Howdy, Neighbor!
Preaching
What Jesus Did:
The Answer To WWJD
Ever notice how those who come wishing to test Jesus get tested themselves? The Pharisees come to trap Jesus with a question on taxes. They get tested on their devotion to God. The Sadducees test Jesus with a question on the resurrection. Jesus tests them on their knowledge of Scriptures. Here the lawyer wants to test Jesus with the question: "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25 NIV). You know he had already formed an answer in his mind. He was testing Jesus to see if Jesus would conform to the standards of orthodox doctrine.
• What test do you use to find out if a person is "orthodox"?
Jesus also knew that the lawyer had an answer, so Jesus turned the question on him: "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" The lawyer answers with the confession of faith known as the Shema from Deuteronomy 6: " '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.' " Jesus gives this lawyer an A+ and a homework assignment: "You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live." The lawyer's problem is one most of us face -- defining who we need to be nice to. "Who is my neighbor?" he asks (Luke 10:26-29 NIV).
• How well do you know your neighbors where you live?
The scribes and Pharisees had a well-formulated code as to who was and who was not a neighbor. Gentiles weren't neighbors. Romans weren't neighbors. Tax collectors, harlots, and other sinners weren't neighbors. Mostly, neighbors were those who look like me, act like me, think like me.
Maybe the lawyer sees the flaws in this thinking and really wants Jesus' opinion. Or, more likely, the lawyer might be hoping Jesus will agree with these standards because the lawyer keeps these standards. He thinks he is a good neighbor already.
Jesus replies by telling the parable which we call the Good Samaritan. Next to the Prodigal Son, it is probably the most favorite parable of the Christian church. Jesus describes a situation that happened all too often on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. I have been on that road. There are treacherous spots where bandits can hide and surprise the unsuspecting traveler. It is a desolate road through the desert wilderness. If this Samaritan had not helped this person, he could have easily died. This man fell victim to robbers, who were not content with just taking his physical goods; they deprived him of his bodily health as well. Then they left him to die. Who will help this man? He can't walk. He can't cry out. Everything he has is gone. Where is Superman when you need him?
• Have you ever helped a person in serious trouble or injury?
I can imagine the wounded man thinking to himself as he lies on the road. "Wait, someone is coming down the road. Maybe this person will help me. I'm saved. He's closer. Oh, look, a priest. A servant of God. Certainly he will help me. Why is he passing by on the other side? Doesn't he see me? Doesn't he care? Wait! No wait! Don't go. Don't leave me. Help me."
Hours pass. They seem like years in the midst of his pain. The hot sun beats down mercilessly. "Someone else is coming. Oh, look, a Levite. Maybe he will help me. Oh, no, don't do that!! Don't pass me by too. Help me. Help me." Hours pass. He can feel what little life he has ebbing away.
• Have you ever needed help and no one stopped to give you a hand?
Someone else is coming. "I don't want to get my hopes up." He hears a voice. A calming, soothing, comforting voice. "There you go, friend. Don't worry. I'll get you fixed up in no time." He feels the oil soothe the wound. The wine stings, but he knows that means that infection is being killed. Soon he feels a soft bed under him and calming compresses on his forehead. Who is this masked man? A Samaritan? No way! They would never help anybody, much less a Jew. But it is indeed a Samaritan!
I think the lawyer feels the sting of this story. All of his religious buddies pass by on the other side of true human need every day. The true hero is the one who is considered outcast and second class. The lawyer doesn't miss the point of the story. Jesus asks, "Who was the neighbor?" The lawyer responds, "The one who had mercy." The most challenging thing Jesus says to this lawyer and to us is, "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37 NIV).
As we travel the road of life, invariably we will fall into the hands of robbers. Not just criminals who steal our stuff, but other kinds of robbers. Problems, trials, and tribulations rob us of our joy, our happiness, our confidence. Health problems rob us of energy and ability to do all the things we want to do. Various crises cause stress, robbing us of sleep and peaceful relationships. How many robbers can you think of? Unemployment, divorce, terminal illness, addictions, abuse. The highway of life is littered with people stripped naked of their life, health, dignity, self-respect, hope, and peace.
• Who is lying by the side of your highway through life?
The highway is also filled with people who are just passing by, hoping that they won't fall into the hands of the robbers, but having no intentions of helping those that do. We pass by all the time, don't we? The man with the sign, "Will work for food." The widowed person whose spouse recently passed away. The parent who is struggling with problem children. The person whose marriage is falling apart at the seams. We have been conditioned by our society to pass them by. Let the government take care of them. Let them work out their own problems; I have problems of my own. What can I do to help? I'm just one person. Then, when we fall into the hands of robbers, and we want someone to take care of us, nobody is there.
Jesus' question hits us square in the face. Who is the neighbor? The one who has mercy. Mercy is a quality in short supply these days. We have become a society of judges and condemners. Some say we are experiencing a pendulum swing from the days when we would excuse bad behavior or laziness or being down and out, and give them all a hand out. Now, in reaction to welfare reform and sensational crimes such as O. J. Simpson, the Menendez brothers, and Susan Smith, we have collectively said to those on the side of the road, "Take responsibility for your own actions." Rightly, some of them need to. Sometimes the most loving, merciful thing we can do is to help a person grow up and face their responsibility in life. However, when we do that, we must not put mercy in the back seat.
• What is your typical attitude towards those who are down on their luck?
Mercy is defined as the quality of compassion, forgiveness, kindness, and acceptance bundled together. When we think about God's mercy, these are the things we experience. We experience God's compassion as he binds up our wounds and soothes our damaged psyches. We experience God's forgiveness for our sins. We experience God's kindness, more than we ever deserved. We experience God's acceptance as we are welcomed into his presence.
Mercy is especially evident when we treat our enemies with kindness, compassion, and acceptance. That is why this parable is so powerful. In Jewish perception, the Samaritan was the foreigner and the enemy. No one expected him to show any kind of compassion. If anything, they expected the Samaritan to kick the beaten guy when he was down. Instead he shows mercy. Again, we see God's mercy. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God had mercy on us while we were still his bitter enemy and had no intentions of following him.
Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy." He also said, "How you judge others is how you will be judged." With the Good Samaritan's example in mind, Jesus says to the lawyer and us, "Go and do likewise." We are supposed to be people of mercy. The same kind of compassion, acceptance, forgiveness, and kindness that God has shown us, we are to show to others on the road of life. Rather than pass by those on the side of the road, we are called to stop and administer the oil of spiritual kindness and the wine of a stinging but loving rebuke that heals. We are to bandage up the wounds rather than let them fester into gangrenous divisions.
"Go and do likewise" is perhaps the most difficult command we have. Neighbor is no longer a neat, compartmentalized definition of people. Now everyone who needs me to be their neighbor is my neighbor. Not just my friends and the people I like, but also my enemies, and the people I may not feel that comfortable with.
The question is no longer, "Who is my neighbor?" but "Who will I be a neighbor to today?" Christians are called to be neighbors to the world. Being a neighbor can be costly. Oil and wine were expensive items back then. Are we ready to give of our valuable resources to help others in need? The Samaritan also paid the innkeeper. Are we ready to give of our financial resources to help those in need?
• Who will you be a neighbor to today? How much are you willing to spend?
Many children's relief organizations offer you the opportunity to be a neighbor for less than thirty dollars per month. You can give generously to various mission offerings and be a neighbor. You can volunteer at various social agencies in your town and be a neighbor in person. Or, as you travel the road of life each day, stop passing by, and take time to show mercy to someone who has been beaten up by the robbers of life.
Who was the neighbor? The one who showed mercy. Go and do likewise.
WWJD -- Pick one of your neighbors in need and show them mercy in a tangible way.
• What test do you use to find out if a person is "orthodox"?
Jesus also knew that the lawyer had an answer, so Jesus turned the question on him: "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" The lawyer answers with the confession of faith known as the Shema from Deuteronomy 6: " '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.' " Jesus gives this lawyer an A+ and a homework assignment: "You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live." The lawyer's problem is one most of us face -- defining who we need to be nice to. "Who is my neighbor?" he asks (Luke 10:26-29 NIV).
• How well do you know your neighbors where you live?
The scribes and Pharisees had a well-formulated code as to who was and who was not a neighbor. Gentiles weren't neighbors. Romans weren't neighbors. Tax collectors, harlots, and other sinners weren't neighbors. Mostly, neighbors were those who look like me, act like me, think like me.
Maybe the lawyer sees the flaws in this thinking and really wants Jesus' opinion. Or, more likely, the lawyer might be hoping Jesus will agree with these standards because the lawyer keeps these standards. He thinks he is a good neighbor already.
Jesus replies by telling the parable which we call the Good Samaritan. Next to the Prodigal Son, it is probably the most favorite parable of the Christian church. Jesus describes a situation that happened all too often on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. I have been on that road. There are treacherous spots where bandits can hide and surprise the unsuspecting traveler. It is a desolate road through the desert wilderness. If this Samaritan had not helped this person, he could have easily died. This man fell victim to robbers, who were not content with just taking his physical goods; they deprived him of his bodily health as well. Then they left him to die. Who will help this man? He can't walk. He can't cry out. Everything he has is gone. Where is Superman when you need him?
• Have you ever helped a person in serious trouble or injury?
I can imagine the wounded man thinking to himself as he lies on the road. "Wait, someone is coming down the road. Maybe this person will help me. I'm saved. He's closer. Oh, look, a priest. A servant of God. Certainly he will help me. Why is he passing by on the other side? Doesn't he see me? Doesn't he care? Wait! No wait! Don't go. Don't leave me. Help me."
Hours pass. They seem like years in the midst of his pain. The hot sun beats down mercilessly. "Someone else is coming. Oh, look, a Levite. Maybe he will help me. Oh, no, don't do that!! Don't pass me by too. Help me. Help me." Hours pass. He can feel what little life he has ebbing away.
• Have you ever needed help and no one stopped to give you a hand?
Someone else is coming. "I don't want to get my hopes up." He hears a voice. A calming, soothing, comforting voice. "There you go, friend. Don't worry. I'll get you fixed up in no time." He feels the oil soothe the wound. The wine stings, but he knows that means that infection is being killed. Soon he feels a soft bed under him and calming compresses on his forehead. Who is this masked man? A Samaritan? No way! They would never help anybody, much less a Jew. But it is indeed a Samaritan!
I think the lawyer feels the sting of this story. All of his religious buddies pass by on the other side of true human need every day. The true hero is the one who is considered outcast and second class. The lawyer doesn't miss the point of the story. Jesus asks, "Who was the neighbor?" The lawyer responds, "The one who had mercy." The most challenging thing Jesus says to this lawyer and to us is, "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37 NIV).
As we travel the road of life, invariably we will fall into the hands of robbers. Not just criminals who steal our stuff, but other kinds of robbers. Problems, trials, and tribulations rob us of our joy, our happiness, our confidence. Health problems rob us of energy and ability to do all the things we want to do. Various crises cause stress, robbing us of sleep and peaceful relationships. How many robbers can you think of? Unemployment, divorce, terminal illness, addictions, abuse. The highway of life is littered with people stripped naked of their life, health, dignity, self-respect, hope, and peace.
• Who is lying by the side of your highway through life?
The highway is also filled with people who are just passing by, hoping that they won't fall into the hands of the robbers, but having no intentions of helping those that do. We pass by all the time, don't we? The man with the sign, "Will work for food." The widowed person whose spouse recently passed away. The parent who is struggling with problem children. The person whose marriage is falling apart at the seams. We have been conditioned by our society to pass them by. Let the government take care of them. Let them work out their own problems; I have problems of my own. What can I do to help? I'm just one person. Then, when we fall into the hands of robbers, and we want someone to take care of us, nobody is there.
Jesus' question hits us square in the face. Who is the neighbor? The one who has mercy. Mercy is a quality in short supply these days. We have become a society of judges and condemners. Some say we are experiencing a pendulum swing from the days when we would excuse bad behavior or laziness or being down and out, and give them all a hand out. Now, in reaction to welfare reform and sensational crimes such as O. J. Simpson, the Menendez brothers, and Susan Smith, we have collectively said to those on the side of the road, "Take responsibility for your own actions." Rightly, some of them need to. Sometimes the most loving, merciful thing we can do is to help a person grow up and face their responsibility in life. However, when we do that, we must not put mercy in the back seat.
• What is your typical attitude towards those who are down on their luck?
Mercy is defined as the quality of compassion, forgiveness, kindness, and acceptance bundled together. When we think about God's mercy, these are the things we experience. We experience God's compassion as he binds up our wounds and soothes our damaged psyches. We experience God's forgiveness for our sins. We experience God's kindness, more than we ever deserved. We experience God's acceptance as we are welcomed into his presence.
Mercy is especially evident when we treat our enemies with kindness, compassion, and acceptance. That is why this parable is so powerful. In Jewish perception, the Samaritan was the foreigner and the enemy. No one expected him to show any kind of compassion. If anything, they expected the Samaritan to kick the beaten guy when he was down. Instead he shows mercy. Again, we see God's mercy. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God had mercy on us while we were still his bitter enemy and had no intentions of following him.
Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy." He also said, "How you judge others is how you will be judged." With the Good Samaritan's example in mind, Jesus says to the lawyer and us, "Go and do likewise." We are supposed to be people of mercy. The same kind of compassion, acceptance, forgiveness, and kindness that God has shown us, we are to show to others on the road of life. Rather than pass by those on the side of the road, we are called to stop and administer the oil of spiritual kindness and the wine of a stinging but loving rebuke that heals. We are to bandage up the wounds rather than let them fester into gangrenous divisions.
"Go and do likewise" is perhaps the most difficult command we have. Neighbor is no longer a neat, compartmentalized definition of people. Now everyone who needs me to be their neighbor is my neighbor. Not just my friends and the people I like, but also my enemies, and the people I may not feel that comfortable with.
The question is no longer, "Who is my neighbor?" but "Who will I be a neighbor to today?" Christians are called to be neighbors to the world. Being a neighbor can be costly. Oil and wine were expensive items back then. Are we ready to give of our valuable resources to help others in need? The Samaritan also paid the innkeeper. Are we ready to give of our financial resources to help those in need?
• Who will you be a neighbor to today? How much are you willing to spend?
Many children's relief organizations offer you the opportunity to be a neighbor for less than thirty dollars per month. You can give generously to various mission offerings and be a neighbor. You can volunteer at various social agencies in your town and be a neighbor in person. Or, as you travel the road of life each day, stop passing by, and take time to show mercy to someone who has been beaten up by the robbers of life.
Who was the neighbor? The one who showed mercy. Go and do likewise.
WWJD -- Pick one of your neighbors in need and show them mercy in a tangible way.
