Good Morning beloved,
We welcome you to worship today in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether it's your first time or you are a faithful member of our family in Christ, I praise God for each and every one of you who have been moved to join us today.
I am confident in the fact that none of us need to be reminded that in this life we will inevitably face trials, whether on a personal or professional level, or emotional struggles, trials are an inevitable part of our human experience. It goes without saying, trials are universal, all of us experience troubles in one way or another, there's really no way any of us can escape them. Trials, being unpredictable in nature, we can never know exactly when or where or how trials are going to hit our lives, just that if we wait long enough, we can be sure, sooner or later, they're going to come when we least expect them, whether it's a flat tire on the way to church, some financial difficulty or the loss of a loved. In John 16:33, Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." In fact, I recognize that some of you are going through some pretty serious challenges right now and have been left wondering when are things going get easier.
When contemplating the concept of suffering, I don't believe there is anyone who can exemplify what it is to suffer better than Job, who is one of the most profound examples of suffering found anywhere in the pages of Scripture. Yet, despite his immense suffering, Job's faith remains steadfast and leads him to question why he is being tested. In James 1:2-4, he writes "Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith brings about perseverance. And let perseverance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." As Christians, we can be assured that trials have a purpose, even if that purpose is not immediately clear to us at the time. Therefore, for the Christian, going through any trial of life can be a joyous experience for a number of reasons, not the least of which is trials drive us to God. Trials are a reflection of the fallenness of this world, and constant reminder that God exists and the curse He placed upon the earth is real. There are always some people, generally speaking it's inevitably those with a minimal understanding of the Word of God, who fail to understand we are strengthened by trials. Trials seem sort of backwards to them, like they're some kind of punishment rather than a gift God intends them to be. When I tell people the number of years I've been going through trials, their intial response is "God must be really upset with you." Can you believe that?
Viktor Emil Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, who founded logotherapy, who is not a Christian, but he did write a book called The Doctor and the Soul, about some of the terrible trials he endured in a concentration camp, that served as a testing ground that confirmed one of the main tenets of logotherapy, the "will to meaning" or being oriented toward the future. In short, to find meaning in life, whether it was a task to be completed in the future, or being reunited with a loved one. Individuals who were most likely to survive the horrors of the concentration camps were those who had a positive focus on the future.
As Christians, what a privilege we have to be a people who have a part in God's divine plan for the future. In the busyiness of this life, do you ever pause long enough to think about that? Have you ever asked yourself, like me, "How could God have seen something significant, something meaningful, something useable in me, to be to His glory, even while I was without form and void?" That's just astonishing to me, but it's true. And, God desires every Christian to operate at their maximum capacity in the purpose for which they were crafted. He wants every one of us to reach our full potential. That's why Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." If you are a Christian, you possess the Spirit of God. Shouldn't you live your life in such a way that exemplifies that reality? As Christians, created in the image of the living God, by living up to our full potential, we have the ability to make significant contributions to not only our communities but the world at large, whether by teaching and preaching, or acts of service, demonstrating compassion, offering help to those in need et cetera. I pray that you would understand that God created you with a unique gift to be used to His glory. That's life transforming, it's what keeps me going. Psalm 139:14-17, "I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And intricately woven in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unshaped substance; And in Your book all of them were written The days that were formed for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" Faith is believing what God said simply because He said it. Faith means acting on what God says in spite of what our personal opinion is or what we can see. We were created for worship, if you don't desire to worship God, to be in constant communion with Him, you're not living up to your potential.
Then, in contrast, there is the phenomenon of the R-Rated church, which instead of embodying spiritual reverence and holiness, it chooses to mock it by focusing on self, a practice that is unfortunately not an isolated problem, in fact, its gaining momentum and is alarmingly becoming a widespread problem now. I'm shocked that that a growing number of church leaders are now lowering the biblical standards we are called to uphold, in order to remain relevant and attract a wider audience. I believe there's a certain sense of dignity and decorum that a church should manifest. If you’re going to live your life as a Christian, and you’re going to triumph over sin and difficulty. True Christians are not known by the church they attend, but what's in their heart, they will live out what they believe, the rest will continue to engage in the sins for which Christ died for them. There are many people in the church who look at the outward signs to convince themselves of their salvation, listen, there are a great many of people who outwardly live by high standards; honesty, kindness, morality, and generosity..many people and they’re not Christians, they're merely deceiving themselves, because their hearts are unchanged. Oh, they may talk about Christ but they have no authentic relationship with Him. Christ Himself tells us you will know a genuine Christian by their fruits. Only the Holy Spirit can transform a person's life so as to produce the kind of worship that is characteristic of a true believer, for which there is no equal. I'm not talking about flailing your arms around while singing herectical worship music.
Let's pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, we again thank You this day for Your Word again, and for its power, its so straightforward, we are grateful for its clarity. What a joy it is our sin is exposed by Your Word. Thank You for the convicting work of the Holy Spirit so that we can
experience all the best that You have for us. Lord, grant us the precious gift of giving us our first love back and help us to be patient in the trials, and to rest in the knowledge that You’re working in our lives. May our willingness to endure suffering for Your sake be a witness to the world as we strive to love another with the same selfless love by which You have loved us. We humbly thank You for the transforming power of Your love. Father, we ask that You would penetrate every heart and cause those who boast in the flesh to boast only in Christ, for Your glory and for Christs' sake. In His Name we ask and pray.
Amen.
Today's Message: The Good Samaritan Pt 2
Take your Bibles and open them with me to Luke chapter 10 and keep them open before you, following along with me as I read verses 30 through 37. If anyone has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying.
"Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And a priest happened to be going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him, and when he saw him, he felt compassion. And he came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, and he put him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?" And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."
For most people, the story of the Good Samaritan is a story about helping people, in fact, it has become a term commonly used to evokes the image of a person who goes out of their way to help others, a person who is inspired to demonstrate unusual sacrificial act of kindness toward a stranger in need, without expecting anything in return. To describe someone as a Good Samaritan is to bestow upon them a noteworthy compliment of benevolence. However, while this story certainly aligns with the spirit of altruism, I believe that we may have missed the main focal point of this story. Before we dive into our text, allow me the opportunity to explain, if you will. Let's revisit verse 25 to provide some context, "And behold, a scholar of the Law stood up and was putting Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" The scholar, an expert in the Law, knew the Old Testament promised eternal life, to live forever in the presence of God. However, in spite of superficially, outwardly keeping the law, inwardly, this man obviously knew that he was unworthy to be a part of God's kingdom, hence the question, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" For fear that he would be shut out of the kingdom of God, he seeks to better understand how one's actions and faith might lead to inheriting eternal life by asking Jesus what he must do. At which point Jesus answered "You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself." Believing with utmost conviction that he loved God perfectly, his self-deception goes to show you the profound depth of depravity of the human heart. Being a scholar of the Old Testament we could certainly assume he was well aware that Jeremiah 17:9 clearly says, "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can know it?" So he smugly says, "Who is my neighbor?" He's essentially saying, "I'm fine those I consider to be my neighbors, I love them as myself, unless You'd like to redefine who my neighbor is for me." His heart is so hardened, Jesus could have just said, "I'm not going to cast any pearls before this swine," and walked away, and left him standing there in all his self-righteousness. So, in act of grace, Jesus tells him a simple story, which on the surface the story seems like a story about compassion and kindness, however, it's true meaning is much more profound than that, its an evangelistic story designed to produce immense conviction and bring a self-righteous man to the reality of his true sinful condition. The more you love God, the more your actions and attitudes towards others will reflect that love, leading you to love others as God loves them.
Let's look at verse 30, "Jesus replied and said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead." Allow me to begin by saying, this is not a true story, it is an unforgettable story Jesus made up to illustrate His point on how you ought to walk to please God into this man's heart and ours as well on excelling still more, to inherit eternal life. It's a call to do better, to live a servant life. How we love God isn't just lip service, its not about simply quoting Bible verses, it means willingly doing what He has commanded us to do, it means living out our faith through obedience, keeping His precepts to live differently, that you may excel still more. He commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves.
The trek from Jerusalem to Jericho is about eighteen miles, and there are some particularities about the road, such as its a very steep descent of approximately four thousand feet in dangerous desert-like conditions, since it was a major thoroughfare for trading caravans, military personnel, and pilgrims who visited Jerusalem. Jesus' audience would have undoubtedly been familiar with the dangers that this journey would have posed for those who were embarking on this treacherous journey, traveling along the desolate route from Jerusalem to Jericho. The landscape was such that it would have made them easy prey for robbers who could easily find numerous crevices to hide in along the hazardous secluded route. After an attack, these robbers could be confident that no one would pursue them. Historical accounts suggest that it was known as the "Way of Blood" or the pass of Adummim
in Joshua 18:17, the Hebrew word for blood, due to the frequent bloody attacks, where a person who was robbed and beaten would be left very vulnerable with no food or water along the path to recover with or shelter from the harsh elements. The fear of taking such a journey would be a test of both physical endurance and mental resilience.
In verse 31, Jesus quickly brings a little hope to the situation, here we see the priest, which on the surface appears to be good news, right? A priest is a man dedicated to God, he's the godliest of men, surely he would know that one who dwells among you should be regarded as a neighbor, a fellow citizen. He should embody compassion and service. He would surely show the same affection and care he would show to himself, a principle derived from Leviticus 19:34, which says "The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God." Certainly, a priest would have known what God expected of him, and he'd be willing to do whatever it takes to meet his need. But that hope is short lived, that's not what happens, "And a priest happened to be going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side." He sees the injured man who is beaten, robbed, and left for dead and instead of meeting the man's needs, he crosses to the other side of the road. The Bible doesn't tell us why, perhaps he was running late for an important temple duty? It really doesn't matter, the point is clear, he prioritized something else over the immediate needs of a suffering human being, he lacked compassion, he failed to show mercy!
I remember several months ago, I was running late coming from an appointment, when I encountered an homeless man on the other side of the road who was struggling. It would have been easy for me to say, "I'm already running late, I don't have time for this." However, I immediately was reminded that sometimes, the most important thing we can do is allow God to interrupt our own plans to show compassion to someone in need. I turned around, several times, as I kept missing my turn and offered her my help, even though it took longer than I anticipated, the gratitude in that man's eyes and the simple "thank you," has continued to stay with me long after.
In verse 32, Jesus continues His parable, "Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side." Here He tells us that a Levite, another religious figure from the tribe of Levi, an assistant to the priests, who was the lowest people on the priestly service ladder, also saw the man's suffering, and chose to avoid him by passing by on the other side of the road. Again, we are left to wonder about the motivation for his actions. Whatever the reason, the actions of both the priest and the Levite stand in stark contrast to the biblical principals of mercy and compassion. While I certainly believe in demonstrating compassion and care, and meeting the needs of others, God requires us to be kind, you can't fulfill that commandment without loving your neighbor; that's not the point of the parable, nor is it about inclusivity and tolerance as many modern pastors have misinterpreted it, overlook the deeper meaning of loving one's neighbor, Truth. It's important to keep in mind every parable Jesus ever told was evangelistic in nature, this too, is a parable about salvation and who will inherit eternal life. That's why Jesus always ends His stories with "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
Verse 33, "But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him, and when he saw him, he felt compassion." This is the heart of the parable, and would have been a shock to Jesus' audience because Samaritans and Jews were deeply divided, even hostile towards each other. But it was the Samaritan, the least likely of the three passersby, who didn't know the things of God, who was also on a journey and came to the place where he saw the injured man in need and met his needs with selfless love. He didn't just glance at the man's suffering and look away. He saw the man's heart and was moved with compassion. The Greek work for compassion is "splagxnízomai" which implies a deep, visceral empathy, it means wasn't just a feeling of sadness, he looked past the social barriers, the potential risks and saw a fellow human being suffering and was moved deeply in the inward parts; he felt a profound sense of shared suffering. Both the priest and the Levite saw the man's suffering and for whatever reason, chose to prioritize their own comfort and convenience over the needs of another human being. However, it's critical to mention, none of these men would have been qualified to inherit eternal life, which was the scholar's question, because neither of them loved God. They all had a perfect opportunity to demonstrate that and none of them did. Loving your neighbor is not about who "qualifies," it's about the character of your love, whether the person qualifies to be loved or not. Far too often, we get so caught up in our own lives that we fail to notice the suffering of others. I believe we must be intentional in our prayers, asking God to open our eyes and our hearts, to see others as He sees them, so that we are no longer blind to the needs of those around us. That may potentially mean to get involved and make a difference, rather than choosing to simply look the other way, even when its someone we personally dislike. It is in sacrificially giving that we truly begin to receive.
Verse 34, "And he came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, and he put him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn and took care of him." Notice the details Jesus gives us here, he not only went to the man, he drew near, by bandaging up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them and then even put him on his own animal, taking him to an inn and personally took care of him. The word animal is the noun "kténos" which means beast, generally, a horse or mule for riding or for carrying loads on its back, or yoking to a cart or carriage.
This man didn't just offer to pray for him then wishing him well, this man wasn't just willing to get dirty by demonstrating hands-on care, in a sustained act of sacrificial love, he continued to sacrifice his own needs and comfort, investing his time to ensure this man's recovery. Beloved, I strongly believe that Jesus is using the parable of the Good Samaritan, the most impactful parable He ever told to challenge every one of us receiving this message to identify our own Jericho roads, where people are vulnerable and hurting, and rather than leaving them for dead, literally stepping over their body, that we would choose to pause long enough to really see the needs of those around us, then to act with compassion to meet those needs, in other words, to be Good Samaritans in our own communities. It is my prayer that we will not be just hearers of the Word, but doers of the Word, showing the love of Christ to all those we encounter. Again, it's worth repeating this parable is in in response to the scholar's questions: "What must I do to inherit eternal life? And who is my neighbor?" Our neighbor is not just the people who live next door anymore than family is only those who share our DNA.
Verse 35, "And on the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’" It's easy to feel sorry for people, but are we willing to transfer those feeling into action and truly give of ourselves, sacrificing our own time, talents and financial resources to help those in need? This is not just here's a few dollars, get yourself a burger, this was making a significant long-term financial commitment, paying for the man's lodging and promised to cover any further expenses until he fully recovered. May I remind you all this for a complete stranger, likely for someone who despised him. What are you willing to sacrifice for a complete stranger, or someone who hates you? It doesn't always have to be money, it may even be something as simple as forgiving someone who has wronged you or an apology to someone you have wronged. It could even be just a listening ear to those who are different from us.
In verse 36, Jesus poses the question to the scholar, "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?" This question is deceptively simple yet deeply profound to prompt introspection, as it challenges the listener to reflect on upon the true nature of love. It's not who your neighbor is that determines your love, it's who you are. He obviously would have known the right simple answer. If you love the Lord and your fellow man, you won’t sin against them or do anything to hurt them. Jesus is challenging this man, and us, to embody the deeper principals of this parable, to love God with all your faculties and loving your neighbor by showing mercy and giving careful attention to anyone who is in need, and going the extra mile to ensure their recovery, knowing God will repay you.
That brings us to verse 37, "And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same." Brothers and sisters, love is the greatest contribution you can make to others, that's why love is the fulfillment of the law, however, even understanding what it means to love God and love our neighbor, it is still possible to neglect to implement it's true characteristics. Taking time to get to know someone more intimately, to show you genuinely care by deeply pouring yourself into their life and active listening to show that you actually value them, and sharing personal details naturally with one another, with a willingness to seek opportunities to provide whatever they need, not denying them anything, is the greatest, most powerful expression of love that will surely endure a lifetime. If there's somebody you've done that for and they've done that for you, you've know what it is to love thoughtfully, bountifully, sacrificially, generously without limitations. That's the greatest love of all.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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