Luke 10
Who do you think is your neighbor?
Luke 10:25–37 (KJV 1900)
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. 29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
The lawyer was most likely a scribe or a priest himself. Able to argue himself out of anything the term lawyer was a good one though.
Lawyers were those who spent whole lifetimes arguing points of law trying to decide just how far certain laws went just how far you could travel on the sabbath who was God and Moses really talking about when they said love your neighbor. Who did they NOT mean!
1. Lawyer tempting Jesus with a question.
a. Verse 25 what MUST I do to go to heaven?
b. Jesus answer simple you know the word live by it!
c. Who is my neighbor? Asking who is not!
Proverbs 30:12 (KJV 1900)
12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, And yet is not washed from their filthiness.
2. Answer the man who went from Jerusalem to Jericho
a. The Way of Blood was the name of this road yet this man still traveled this way.
He was stripped beaten robbed left by the road half dead.
b. Still he must have thought I have some hope when he saw the priest coming the priest kept his nose in the air and passed on by. Why?
c. The Levite looked on him had compassion but he passed by on the other side.
James 2:14–17 (KJV 1900)
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
3. The Samaritan
a. Samaritans and Jews hated each other with a passion if a jew caught a Samaritan in the temple they would stone him to death. Even today the Samaritans worship in different places in different ways and the hatred still is strong this Samaritan could have said good enough for him!
1 John 3:16–18 (KJV 1900)
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
b. What the Samaritan did was to save this man’s life and help him out he showed love the priest Levite and probably the lawyer didn’t have!
1 Corinthians 13:1–8 (KJV 1900)
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
c. Who is your neighbor?