The Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-29
(Part 1)
In our study last week in James 2:1-13 concerning favoritism we saw that the definition was, “A display of partiality toward a favored person or group. The state of being held in special favor.” Which in itself is not always bad. For example, when we hire someone to do repairs around our house, we usually ask a friend or family member we trust if they can recommend a person or a company (group) who has done similar work in their house and they were very satisfied with their work. The person or group we hire, we have preference and show favoritism to this person over someone else who does not have a good recommendation.
We also saw the definitions of two synonyms for favoritism. The first was, “Discrimination – Treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; partiality or prejudice.” The second was prejudice, “The act or state of holding unreasonable preconceived judgments or convictions. Irrational suspicion or hatred of a particular social group, race, or religion.”
Why is knowing this important? With our understanding of these definitions, we also asked a very important question in our study of last week. If I am showing favoritism to a person or to a particular group, am I at the same time, discriminating and or being prejudicial to another person or group that I do not favor?
Luke 10:25-29
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered: “‘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.'” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In Luke 10:25-29 we read the account of Jesus answering a question which was asked by an expert in Jewish religious law. However even though the expert in Jewish religious law asked a good and important question in verse 26, it was with deceptive motives. Verse 25, “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.” Verse 26, “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus always knows our hearts, thoughts and what our motives or intentions behind our words and actions are. How Jesus responds and or interacts with us will depend primarily on how we are known by Jesus.
In these verses we clearly see the omniscience of Jesus in this particular exchange of questions and comments with the expert in Jewish religious law. Omniscience is, “the state of having total knowledge, the quality of knowing everything.” Jesus knew precisely how to answer by asking him two questions. Jesus did not ask the two questions because He did not know the answer or was stalling for more time to find an answer. The two questions Jesus asked where, 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”; exposed a venerable point of the expert in Jewish religious law character, his pride. Jesus knew that the correct answer always comes from God’s word or in this event the Old Testament Law. The expert in Jewish religious law was probably very proud of how well he knew the Law, because he was an expert, and did not hesitate to demonstrate his knowledge of the Law when answering Jesus as we see in verse 27. “He answered: “‘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.'” From the expert in Jewish religious law answer, Jesus was able to specifically direct His two comments to what the expert in Jewish religious law lacked in his life. 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”.
Jesus’ two comments to the answer spoke to a personal need of that the expert in Jewish religious law had, of which Jesus further exposed in verses 30 to 37 with the Parable of the good Samaritan. What the expert in Jewish religious law needed or lacked in character was that he confidently and pridefully knew how to use the law to answer Jesus’ questions, however he was not living or practicing what he knew it said. That is why in verse 28 Jesus said “…Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”. The answer that the expert in Jewish religious law gave was correct but incomplete because he did not do what it said. “Jesus was not suggesting that people would be saved by their works; rather, such love expresses genuine faith and devotion to the Lord.
“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” – Jesus
Luke 11:28
James 1:22-25
22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
The Bible Exposition Commentary gives us this insightful explanation to the expert in Jewish religious law’s answer. “The expert in law gave the right answer, but he would not apply it personally to himself and admit his own lack of love for both God and his neighbor. So, instead of being justified by throwing himself on the mercy of God (Lk 18:9-14, The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector), he tried to justify himself and wriggle out of his predicament He used the old debating tactic, “Define your terms! What do you mean by ‘neighbor’? Who is my neighbor?”
What kept the expert in Jewish religious law from applying and living his life in agreement with the truth of God’s word that he knew so well? What keeps us from applying and living our lives in line to what we know God’s word tells us?
As believers in Christ, we should always pursue and have a passion to know God’s Word. However, are we being deliberate to live applying what the Word of God tells us to every aspect of our lives? The expert in Jewish religious law knew God’s Word, and the right answer to his own and Jesus’ questions.
“But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus,
“And who is my neighbor?”’
Verse 29
“Loving one’s neighbor is more than simply loving those who are like us and who can love us in return.”
Is our neighbor someone we really have to love even if they are a ________? Is our neighbor literally someone who lives next door or even someone who lives on our street? Does someone have to meet certain standards to qualify to be our neighbor? Are we trying to justify who is and who is not our neighbor to excuse ourselves from loving our neighbor? The Spirit filled life study Bible gives us this insight to the answer to these questions. “The lawyer’s question suggests that there must be some to whom the obligation to love does not apply, thus seeking to set a limit on his duty to love. It also emphasizes the worthiness of the object of love rather than the attitude of the one who is to do the loving.”
Next week in part two of our study we will look at how Jesus answered the expert in Jewish religious law’s question with the well-known parable of good Samaritan, Luke 10:30-37.
Pastor John
