The Good Samaritan
Notes
Transcript
Looking For Loopholes
Looking For Loopholes
W. C. Fields, the old-time comedian who in his professional persona seemed to be in a continual state of inebriation, came to the final illness of his life. He was in the hospital and neither he nor his friends or doctors gave him much hope. One of his friends, who had known him for many years and had seen his disdain for religion and everything godly and moral, walked into the hospital room. He stopped as if he had run into a pane of glass, because there before his eyes was W. C. Fields in his hospital bed reading the Bible. His friend said in utter amazement, "W. C., what in the world are you doing?" And he replied, "I'm looking for a loophole … looking for a loophole. James D Kennedy
V 27
Jesus had just told this man that had to love the Lord and his neighbor
I believe there was a stab of guilty thoughts cross his mind
he tried to finagle a loophole
the leadership of Judaism have been finagling loopholes for a while
If I can give a plausible explanation for my conduct...
There is an ongoing dispute among the elites as to what is considered a neighbor
but there is no dispute about the Samaritans
they are hated, despised, less than human
so this lawyer asked Jesus the disputed question
V 29 self Justification
there is only one who justifies and that is the judge
the one who condemns
Romans 7:24–8:1 (LSB)
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
but wishing to Justify himself asks
Who is my neighbor?
trying to draw Jesus into the dispute
trying to find a loophole
the amount of love we show to out neighbor is the amount of love we are showing to God
so if we can narrow down who our neighbor is ...
we can narrow down our responsibility
Jesus tells a story
read Luke 10 25-
The Good Samaritan
The Good Samaritan
the good Heathen
this is the way the Lawyer perceives him
V 30
the Jericho trail drops about 3500 feet
narrow, through canyons and sharp turns
there are many places for robbers to hide
it was known as a dangerous route
a Roman garrison was put on the trail
So this man traveling from Jerusalem is robbed stripped beaten and left for dead
so this man is left on the road bleeding and half dead
a preist and a Levite went by
V 31-32
these men knew the law
knew Gods Idea of compassion
the Priest is going down probably from temple to home
Just finished his duty for God
likewise also the Levite doing his duty in the temple
Maybe this just happened to the Lawyer
Jesus knows the mind
Knows what people are thinking
Maybe this Lawyer walked by someone in this condition.
someone who knows better
Maybe this is touching home to this lawyer
who wants to justify himself by asking who is my neighbor
But a Samaritan V 33
Felt compassion
For I delight in lovingkindness rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
God is a God of compassion
religious rituals will loose every time to loving kindness
Mark 1:41 (LSB)
And moved with compassion, He stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
To be Jesus like is to have compassion
the two men coming from the temple did not have this trait
the two men coming from the temple did not love their neighbor
the hated atheist Samaritan is doing the role of the 2 men
V 34
gave up his ride
bandaged his wounds
gave him medicine
took him to an inn
V 35 gave the inn keeper 2 months worth of staying money
plus promise of more
V 36
who is the neighbor? Jew only?
the person living beside you? on your street?
how about the people who hate you?!!
your enemies?
Jesus said
Matthew 5:43–44 (LSB)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’
“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to the ungrateful and evil.
Isn’t this exactly what the Samaritan did?
V 37
the answer from the lawyer could not even say the word Samaritan
this shows the mans heart
Go And Do The Same
Go And Do The Same
This man was looking for loopholes
what he found out is that instead of a loophole
he found a deep hole
the sides are too steep and the hole is endless
the law cannot save anybody
What must I do to inherit eternal life?
Nothing you can do but beg God for mercy
the inheritance is only recieved by the children
one cannot become a child by doing good
you ask a person on the street if they think that they are a good person
they will answer yes
because they are not comparing themselves to the holiness of God
the law is perfect which requires perfect obedience
Jesus is telling the lawyer to go and everybody he comes across to aid them, like the Samaritan did to the person who hates him
Everybody that is need is your neighbor
Luke 10:27 (LSB)
And he answered and said, “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.”
again this is impossible you cant love God enough
you cant love your neighbor enough
no one is good enough
Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life
do this and live
though the cross of Christ
through bringing your burden of sin to the cross
and leaving it at the foot
AT CALVARY