern, the disrespect that man has for mankind. It is all a product of our own teachings in this world, our own values in this world. They place knowledge and learning on such a high plane that the knowledge and learning of this world has taken away the wisdom of God. The philosophy and teachings of this world have really taken out of society love, God’s love. So it is important to us and even more important to the world around us that we still understand God’s love. It is this love of God that sent his Son in our place, his love that caused Jesus to die on the cross, when we didn’t and still don’t deserve it--his love which gives us eternal life. John 13 which is the Gospel of John where in chapter 3, he sent his Son: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34,35). We see that in the Samaritan. We see that in Jesus’ life. We are to see that in the life of the Christian to love others, see God’s love through us.
The world does not necessarily have to see our love, as there are a lot of unlovable people in this world. God tells us not to like them, but to love them. God tells us that it is to be his love that will fill their lives. We can share God’s love them. More and more people need to see the Gospel of God’s love. More and more, you and I are becoming a greater minority living in a world where the Word of God is twisted to seek men’s desires, where the Word of God is dismissed as not being valuable. We need to hold fast to that Word. We realize that by grace God has made it possible for us to do the impossible, namely to walk right into heaven itself.
In 1 John: "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:3,4). How often have we heard it? We still believe in the Ten Commandments say some churches. They are too hard they say. God says his commands are not burdensome. They are not meant to push us down so that we cannot get up. We know his commands, and we have love in our hearts because God has given them to us for a guidance and direction in our life. He gives us faith to overcome our shortcomings. It’s not easy, is it, in this world to live like people who love everybody? It is easier to grumble and complain about the weather especially this time of year. It is easier for us to be caught up with others who grumble and complain about other people. You can see it in the news and read it in the news. So it is easy for us to do that. So it becomes all the more important for us then to be like the Samaritan, to look and see our neighbor. We talked a bit about this last week, too.
What is the worst thing that can happen if you help someone? They don’t appreciate it and never see them again. But the best thing is that they see the love of God alive and well. Somewhere along their journey in life, God’s love will affect them. There are not very many good Samaritans today. Sometimes we are guilty. A paper was once given at one of our conferences that said, "We don’t take time to be good Samaritans." If we have a meeting and arrive there just in time, we don’t have any time to help anyone on the way. If we leave early, there is time to help those who are on the way. We drive by so fast that we call on our cell phone and think that is being a good Samaritan. Yet, they are still without help. The blessing that Paul writes in Thessalonians is a good one for us to hear: "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word" (2 Thessalonians 2:16,17). We have many and great blessings by looking at what God have done and realizing the love that he has shown us. God shows us these blessings so that we might be able to love others, to recognize our neighbor whoever is in need. We do not inherit eternal life on our own merit. God gives freely as a gift.
What must I do? That was the question. The question is, "Who is my neighbor?" Sometimes people ask us questions. Here is another point I want to finish with. Jesus could have easily looked at this lawyer and said, "Go back to your books. What does the Law say? Love God above all things." Then again he says, "Whom do you see in what you read?" Sometimes people ask hard questions. We say to them, "What does Scripture say?" Like Jesus asked, "What do you recognize? What do you understand?" If they don’t understand it, we are welcomed to speak like Jesus and say, "Scripture says...." Jesus did that. Jesus looked at this lawyer and said, "Go back to what you know, and what does it say?" The law expert answered correctly, but not quite when he asked the next question, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus said, "Here is your neighbor." He gives the expert in the law the example--the good Samaritan.
We, too, living in a world that is fast paced and may be asked questions to be answered like that. It might be hard to get people to listen. A good answer is the example like Jesus would give from today’s text. We are the ones who are here to do that. If someone asks, "What can I do to be saved?" The quick answer is: we can’t save ourselves. We are reminded like Jesus who says, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15). He is our Lord above all things. If you are like the good Samaritan, worldly people are going to see the hope that you have in this life in this world. They are going to see the love of God that you have in your life for other people. They may ask, "Why do you do such things? Why do you help that person or this person? Why would you even care?" Then he says, "You can say because Christ is the Lord in my heart." You can do it with gentleness and respect. They might say, "Why are you so cheerful in an cheerless world?" "Because Christ is the Lord in my heart." Why do you have hope? " We have hope in this world because Christ is the Lord in my heart. For some who think our lives are impossible, you say, "God is able to make all things possible." What must I do? Nothing. We must remember what Christ has done so that we can recognize our neighbor and live God’s gospel of love. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM + www.kqnk.com
Pentecost 8 readings: AMOS 7:10-15; EPHESIANS 1:3-14; MARK 6:7-13
