{"id":1723,"date":"2022-07-31T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-31T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/?p=1723"},"modified":"2022-08-07T11:20:34","modified_gmt":"2022-08-07T18:20:34","slug":"eighth-sunday-after-pentocost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/2022\/07\/31\/eighth-sunday-after-pentocost\/","title":{"rendered":"Eighth Sunday after Pentocost"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Pentecost-8-07-31-22.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Luke 10:25-37<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wrong Question\u2014 Right Answer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.&nbsp; \u201cTeacher,\u201d he asked, \u201cwhat must I do to inherit eternal life?\u201d&nbsp; <em>\u201cWhat is written in the Law?\u201d<\/em> he replied.&nbsp; <em>\u201cHow do you read it?\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; He answered:&nbsp; \u201cLove the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind\u201d and, \u201cLove your neighbor as yourself.\u201d&nbsp; <em>\u201cYou have answered correctly,\u201d <\/em>Jesus replied.&nbsp; <em>\u201cDo this and you will live.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, \u201cAnd who is my neighbor?\u201d&nbsp; In reply Jesus said:&nbsp; <em>\u201cA man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when<\/em> <em>he fell into the hands of robbers.&nbsp; They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.&nbsp; A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.&nbsp; So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.&nbsp; But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.&nbsp; He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.&nbsp; Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.&nbsp; The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper.&nbsp; \u2018Look after him,\u2019 he said, \u2018and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.\u2019&nbsp; Which one of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; The expert in the law replied, \u201cThe one who had mercy on him.\u201d&nbsp; Jesus told him, <em>\u201cGo and do likewise.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; (NIV1984)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have you ever known a lawyer?&nbsp; I\u2019m not talking about knowing a lawyer because they helped you write a will or set up a trust or close a business transaction.&nbsp; Have you ever known a lawyer on a personal level\u2014 as a friend?&nbsp; I have only known one lawyer on a personal level.&nbsp; He was a member of my very first congregation.&nbsp; One thing I learned very quickly is that a lawyer (at least this lawyer) not only likes to ask questions, but they are very good at asking a question in such a way that they get their answer in the way the want.&nbsp; It\u2019s like they are striving to \u201cprove their case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is the situation that we find here in our text for today.&nbsp; As we study this very familiar portion of Scripture let\u2019s see how this lawyer, how this <em>\u201cexpert in the law,\u201d<\/em> is a very good example of:&nbsp; <strong><em>Wrong Question\u2014 Right Answer!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man who is described here as <em>\u201can expert in the law\u201d<\/em> belonged to a class of Jews who devoted themselves to studying the Old Testament Scriptures with a special emphasis on the books of Moses, the Law.&nbsp; These men were considered to be the authority when it came to interpreting and teaching the Law of Moses. &nbsp;Unfortunately, they were so focused on the Law that they had lost sight of the fact that the books of Moses also contain and proclaim the Gospel!&nbsp; From their perspective Moses taught that salvation comes from <strong>doing <\/strong>what the Law requires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowing who this man is, knowing how this man viewed salvation gives us a keen insight into the opening portion of our text.&nbsp; Luke writes, <em>\u201cOn one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.&nbsp; \u2018Teacher,\u2019 he asked, \u2018what must I do to inherit eternal life?\u2019&nbsp; \u2018What is written in the Law?\u2019 he replied.&nbsp; \u2018How do you read it?\u2019&nbsp; He answered, \u2018Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;\u2019 and, \u2018Love your neighbor as yourself.\u2019&nbsp; \u2018You have answered correctly,\u2019 Jesus replied, \u2018Do this and you will live.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note very carefully that the <strong>purpose <\/strong>of this lawyer\u2019s question was to <em>\u201ctest\u201d<\/em> Jesus.&nbsp; He addresses Jesus as <em>\u201cTeacher\u201d<\/em> because he wants to see if Jesus was as \u201cqualified\u201d as many people were claiming Him to be.&nbsp; As far as this lawyer was concerned he already knew the answer to his question.&nbsp; As far as he was concerned the only way to <em>\u201cinherit eternal life\u201d<\/em> was to <em>\u201cdo\u201d<\/em> something!&nbsp; He just wanted to see how Jesus\u2019 answer compared to what he already knew the correct answer to be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since Jesus was speaking to an <em>\u201cexpert in the law,\u201d<\/em> Jesus turned the question around and asked the lawyer, <em>\u201cWhat is written in the law?&nbsp; How do you read it?\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; How did the <em>\u201cexpert in the law\u201d<\/em> respond?&nbsp; Even though he had asked the <strong>wrong <\/strong>question, he gave the <strong>right <\/strong>answer!&nbsp; Love God with your entire being and love your neighbor as yourself.&nbsp; Jesus agrees with the lawyer and then tells him, <em>\u201cDo this and you will live.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This lawyer, this <em>\u201cexpert in the law\u201d<\/em> is a perfect example of the default setting of every human being\u2014 including you and me!&nbsp; <em>\u201cWhat must <strong>I do <\/strong>to inherit eternal life?\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; Follow God\u2019s Law!&nbsp; Keep the Ten Commandments!&nbsp; Live a good life!&nbsp; To all of this Jesus says, <em>\u201cDo this and you will live.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; The problem, however, is that we <strong>can\u2019t<\/strong> do this!&nbsp; <strong>Nobody <\/strong>can do this!&nbsp; As James reminds us, <em>\u201cFor whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it\u201d<\/em> (James 2:10).&nbsp; Picture God\u2019s Law as a huge plate glass window.&nbsp; God says to us, \u201c<strong>Do not <\/strong>break My window!\u201d&nbsp; But we have broken God\u2019s window haven\u2019t we.&nbsp; It doesn\u2019t make any difference if we throw a big rock through God\u2019s window or a small rock.&nbsp; The window is broken.&nbsp; We have sinned.&nbsp; For that reason we do not deserve to <em>\u201cinherit eternal life.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This lawyer, this <em>\u201cexpert in the law\u201d<\/em> could not see his complete <strong>inability <\/strong>to keep God\u2019s Law.&nbsp; He refused to admit that he had not met the demands of God\u2019s Law.&nbsp; That comes out very clearly when Luke tells us, <em>\u201cBut he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, \u2018And who is my neighbor?\u2019\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; How many times have we done something like that, my friends?&nbsp; How many times have we tried to set limits on God\u2019s Law in the hope that we appear to be <em>\u201crighteous\u201d<\/em>\u2014 even according to God\u2019s Law?&nbsp; How many times have we tried to convince ourselves that there are \u201cexceptions\u201d to God\u2019s Commandments?&nbsp; How many times have we tried to deceive ourselves by saying, \u201cI\u2019m not really all that bad!\u201d or, \u201cAt least I\u2019m not as bad as so-and-so!\u201d or, \u201cIt\u2019s not my fault!&nbsp; So-and-so <strong>made <\/strong>me do it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How does the <em>\u201cTeacher\u201d<\/em> reveal the shortcomings of the <em>\u201cexpert in the law\u201d<\/em>?&nbsp; He tells him what we all know as the Parable of the Good Samaritan.&nbsp; Since we all know this parable so very well, let\u2019s just highlight a few key points.&nbsp; One might think that a <em>\u201cpriest\u201d<\/em> and a <em>\u201cLevite,\u201d<\/em> men who were the religious leaders among God\u2019s Chosen People, would automatically be moved to help a fellow Jew who had been beaten and robbed and left in the road half dead, but no.&nbsp; Did they conclude that they were not \u201cobligated\u201d to help this man\u2014 since he was not a relative or a friend of theirs?&nbsp; Jesus never tells us <strong>why <\/strong>the priest and the Levite <em>\u201cpassed by on the other side\u201d<\/em> of the road, but it\u2019s obvious that they did not consider this man a <em>\u201cneighbor\u201d<\/em> who came under the command, <em>\u201cLove your neighbor as yourself.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Who did see this man as his <em>\u201cneighbor\u201d<\/em>?&nbsp; A Samaritan\u2014 someone whom the Jews considered to be unworthy in every single way!&nbsp; Since the Samaritans were a mixture of Jewish blood and Gentile blood and since the Samaritans only accepted the Books of Moses as being the inspired Word of God, the Jews considered them to be heathens\u2014 people who were outside the grace and the favor of God\u2019s covenant with the descendants of Abraham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Humanly speaking the Samaritan could have looked at this man who was beaten, robbed and left half dead in the road and said, \u201cI am not going to help him!&nbsp; If the situation were reversed this man would not even think of helping me\u2014 so why should I help him?\u201d&nbsp; But as we know, that\u2019s not what happened!&nbsp; This Samaritan was filled with pity and compassion for someone who desperately needed help.&nbsp; In fact, this Samaritan was filled with so much pity and so much compassion that he not only personally took care of him, but he was willing to pay the innkeeper to look after the injured man.&nbsp; He even gave the innkeeper <em>\u201ctwo silver coins\u201d<\/em> which amounted to about two days\u2019 worth of wages!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>\u201cTeacher\u201d<\/em> then had the lawyer, the <em>\u201cexpert in the law\u201d<\/em> answer his own <strong>wrong <\/strong>question\u2014 <em>\u201cAnd who is my neighbor?\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; Jesus did this by very simply asking him, <em>\u201cWhich of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; Unwilling to give credit to a Samaritan, the lawyer answered, <em>\u201cThe one who had mercy on him.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; To this Jesus replied, <em>\u201cGo and do likewise.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesus\u2019 Parable of the Good Samaritan revealed to this <em>\u201cexpert in the law,\u201d<\/em> this lawyer who wanted to know, <em>\u201cWhat must <strong>I do <\/strong>to inherit eternal life\u201d <\/em>that eternal life does not depend on what <strong>we do<\/strong>!&nbsp; Eternal life is based on what is in a person\u2019s heart.&nbsp; If a person\u2019s heart is not filled with love and compassion and pity for others they will never be able to <em>\u201cinherit eternal life\u201d<\/em>\u2014 no matter what they <strong>do<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now if we were to end on that note, if we were to simply say that the Parable of the Good Samaritan is designed to teach us that if we want to <em>\u201cinherit eternal life\u201d<\/em> we need to make sure that our heart is filled with love and compassion, mercy and pity for others, then we would go home with a complete misunderstanding of what Jesus is teaching us here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, Jesus wants us to be careful that we do not follow the example of the priest and the Levite and simply <em>\u201cpass by on the other side of the road\u201d<\/em> when we see someone who needs our help.&nbsp; Yes, Jesus wants us to follow the example of the Good Samaritan and do whatever we can to help others\u2014 even if it means using our own resources to do so.&nbsp; But most importantly we are to see the Parable of the Good Samaritan as a picture of what Jesus has done <strong>for <\/strong>us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that perspective in mind, let\u2019s recognize that<strong> we<\/strong> are the person who was traveling down the road of life and was overpowered by <em>\u201crobbers.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; <strong>We<\/strong> are the ones who were knocked down, beat up and ripped off\u2014 by the devil, by the world and by our own sins.&nbsp; <strong>We <\/strong>are the ones who were by nature spiritually dead and awaiting eternal death.&nbsp; <strong>We<\/strong> were the ones that nobody wanted to help, the ones nobody <strong>could <\/strong>help.&nbsp; Then like the ultimate Good Samaritan Jesus came to help <strong>us<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I did a little research on the word that is translated here in our text as <em>\u201che took pity on&nbsp; him.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; This verb is found <strong>only <\/strong>in the Gospel accounts.&nbsp; It is used twelve times.&nbsp; The most literal translation of this word is found in the account of the widow at Nain.&nbsp; There we are told that when Jesus saw the widow preparing to bury her only son, <em>\u201cHis heart went out to her\u201d<\/em> (Luke 7:13).&nbsp; This word is used in the account of the father who came to Jesus begging Him to <em>\u201ctake pity on us and help us\u201d <\/em>(Mark 9:22) because his son had been possessed by an evil spirit.&nbsp; This word is used in three parables that express the unbounded mercy God shows to us\u2014 the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18) and the Parable of the Good Samaritan.&nbsp; Every other time this word is used it emphasizes Jesus\u2019 compassion for us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How does this help us to understand and apply the Parable of the Good Samaritan?&nbsp; It pictures for us what the Son of God was willing to do <strong>for <\/strong>us!&nbsp; Since there was <strong>nothing <\/strong>we could do to <em>\u201cinherit eternal life,\u201d<\/em> since we were by nature robbed, beaten up and left bleeding on the side of the road of life by the devil, by the world and by our own sinful flesh, Jesus\u2019 <em>\u201cheart went out to us.\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; Jesus revealed His unbounded mercy and compassion for us\u2014 right there on the cross of Calvary\u2019s hill!&nbsp; (Pointing to the cross)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Does Jesus now want us to reach out and help others?&nbsp; Yes, He does!&nbsp; Does Jesus want us to have mercy and show compassion for others?&nbsp; Yes, He does! &nbsp;But He wants us to do this because we know the <strong>right <\/strong>answer to the <strong>wrong <\/strong>questions that too many people are still asking right down to this very day!&nbsp; The <strong>wrong<\/strong> question is, <em>\u201cWhat must I do to inherit eternal life?\u201d&nbsp; <\/em>The <strong>right<\/strong> question is, \u201cWhat has Jesus done <strong>for <\/strong>me (Pointing to the cross) so that I might inherit eternal life?\u201d&nbsp; The <strong>wrong <\/strong>question is, <em>\u201cWho is my neighbor?\u201d<\/em>&nbsp; The <strong>right<\/strong> question is, \u201cTo whom can I be a neighbor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May God grant that unlike the lawyer, unlike the <em>\u201cexpert in the law\u201d<\/em> here in our text, we will always be focused on the <strong>right <\/strong>questions\u2014 questions that are based on the <strong>right<\/strong> answers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To God be the glory!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Luke 10:25-37 Wrong Question\u2014 Right Answer! On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.&nbsp; \u201cTeacher,\u201d he asked, \u201cwhat must I do to inherit eternal life?\u201d&nbsp; \u201cWhat is written in the Law?\u201d he replied.&nbsp; \u201cHow do you read it?\u201d&nbsp; He answered:&nbsp; \u201cLove the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-worship-service-podcast"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1723"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1735,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1723\/revisions\/1735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}