June 2024

Love God, Love People

Good morning. It is nice to see so many beautiful faces here today. This is no ordinary day. Saints of God have boldly stated that they are followers of Jesus. They followed Jesus’ example and were baptized. Now, the question may be: how do I continue to follow Jesus’ example? I think today’s message will help answer that question. 

A few years ago, a young man attended this church. His name was Christian. Honestly, I have not met someone more fitting to carry that name. He was always a ray of sunshine whenever he was around. He was full of youth and a great, promising future. Unfortunately, his life was cut short. 

I remember conversing with him; he told me he knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up. He wanted to be a preacher. He said he already knew what the topic of his first message was going to be. Curious, I asked him what it was, and he pointed at the wall in the foyer and said it was right there. Serve God, Serve People. 

I think of him often. As I was preparing this message, my mind ran on him. I tried to imagine what the meat of his message would be about. There was no doubt that it would have been an inspiring message. Something tells me that it would have been different from the typical messages. It was going to be very special. 

The last few times I brought a message, they were of popular Sunday school Bible stories. So, I thought today about bringing a message that does not come across as a Sunday School Bible Story. Maybe a message like Christian would have brought. Then I came to my senses and said, who am I kidding? I have already been identified as the Sunday School Bible Story preacher. 

So today, here we go with yet another very popular Bible story. You all may know it as the story of The Good Samaritan. But today, I titled the message “Love God, Love People.” But before I get into the message, I want to share a little nugget about me. 

I grew up on a tiny island in the Caribbean. The community was very close-knit. It was very common to walk down the road and greet every single person you met. Even if two families disagreed, the kids were not allowed to pass the adults from the other family without greeting them. We lived neighborly. It was common to see neighbors helping each other perform whatever tasks they had to complete.

When I migrated to the US, I did not get that same neighborly feeling. The culture was a little different. I am not saying it was better or worse; it was just different. Communities were a lot bigger and didn’t appear to be as close-knit. I felt offended when I greeted strangers on the street, and they ignored me. I later realized that it was not me; it was just a different culture.

In the story you know of the Good Samaritan, Jesus used the opportunity to talk about living neighborly. You see, an expert in religious law tried to test Jesus by asking a question about salvation and eternal life. But instead of answering the question as intended, Jesus steered the conversation where he wanted it to go and talked about living neighborly.

Let’s set the background for the story in Luke chapter 10 and verse 25. Today, I will be reading from the New Living Translation: ²⁵ One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

Before I continue, please notice that the expert, or Scribe, was not asking a serious question. Although the question concerns a serious topic, he only asked it to test Jesus. Also, notice that the question assumes there is something we, as humans, can do to obtain eternal life. As a religious expert, he should already know the answer to his question. But he decided to test Jesus.

Let’s look at how Jesus replies in verse 26: ²⁶ Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

Jesus could have answered the question directly. But instead, he responded to the question with a question. (You know what’s funny? Sometimes, I use that method and respond to a question with a question. Yet, no one sees it as being like Jesus. They think I am trying to be difficult.) But, I want you to notice that Jesus did not ask any of these questions:

1. What does your synagogue say? 
2. What does your rabbi say? 
3. What does your pastor say? 
4. What does your church say? 
5. What does your denomination say?

Instead, Jesus asks him, “What does the word of God say?”

By referring to the Law of Moses, Jesus directs the conversation to an authority they both accept as truth. Hence, Jesus accomplished two things here:

1. Avoided an argument and 
2. Led the conversation towards his intended lesson. 

We will discuss the intended lesson later, but this is a method people should use more often when asked about biblical topics. Always refer to the word of God. Let’s continue with the reading in verse 27: 

²⁷ The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Let us stop here for a bit. First, let’s explore the expert’s answer. The expert answered Jesus using a combination of quotes from Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 5, and Leviticus chapter 19, verse 18. 

Let’s quickly read these two scriptures before continuing with the story. Deuteronomy 6:5: 

⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

Leviticus 19:18: ¹⁸ “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

This is not the only reference to Jesus being tested and the same answer was given. Let’s look at Matthew 22: 35-39: ³⁵ One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question:  ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” ³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

So, in summary he said love God, and love your neighbor. Now, let’s return to the story in Luke 10 and look at Jesus’ response to the expert’s answer—verse 28: ²⁸ “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

Jesus said right. First, he confirmed that the expert was correct. But note that Jesus did not leave it at that. Jesus went on to tell him, DO this, and you will live. The key point here is that knowing it or emotionally feeling it is not enough. Jesus said you must do it. It requires practicing what you believe. 

However, the expert wanted more. Let’s look at verse 29: ²⁹ The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Ah ha. That is precisely what I believe Jesus wanted him to ask. Remember the original question asked about obtaining eternal life? This was the perfect opportunity to preach salvation. But Jesus wanted to focus on relationships and what love is. That was the intended lesson I mentioned I would talk about later. Jesus is probably saying that he had already answered that question, as recorded in Matthew and Mark. This was the perfect opportunity to teach on the topic of love. 

Now, this Scribe is an expert in religious law. He was educated and realized that he could not possibly keep that law even if he wanted to. He probably felt there would always be people in his life he could not love. So, he tried to limit the parameters of the command and ask who his neighbor was.

The word neighbor in Greek means “Someone who is near,” and in Hebrew, it means “someone whom you have an association with.” This interprets the word in a limited sense, referring to a fellow Jew and excluding Samaritans and all others. So, to remove any false understanding, Jesus used the parable of the Good Samaritan. 

Allow me a few minutes to lay out the historical setting for the story. After King Solomon died, there was a civil war, and the Israelites were split into the Northern Kingdom (10 Tribes) and the Southern Kingdom (2 tribes). The Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom and intermarried with them. Their descendants resided in Samaria. 

The Jews of the southern kingdom, although they, too, were conquered by the Babylonians, returned after a short stint without significant intermarriage. The southern kingdom had Jerusalem as their capital, where the temple was. The Samaritans of the north worshiped elsewhere – typically on mountain tops. Hence, the Jews of Jerusalem looked down upon the Samaritans as not being truly Jewish. They thought they were both genetically impure and worshiped at the wrong place.

So, to summarize: 

The Northern Kingdom 

1. Conquered by the Assyrians.
2. Much intermarriage.
3. Resided in Samaria.
4. Worshiped outside the temple in Jerusalem.

The Southern Kingdom

1. Conquered by the Babylonians (Short stint).
2. Very little intermarriage.
3. Had Jerusalem as their capital.
4. Worshiped at the temple in Jerusalem.

Hence, the people from the northern kingdom were despised.

Now, with that in mind, we can get into the story. The parable is found in Luke 10, verses 30 to 37. 

Let’s start with Verse 30: ³⁰ Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

This verse needs very little explanation. But being the Sunday School Bible story, preacher, I want to stop here to paint the picture for you. Picture a Jewish man traveling down the road, going to Jericho, and minding his own business. Where I am from, some may say he was living ghetto fabulous. Unprovoked, he was attacked by a group of bandits. He did absolutely nothing to cause these bandits to attack him. I will come back to this when I present the alternative interpretation of the parable.  But he was stripped of his clothes; they beat him up and left him half dead. I don’t know about you, but putting myself in his position, I can imagine that is not a very lovely feeling.

Let’s continue the parable in verse 31: ³¹ “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.

Let’s stop here again. The first person Jesus said came by was a priest. Now, nothing with Jesus is a coincidence. So, he specifically started with a priest. The priest represents religion. Jesus shows that religion, as opposed to a relationship with Jesus, cannot save you. If there were anyone who would have known the law of love, it would have been a priest. By nature of his position, he was expected to show compassion. But he didn’t. Jesus said when he saw him. There is no doubt here. It’s not like we can say maybe he didn’t see him. Jesus said he crossed the road and walked to the other side when he saw him. I am sure that as a priest, he loves people. But love for him wasn’t a word that required action towards others. 

Let’s continue with verse 32: ³² A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

Next, Jesus used a Temple Assistant (A Levite). You would think that if the priest didn’t help him, certainly the temple assistant would help. But the Bible says he came and looked at the injured man, and he also passed by on the other side. But he, too, failed to show compassion to the injured man. Jesus used the Levite to show that following the law cannot save you because no one can keep the law. 

Both the priest and the Levite fall under the definition of a neighbor to the injured man. They were both Jews. But neither of them helped their neighbor.

Let’s read on in verse 33: ³³ “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 

A Samaritan was next to come along. Now, remember that Samaritans were considered a low class of people by the Jews. They were intermarried with non-Jews and did not keep all the laws. Hence, the Jews had nothing to do with them. But Jesus said the Samaritan had compassion for the injured man. 

Let’s see what the Samaritan did next in verse 34: ³⁴ Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 

Look at the difference between the previous two (the priest and the Levite) and the Samaritan. Action. The Samaritan took the following actions:

1. He went over to him.
2. Disinfect the wounds with wine.
3. Soothed his wounds with Olive Oil
4. Bandaged them.
5. Put the man on his donkey.
6. Took him to an inn.
7. Took care of him.

Even then, the Samaritan was not done. Let’s read on in verse 35: ³⁵ The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ Even after doing all that we mentioned in verse 34, the Samaritan continued to take action. He paid the Innkeeper and asked the innkeeper to take good care of the man, and he would pay for any extra expenses on his return trip. To the Samaritan, his neighbor was anyone who was in need. Jesus used a Samaritan to draw a strong contrast between those who knew the law and those who actually followed the law in their lifestyle and conduct.

I want to draw your attention to how many lifestyle areas Jesus addressed in the Samaritan in that short passage. 

1. The Samaritan came over – That shows physical presence.
2. He showed empathy, sympathy, and emotional connection  – That is, compassion.
3. He bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them  – That is medical care.
4. Set him on his animal  – that is transportation.
5. He took him to an inn  – that is shelter.
6. He told the innkeeper to take care of him, and I will pay the bill  – that is financial aid.

What is more important to note is that he was doing this for someone he does not have an association with. Now, it is Jesus’ time to ask the expert a question. Let’s look at verse 36: ³⁶ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

I know I have said this before, but Jesus is such a great storyteller. Jesus could have given him the answer, but he returned the question to him instead. Let’s look at his response in verse 37: 

³⁷ The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

WOW! Look at his reply. He said the one who showed him mercy. He could not even bring himself to say the word Samaritan. His hatred for the Samaritans (his neighbors) was so intense that he couldn’t even properly refer to them. However, I want you to look at Jesus’ instructions to him. Now go and do the same. Jesus told him he should start living what the law tells him to do. This is the second time in this passage that Jesus tells the Scribe to take action. Jesus said, “Do It.” 

Let’s look at those two verses together. I don’t want us to miss this. Luke 10:28 reads: ²⁸ “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

And again in Luke 10:37: ³⁷ The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

The action word here is do. Not know or understand it. But Do it. That message is for us(slide 31), too. Jesus tells us we should follow the Samaritan’s example in our conduct. We are to show compassion and love for those we encounter daily.

We are to love others regardless of their race or religion. The criterion here is “Need.” If they need it and we have the supply, we are to give generously and freely without expectation of return.  Guess what? This is an impossible obligation for the Scribe and us. We cannot always keep the law because of our human condition. Our hearts and desires are mostly of self and selfishness. When left alone, we do the wrong thing and fail to keep the law.

Thus, the lessons of the Parable of the Good Samaritan are three-fold: 

1. We must set aside our prejudice and show love and compassion for others. 
2. Our neighbor is anyone we encounter; we are all creatures of the creator and are to love all humankind as Jesus taught.
3. Keeping the law in its entirety with the intent to save ourselves is an impossible task; we need a savior, and that is Jesus.

I want to share another possible interpretation of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. It is a metaphor. The injured man is all humans in our sinful condition. Satan is the one attacking us and destroying our relationship with God. The scribe is humankind without a proper understanding of God and his word. The priest represents religion. We run the risk of religion becoming mechanical, going through the motions. We know and believe what we should do with no action. Jesus showed how someone can be outwardly religious but inwardly cold and empty. The Levite represents the prejudice instilled in our hearts and the belief that following the law is enough. We think we can earn eternal life by doing all the right things.  Both the Levite and priest, who would have had a reputation of being strong in the Lord, became cold and indifferent to the truth when there was a man beaten on the side of the road. This is a warning for all of us. It is possible to make church a process of going through the motions without giving our heart to Jesus.

The Samaritan is Jesus, who provides the way to spiritual health. The parallel between Jesus and the Samaritan is striking for this interpretation. Jesus provides what we need for our spiritual health. But in the scripture, I don’t think Jesus was talking about himself. So, the best way to interpret the parable of the Good Samaritan is as a lesson on what it means to love our neighbor.

Jesus also used this story to teach us that we must bless our enemies. Yes, even as followers of Jesus, we all have enemies. That is why there are at least 15 verses in the Bible about loving our enemies. How can you bless your enemies?

1. Pray for them.
2. Love and forgive them.
3. Look for ways to demonstrate love in their life.
4. See our enemies for their sacred worth.
5. Live neighborly.

We live in a world where people hardly talk to one another. You will be surprised that even in churches, you can greet someone, and they can look right through you like you are not there. We spend countless hours on our mobile devices. Yet, how often have we received a text message asking a simple question and ignored it? A simple reply is neighborly. We can reply with a yes, no, or I don’t know. But we ignore it. I am sorry; not only is it not neighborly, but it isn’t polite. We can argue that life is not the same today as it was back then. We can justify our actions by claiming we are busy. 

If you remember, in verse 29, the man wanted to justify himself. Jesus used the parable to expose the impossibility of self-justification. This passage is significant for all of us to consider. Haven’t we all passed by someone in need at one point? Needs to which we have been unresponsive. Jesus is showing us that there is no self-justification. 

Remember the original question that the Scribe asked. What must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus used this passage to show that none of us have it covered. So, if you are looking for eternal life, this parable is for you. The parable points to a profound reality. Just like the man who was beaten and left for dead, so were we. We were dead in our trespasses and sins, separated from God. Yet, Jesus, like the Samaritan, whom man rejected, pursued us. He went to the cross for our sins out of love.

So, it is about something other than what we can do to obtain eternal life. To be lifted from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light isn’t about what we do or can do. It is about what He has done in and for us. It is God’s gift to us. So, you may ask, “What must you do to inherit eternal life? Don’t justify yourself; trust the cross because He justifies you.

In closing, the parable of the Good Samaritan challenges us not to know what is right but to live it out actively. Mere knowledge without action is futile. As Christians, we are called not just to understand love but to practice it. Remember twice in that short passage, Jesus said to the Scribe to take action. So, before there was Nike, before there was a slogan, you heard it first from Jesus: Just do it.

God’s Boxes

I have in my hands two boxes,
Which God gave me to hold.
He said, “Put all your sorrows in the black box,
And all your joys into the gold.”

I heeded His words, and in the two boxes
Both my joys and sorrows I stored,
But though the gold became heavier each day,
The black was as light as before.

With curiosity, I opened the black.
I wanted to find out why,
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.

I showed the hole to God and mused,
“I wonder where my sorrows could be?”
He smiled a gentle smile and said,
“My child, they’re here with me.”

I asked God why He gave me the boxes,
Why the gold and the black with the hole?
“My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings.
The black is for you to let go.”

The Dart Test

A young lady named Sally relates an experience she had in a seminary class given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says that Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.

One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day.

On the wall was a big target, and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person’s picture.

Sally’s friend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn’t have a chance to throw any darts at her target. Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.

Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face, and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith said only these words, “In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” Matthew 25:40

No other words were necessary; the tears filled eyes of the students focused only on the picture of Christ.

 The Quilt

– Author Unknown –

I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and all the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened. My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty like binding air.

Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of the truth …The others rose, each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been.

My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise. My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn’t had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness and death, and false accusations that took from me my world as I knew it.

I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I had spent many lonely nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully: each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgemental gaze of those who unfairly judged me.

And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it had been…I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light. An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with eyes opened wide.

Then I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, The Face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with love and warmth in his eyes. He said: “Every time you gave over your life to me, it became my life, my hardships, and my struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let me shine thru, until there was more of me than there was of you.”