Give Ear and Heart

Grace and peace to you, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Typically, this gospel lesson includes the story of the good Samaritan. Today, I want us to consider the set up to that story, wherein an expert in the Mosaic Law asked Jesus what he needed to do in order to obtain eternal life.

Typically, this gospel lesson includes the story of the good Samaritan. Today, I just want us to consider the set up to that story, wherein an expert in the Mosaic Law asked Jesus what he needed to do in order to obtain eternal life.

Jesus’ response was to ask this lawyer what the Law said, and more precisely, how this lawyer interpreted the Law. So, of course, he had to answer with the words of the greatest commandment: “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.”

Lest we wonder, Jesus replies that the lawyer answered correctly. If he did this, he would have eternal life.

Jesus’ response was to ask this lawyer what the Law said, and more precisely, how this lawyer interpreted the Law. So, of course, the lawyer had to answer with the words of the greatest commandment: “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.”

Lest we wonder, Jesus replies that the lawyer answered correctly. If he did this, he would have eternal life.

But how did that lawyer become an expert in the Law? How did he even know what the Law was? There was a time when the people only knew a smattering of God’s Law. Indeed, they didn’t know there was more to it until Hilkiah the high priest found a copy of the Deuteronomic Law. He found it in the temple. It reminds me of young Jesus being found in the temple by his parents. His response was, Where else would I be? Where else would you expect to find the Law?

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

Well, I can think of at least one place.

But how did that lawyer become an expert in the Law? How did he even know what the Law was? There was a time when the people only knew a smattering of God’s Law. Indeed, they didn’t know there was more to it until Hilkiah the high priest found a copy of the Book of the Covenant—probably the Deuteronomic Law. He found it in the temple. It reminds me of young Jesus being found in the temple by his parents. His response was, Where else would I be? Where else would you expect to find the Law?

Well, I can think of at least one place.

Let us pray. O Living Word of God, teach us your ways and help us to live by the truth of your commandments, that we may know your will and keep it until that Day when we are caught up together with all your people in Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and your Holy Spirit, forever one God. Amen.

Devout, Orthodox Jews wore leather boxes called phylacteries. They wore two of these boxes, each filled with portions of Scripture from Exodus and Deuteronomy. At certain services, they wore a phylactery on their forehead, as though to keep the Law in their mind. They always wore a phylactery on the left arm facing the heart. It is clear enough why.

Let us pray. O Living Word of God, teach us your ways and help us to live by the truth of your commandments, that we may know your will and keep it until that Day when we are caught up together with all your people in Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and your Holy Spirit, forever one God. Amen.

Devout, Orthodox Jews wore leather boxes called phylacteries. They wore two of these boxes, each filled with portions of Scripture from Exodus and Deuteronomy. At certain services, they wore a phylactery on their forehead, as though to keep the Law close to their their minds. They always wore a phylactery on the left arm facing the heart. Having said it that way, it is clear enough why.

bound by leather straps to the left arm facing the heart and

So, when this expert in the Law asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life, Jesus essentially told him to look at his left arm. What did it say? Then he said something important that may escape us. He asked how the lawyer interpreted the Law that was in the leather box. In other words, how has the Word of God made it from your arm to your heart?

And there is the question for all of us, not just the lawyer, not just the experts, nor just theologians, professors, bishops, or pastors. We have been holding the Word—sometimes bound in leather—in our hands all year. Has the Word journeyed from our hands into our hearts?

So, when this expert in the Law asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life, Jesus essentially told him to look at his left arm. What did it say? Then he said something important that may escape us. He asked how the lawyer interpreted the Law that was in the leather box. In other words, how has the Word of God made it from your arm to your heart?

And there is the question for all of us, not just the lawyer, not just the experts, nor just theologians, professors, bishops, or pastors. We have been holding the Word—sometimes bound in leather—in our hands all year. Has the Word journeyed from our hands into our hearts?

This is the work of the Holy Spirit but the binding or holding is up to us. We must bind it to our arms and heads; we must hold it in our hands and read. We must listen with the ear and with the heart.

King Josiah read the whole Book of the Covenant (probably Deuteronomy) in the hearing of all the inhabitants of Judah. Imagine the scene. A great discovery has been made at the temple: a long-forgotten scroll has been found. The king is excited. He wants to read to them, not a portion, but the entire Book of the Covenant. If this was indeed the Second Law or Deuteronomy, it would have taken more than three hours to read it aloud to that assembly.

Ultimately, this is the work of the Holy Spirit but the binding or holding is up to us. We must bind it to our arms and heads; we must hold it in our hands and read. We must listen with the ear and with the heart.

King Josiah read the whole Book of the Covenant in the hearing of all the inhabitants of Judah. Imagine the scene. A great discovery has been made at the temple: a long-forgotten scroll has been found. The king is excited. He wants to read to them, not a portion, but the entire Book of the Covenant. If this was indeed the Second Law or Deuteronomy, it would have taken more than three hours to read it aloud to that assembly. So, they stood there, each and every one of them, for more than three of our worship services.

And they listened. Then the king made a covenant with the Lord to walk after him more carefully than his previous knowledge of the Law would have dictated. He vowed to keep God’s commandments and all of the other statutes and testimonies found in this newly discovered scroll, keep them with all his heart and soul.

The words of the book had struck deep within the king. They had traveled from his hand to his heart. Notably, all the people were also touched and joined King Josiah in his covenant.

The public reading of Scripture has always been important to God and to his people. In our second lesson, you heard the Apostle Paul exhort young Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture. Devote himself! This is a sacred matter, a thing of formal vows, like a wedding. It is serious business.

The words of the book had struck deep within the king. They had traveled from his hand to his heart. Notably, all the people were also touched and joined King Josiah in his covenant.

Among other things, Paul tells Timothy—and I hope you agree, is telling us all—to immerse himself in the reading of the Scripture, to absorb himself or devote himself to it. Well, in fact, it is hard to translate this word because it is the word that simply means “to be.” It is the verb of being. So, when Paul tells Timothy to immerse himself in the Word, he is telling him to be the Word. In other words, be so absorbed with it that the Word travels from your hand to your heart, from your forehead to your mind.

The public reading of Scripture has always been important to God and to his people. In our second lesson, you heard the Apostle Paul exhort young Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture. Devote himself! This is a sacred matter, a thing of formal vows, like a wedding. It is serious business.

This happens through daily interaction with the text. The psalmist sings, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” This is storing up God’s Word in our hearts, not keeping it at arm’s distance. This is seeking God with our whole heart, not simply head knowledge about God or the Christian faith or church.

I hope you have been reading the Word this year. You may get behind sometimes. There may be a week or so here and there where you need to read two days worth each day just to get caught up. Or you may get behind but simply keep reading a day’s worth each day and finish a little later. That’s okay. What is important is the reading, the storing up of God’s Word, listening so intently that it finds its way to the intended destination: your heart.

Among other things, Paul tells Timothy—and I hope you agree, is telling us all—to immerse himself in the reading of the Scripture, to absorb himself or devote himself to it. Well, in fact, it is hard to translate this word because it is the word that simply means “to be.” It is the verb of being. So, when Paul tells Timothy to immerse himself in the Word, he is telling him to be the Word. In other words, be so absorbed with it that the Word travels from your hand to your heart, from your forehead to your mind.

May God have his way with you—hand and heart, head and mind—so that you may live. Amen.

This happens through daily interaction with the text. The psalmist sings, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” This is storing up God’s Word in our hearts, not keeping it at arm’s distance. This is seeking God with our whole heart, not simply head knowledge about God or the Christian faith or church.

I hope you have been reading the Word this year. You may get behind sometimes. There may be a week or so here and there where you need to read two days worth each day just to get caught up. Or you may get behind but simply keep reading a day’s worth each day and finish a little later. That’s okay. What is important is the reading, the storing up of God’s Word, listening so intently that it finds its way to the intended destination: your heart.

May God have his way with you—hand and heart, head and mind—so that you may live. Amen.