The Law of Love Means Selfless Compassion
Since I’d studying for the ministry, one of the most important things I have to learn is how to have a spiritual conversation. That’s not easy in our society; people are shy about it. God, Jesus, Heaven, almost taboo words. So we learn to ask, “Tell me about your relationship with God. And people say, “I don’t know; what do you mean?” If you were to die tonight, and God were to ask you what you have to do to get into heaven, what would you say? I’ve never thought about it. There are many forces in our society that want to keep us from what is really important. Sinful forces that want to erase God from our society, so they can sin without a guilty conscience. But on that last day, you don’t want to be caught of guard. You want to know that you’re going to heaven. And you do know the answer. But it’s so easy to get distracted and lose focus of God and his salvation. So tonight, as someone asks Jesus the most important question of all, how do we get eternal life, let’s pay attention as we hear that
Theme: perfect love is the way to heaven.
This God demands, and
this Jesus fulfills.
The man we’re talking about was a teacher of the law. He was a law expert – and not an expert in the secular law, but the Old Testament.
And since this man was an expert, he wanted to check Jesus out. So he posed the question we talked about earlier. “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” It’s a good question – if you take it seriously. But his primary purpose wasn’t to find the answer. He really just wanted to see what Jesus would say and perhaps catch him saying something wrong.
Jesus saw through the trick and let him answer his own question. He asked the man in return, “What is written in the Law?” “How do you read it?” He was trying to test Jesus, and now Jesus was testing him. But he knew the Old Testament, and so he responded with a very Biblical answer, “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.’’
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
You would expect our Bible expert to be happy – Jesus has just agreed with him! They saw things eye to eye, he agreed with the most popular new rabbi around. But for some reason he just wasn’t satisfied. Why did he ask this next question? He said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”*
When he quoted the Old Testament, he trapped himself. He knew there was no way he could actually love everyone. Surely THAT isn’t what God was talking about, that would be not only impossible, but also stupid. So he needed to redefine God’s word. He had to make God’s law come closer to matching his own actions, because he knew that he was impossibly far away from doing what it said. “He wanted to justify himself.” *
When he asked, “Who is my neighbor” it was like asking, have I loved all the right people? But God really wants a heart full of love and compassion for everyone. This expert didn’t understand how much God demands from us, which kept him from seeing what a sinner he really was. Since he didn’t realize how much he needed forgiveness, he had no clue how gracious and love God really was. Until he took God’s law seriously, he could never take God seriously. So to open this man’s eyes and totally change his view, Jesus told him a parable.
Jesus began, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.” Now the story Jesus is telling wasn’t a stretch in his day like it might be in ours. Life was tough, there were bandits hiding in the mountain passes where this road lay, and stuff like this happened. There was no 911 in those days. If someone didn’t come along to help him, this poor man was going to die.
But just when you might think this man had no hope, a priest happened to be going down the same mountain path! A priest was esteemed more highly than anyone else for the Jews. They thought of him as highly as you think of your pastor. If anyone would help this guy, it would be a priest. But not this time, for we read that, when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
One look and the priest knew he didn’t want to get involved with THAT guy! But let’s not be too judgmental just yet. He probably had some good excuses for not helping. After all, he was a priest. He had important affairs to attend to. If he touched a dead body, he would be ceremonially unclean and have to stay out of the temple. Or may be he was worried that the bandits might still be around. He couldn’t risk getting robbed – or even killed! What about his family? Besides, someone else would probably come along and help this guy. The guy who got beat up shouldn’t have been traveling alone anyway, right?
But luckily for the guy dying in the middle of the pathway, here came a Levite. He was like an elder or a deacon or an usher in our churches. Surely he would help. But no, we hear, he too took one look at the guy and walked to the other side of the road. When no one was looking, this very religious man just kept walking, leaving him to die.
And now came the Samaritan walking down the trail. Samaritans were bad by every standard. Samaritans were half-Jewish, half-Gentile by blood. They weren’t pure. The Jews would even call them dogs. The Samaritans worshipped at the wrong spot. In stead of going to Jerusalem, they worshipped in Samaria. In other words, they went to the wrong church. They were the bad guys.
So the Jewish people listening to Jesus probably expected something REALLY bad from the Samaritan. So imagine how shocked they would have been to hear what Jesus said next, “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.” He didn’t walk on by or think of a million excuses, but his heart was full of pity. “He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.” That wasn’t quick or cheap, but he did it. He put that stranger’s well being ahead of his own schedule and budget. “Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.” If he put the man on his donkey, that means he had to carry the stuff that was already on the donkey. Taking care of the recovering man could have taken a long time. He couldn’t just leave him with a nurse or a doctor, since there weren’t hospitals like today. But he stayed until the man started to look like he would recover. At this point I think he could have left feeling good about himself, but he goes even further in his care for this man. “The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.” Two silver coins were roughly equal to two days’ wages. But the Samaritan didn’t think twice about giving it up. Even after all that, he planned on coming back by to check on the man to see how he was doing. He gave a promise to pay any further expenses there might be.
By now, the expert in the Old Testament should have been uncomfortable. He had asked Jesus, “Who exactly do I need to love?” But the love Jesus describes knows no boundaries. It’s looking for someone to help, instead of finding reasons to help as few people as possible. When Jesus asked, ““Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The answer was very clear. “The one who had mercy on him.” Pay close attention to Jesus’ final words, “Go and do likewise.” That’s how the parable ends. This is what you must do.
The expert in the law must have felt pretty embarrased. He tried to trap Jesus, but Jesus trapped him. He, the “expert” was looking. Now we have to be careful that we get the point Jesus is making here. In many churches today, this parable is seen as a story that shows us how to be nice. Wouldn’t it be great if we all showed this kind of love and compassion? But remember the original question that the expert in the law asked. He didn’t ask, “What would be nice?” He asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life.” This parable isn’t about what’s pie-in-the-sky idealism, it’s about what God demands from us. And according to Jesus, God doesn’t demand that we try our best. God doesn’t demand simply that we don’t kill anybody, not that’s way too easy. God demands, “Love like this Samaritan loved.”
He demands a heart filled with pity and compassion, a heart eager to help and to serve. Not a heart full of indifference or excuse after excuse. Who would you be in this story? Would you be the Samaritan, putting aside your schedule and your money and your effort and giving them all to this stranger? Or have you ever been like the Priest or the Levite. You’re a good person already. You don’t really owe anyone anything. Would we help only if it's convenient, or are we willing to go out of our way to show compassion? When we have a chance to give to charity. When a neighbor or a child or some aging parents could use our time. Who are we? Do we love God so much that we’re always looking for new ways to be of service? Or do we get annoyed, and look for excuses, and reasons we really don’t need to help. We have to admit often we don’t even love our closest friends and family the way the Samaritan loved a stranger. Who are you in this story? What have you earned, eternal life, or eternal death?
May be the person we are the most like is the man on the side of the road. When it comes to saving ourselves, we are helpless. We’ve condemned ourselves so many times, and there’s nothing we can do to make up for it. We need a good Samaritan to come along and rescue us. And we have Jesus – who has shown love for us far beyond that of the good Samaritan.
When Jesus saw our helpless condition, he didn’t act like the priest or the Levite in our parable and walk on by, even though it would be fair for him to. Even though we had nothing to offer Jesus, he was moved to give his all for us. He left his glorious existence in heaven to come bear our sin. He left the praises of the angels so he could come to earth and be despised and killed, and he thought nothing of it so he could save us! No effort was too great.
Of course our needs were much greater than that man on the side of the road’s needs. We need much more than oil and bandages, we need a perfect life. Jesus was happy to give it! Because we needed it, he submitted himself to God’s Law for men. This meant a hard life, day after day or pouring himself out for us. He picked us up and took care of us. He made himself tired in a lifetime of serving others. He invited Satan to come tempt him with everything he could throw at him, and he resisted it all – in our place. That was not fun for him, it was “out of his way”, but he did it for us.
You know, we can understand the Good Samaritan to some degree. Yes, the love he showed made him a real hero for sure. Even in Jesus’ most difficult time, at his crucifixion, when he was being forsaken of his Father in heaven and bearing the sin of the world – was he self-centered then? If there is one time I am VERY self-centered, it’s when something bad is happening to me. The WORST thing possible was happening to Jesus, but he still put others first. He was more concerned about the soldiers crucifying him than himself – Father forgive them. He was more concerned about the thief who had mocked him earlier – Today you will be with me in Paradise. He was more concerned about his mother’s welfare than his own – he told the Apostle John to take care of her. And he was and is more concerned about you – about forgiving your sin – than he was about his own comfort and convenience. He was happy to do it, because it meant he would save you from your sin. Now he’s so glad that I can tell you, your sins are forgiven. those times that we ignored others who needed us – the have been paid for eternally. Even the meanest thing we’ve done, the most cold-hearted, self-centered act is forgiven already in God’s sight through Jesus’ suffering and death.
Not only has Jesus taken care of us, but he is still taking care of us now. Greater than the Good Samaritan who left money for the man, Jesus leaves us himself. He is constantly interceding for us on the Father’s behalf. He has promised to be with us, and to be with us in a special way whenever we are gathered in his name. He brings his forgiveness to us in an even more intimate way in the Lord’s Supper. And is there something else you need – you have a promise – just ask him! Nothing is too great or small. Ask, and it shall be given, seek and you will find! Do you want a stronger faith? Just ask him? Do you want more Christ-like love? Do you want the strength to ask forgiveness or the power to put others first? Just ask Jesus – he’s already here with his Word to instruct you and his Holy Spirit to strengthen you and motivate you! And eventually, every need you have will be answered. In the new heavens and the new earth, on the day of resurrection, you will rise to a perfect existence. All the troubles and hardships of this life will be over. You will need and want nothing – except what you have!
So, if you died tonight, and you stood before God, and he asked you, “why should I give you eternal life?” what would you say? You couldn’t say you’ve earned it or deserved it. No, we haven’t even begun to show the love for our neighbors that God asks of us. But you won’t hesitate. You won’t have any doubt or fear, you KNOW what you will say. You’ll say that he should let you in because of Jesus. Who loved you, who took pity on you, and who is your Savior and friend. And God your Father will welcome you home.