seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Luke 10:25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘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.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii 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.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Let me begin by drawing your attention to verses 26 and 27. This is not about the "good Samaritan". This was one of those "slimy" lawyers who was trying to make a name for himself at the expense of Jesus. This is about trying to trap Jesus and the wise answer Jesus gave in response that was so good, the lawyer had to admit Jesus was right.He asked Jesus "how do I get to Heaven". Jesus replied, "you know the law, you tell me".
Then the man gave the response Jesus taught. "Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul; and love your neighbor as you love yourself." This cat must have been plotting this little conversation for a while. He knew the teachings of the Messiah.
Jesus turned this man's "ah but" back on himself. When the smart little lawyer threw his zinger "Ah, but who's your neighbor".... I bet he had a whole bunch or racist "neighbors" Jesus had shown love. This guy was going to say either Jesus was a racist Jew or He would let everyone into Heaven, leaving the Jews to their outdated laws. Either way, this "slimy" lawyer thought he had his case won. He thought he could make everyone think, at the very least, Jesus was an elitest, or He wanted to do away with the Jewish traditions. You just can't love everyone. It's just not safe.
Jesus told the man a story of the compassion of one [hated] man against a local guy. The Samaritans were hated by the Jews. They were the Halfbreeds of Jewish traditions. Jesus talked about how this man, who probably would have been spit on by many, showed so much compassion for this man who was beaten almost to death. I'm sure when Jesus told the story, everyone who heard it felt the pain of the beating go through their bones. Jesus, I'm sure, could make the story come alive.
The lawyer had no choice. He had to throw out his plan to bring Jesus to an end. He had to admit, the hated Samaritan was the kindest of the three. He had to admit, everyone is a neighbor. Jesus knew where the lawyer's questioning was going, and He turned the "test" into a learning experience for the lawyer.
Show Mercy! I know it's hard in today's society. But it wasn't easy back then either. Israel was an occupied nation. Rome ran their lives. Rome showed no mercy. They lived under a merciless suppression. Rome hung people on crosses as a warning to those who would bug them. The lawyer's life would only get better if he brought Jesus up on charges. All the Pharisees, Sadducees, and teachers of the law were busy laying traps for Jesus. Jesus just showed the lawyer love and taught him the meaning of "Love thy neighbor". Jesus could have called down legions on the "slimy" lawyer.
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
