November 3, 2013
Morning Service

·         Here in chapter 10 of Luke, we have seen Jesus send the seventy out, and they come back rejoicing because they were successful in healing the sick, and casting demons out of the people. 

·         Jesus told them that was well, and good, but not to rejoice in this, but that their names are written in heaven.

·         Then Jesus gave thanks to His Father in Heaven for revealing these things to babes, and hiding them from the wise, and prudent.

·         Then a certain lawyer stood, and tested Him saying, “what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus ask him what was written in the law, and how he understood it.  The lawyer quoted the law in Deut. 6:5.

Luk 10:27-28  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.

            The lawyer went on and added, on his own, to love your neighbor as yourself.

This is mentioned in Lev 19:18  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

 

And that brings us to where we are at this morning;  Luke 10:29. 

 

Luk 10:29-37  But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 

·         Now we think we know who are neighbors are, but Jesus is going to explain it’s not just the person who lives next door to you.

(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. 

·         Jesus uses an allegory to explain who our neighbor really is.

·         This story He tells is a very prominent happening in this area where Jesus is telling the story.  There were many thieves, and robbers in this area, so those hearing could relate to the story.

·         The lawyer, wanting to justify himself, could no doubt say that he is doing a good job of keeping the law in this area.  He loves the Lord, and his own kinsmen, but look how Jesus magnifies the law.

·         He brings into the picture a Samaritan.  These people were dirt in the eyes of the Jews.  But Jesus uses this story to show that it is the Samaritan that does what it takes to be a good neighbor. 

·         The priest did nothing but run from the situation, as did the Levite.  This is what Jesus is showing the lawyer, that it was not someone of his own nationality, but someone that was thought of as unworthy to be a neighbor, who actually did what it takes to be a neighbor.

The thing we must be careful of is finding ourselves like this lawyer, Loving the Lord, and our kinsmen, but not those that are different than we are.

 

 

In the story, the Samaritan put his love for God into action, and became a neighbor to this man who had fallen among thieves.  The priest, and the Levite did not.  They loved God, and their own kinsmen, but what Jesus is showing that we are all God’s children, and should all possess the love of God in our hearts.

 

The Apostle Paul said this;

·         Gal 3:26-29  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  (27)  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  (28)  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.  (29)  And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

·         1Co 12:12-14  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.  (13)  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.  (14)  For the body is not one member, but many.

Then notice:

·         Eph 4:15-16  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:  (16)  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.       LOVE,  LOVE,  LOVE.

 

Paul told the Corinthian church;

1Co 13:1-8  If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.  (2)  And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  (3)  And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing.  (4)  Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,  (5)  doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil;  (6)  rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;  (7)  beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  (8)  Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall be done away.

 

So, Jesus is telling this lawyer, and us, if we want to be a good neighbor we must cultivate the love of God in our hearts, and put it into action.

 

Understand, and work at perfecting this scripture:

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

 

We all have received a measure of the Spirit of God, to guide, and help us through this life.  We need to continually ask God for more of His Spirit, that we would become more like Jesus.

 

Allow the Lord to help you be that good neighbor, love all men the same, through the love of God.

 

Almighty God, magnify the love in our lives that we might bring honor, and glory to Your holy name.