“Then Jesus answered and said: ‘ “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘ “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.” ‘ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” ‘ And he said, ‘ “He who showed mercy on him.” ‘ Then Jesus said to him, ‘ “Go and do likewise” ‘ ” ‘ ” ‘ ” ‘ “(Luke 10:30-37).
My Father and my God, hallowed be Your name. Thank You for Your Word that helps to keep us faithful in doing Your will. Thank You for the Gift of the Holy Spirit who will convict and convince us, and “lead [us] into all truth. May we be willing to be obedient to Your leading in our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ we claim these mercies. Amen.
Today is our third devotional in the Gospel according to Dr. Luke. This parable of Jesus in answering the lawyers inquiry about, Who is my neighbor?” must have been of special interest to Luke, as a physician. He knew just how crucial it can be for a patient to be attended immediately after he or she has been injured. It can be a matter of life or death, depending on how severe was the damage he or she sustained.
Jesus took full advantage of the situation to highlight the importance of LOVE in everything we do as “Neighbors.”
After all, that is where the conversation began: “And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, ‘ “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” ‘ He said to him, ‘ “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” ‘ So he answered and said, ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ “ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” And He said to him, ‘ “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” ‘ ” ‘ ” ‘ ” ‘ ” ‘ ” (vv. 25-28, emphasis supplied).
Can you imagine two religious leaders putting ritual, before mercy? Well, that is exactly what these two religious leaders did! Could it be that they had forgotten the words of the prophet Hosea, who speaking in the name of the Lord declared:
“For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” Hosea 6:6). Running to church to fulfill their religious duties, to a God who they obviously did not know!
Into what group could we put these two individuals in Jesus’ parable of the sheep and goats? It seems that even in these two groups they are misfits!
The sheep were so motivated by love, that their deeds were done so naturally, that the Master had to remind them that they had done these good deeds!
The goats were so spiritually blind that they did not even see that there was a need!
These two religious leaders were so void of love, that even though they saw the need, they did nothing about it.
Nevertheless, these are some of the things that they were very good at:
“Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” . . . . Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death” (John 11:47, 53, emphasis supplied).
Stopping to possibly save a life, would defile them outwardly. But plotting to end a life was a sign that they were already defiled inwardly,
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man” (Mark 7:21-23, emphasis supplied).
We wonder how, on the final day, when all cases have been reviewed, judged, and decided, people doing “good deeds” will be lost? I am glad you asked. Let the Judge of all the earth answer us from His Word:
” ‘ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’ ” ‘ ” (Matthew 7:21-23, emphasis supplied)!
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3, emphasis supplied).
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, emphais supplied).
We learn to love by knowing God, not merely having a knowledge of Him.
Jesus came to earth and modeled how a Good Neighbor behaves. And now He says to each of us, Go and do likewise, and you will live!