October 25
Luke 10 -- 11
Jesus prayed: I thank You, O Father . . . that You have hid these things from the wise. . . . All things are delivered to Me of My Father (Luke 10:21-22). Following this, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Him (10:25). A lawyer was known also as a scribe; they were the professional interpreters of the Mosaic Law as well as the traditions.
This lawyer said to Jesus: Master, what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life? And He said unto him, What is written in the Law? He said: You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself. And He said unto him, You have answered right: this do, and you shall live (10:25-28; Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). Obviously he felt convicted and willing to justify himself, he said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? (Luke 10:29).
And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who wounded him . . . leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite . . . came and looked on him, and passed by. . . . But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him . . . bound up his wounds . . . and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. . . . Which now of these three, do you think, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus . . . Go, and do likewise (10:30-37).
It is possible that the priest and the Levite, the official guardians and ministers of the Temple, were on their way to the Temple to perform their religious duties. To stop and help this dying man could have made them late for their service, or would defile them and thus disqualify them from their worship that day.
However, the Samaritan that had compassion on him wasnt looking for excuses as to whether he was worthy or deserving of being helped or how he could avoid helping this poor sufferer. Instead, he recognized him as a brother in distress.
If youre in trouble, you never wonder if you are worthy of being helped. The Good Samaritan is not limited to rules and regulations.
My neighbor is anyone who needs help and whom I have the opportunity to help in an unselfish way, no matter what his position, race, or religion may be. We are simply to love one another as God loves us. Once we recognize this great, central truth in life, we will respond like the Good Samaritan since whatever is mine belongs to God, and whatever belongs to God should be shared with my neighbor because my neighbor also belongs to God.
All of us need to be reminded of our Lord's answer to the lawyer who asked the question: What shall I do to inherit Eternal Life? (10:25). Jesus reminded him that evidence of Eternal Life is loving God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself (10:27).
Cross References:
For Luke 10:27: See Lev. 19:18; Deut. 6:5. Luke 10:28: See Lev. 18:5.
Pray for Rev. & Mrs. Mike Hall, Directors, Washington DC Bible Reading Marathon · Pray for the Bible Pathway International Radio broadcast sponsored by Ruth N. Fossum · Country: Ghana (18 million) in western Africa · Major languages: English and African languages · The government permits freedom to churches and missionaries that do not get involved in politics · 31% belief in spirits and witches; 22% Protestant; 17% Muslim; 11% Roman Catholic · Prayer Suggestion: Pray that your life will be a good testimony to others, even when faced with opposition (I Peter 2:12).
Memory Verse for the Week:
Hebrews 3:14