Bible Study - Questions Jesus Asked - Indifference or Compassionate Action? - Luke 10 - March 17, 2013

Bible Study – Questions Jesus Asked – Indifference or Compassionate Action? – March 17, 2013

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled “Questions Jesus Asked.”

Our scripture is Luke 10:25-37

Be careful what you ask because you might get an answer you do not want to hear. Let’s explore!!!

Let’s read Luke 10:25-29:

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

 25 Just then an expert in the law stood up to test Him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the law?” He asked him. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered: 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. 28 “You’ve answered correctly,” He told him. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

JESUS was teaching when an expert in the law, a lawyer, asked HIM a question to test HIM. The experts in the law were Jewish scribes. Some scribes were also Pharisees. In last week’s lesson, the Pharisees and scribes went out to where JESUS was teaching to ask HIM questions. Our scripture states, the lawyer’s question was intended to test JESUS. The lawyer felt comfortable asking this question because he believed he had his life together Spiritually. As in last week’s lesson, the lawyer’s question provided a teaching opportunity for JESUS to minister to the lawyer and to those listening.

The lawyer addressed JESUS as “Teacher.” Teacher was an appropriate title for JESUS because HE did not have formal training as did the Jewish religious leaders. JESUS taught crowds and had disciples who were following and being trained by HIM.

The lawyer’s question was excellent, “What must “I do” to inherit eternal life?” The common belief was that a person had to live such that GOD would consider him/her righteous enough to get to heaven. Some believed that being a Jew meant he/she would go to heaven. The Pharisees believed in life after death but the Sadducees did not. The use of the word “inherit” carried the idea of being a member of a family. Thus being a Jew was a member of GOD’S chosen. The lawyer wanted to know, “What must “I do” to inherit eternal life?” Or what one thing can I do to secure eternal life?

Since this man was a lawyer/scribe, JESUS tossed the question back to him by asking him two questions. “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” Or what is your interpretation and understanding of the law regarding eternal life? Establishing a baseline for one’s belief is often an important starting point. It helps to zero in on the area that needs to be addressed. We see this as JESUS leads the lawyer to the area where he needed help.

The lawyer recites part of the scripture known as the “Shema” (shuh MAH) which is the first word of the Hebrew text found in Deuteronomy 6:3. Shema means to “listen” or “hear.” The lawyer recited Deuteronomy 6:5:

5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  

The lawyer also quoted Leviticus 19:18:

18 Do not take revengee Dt 32:35; Pr 20:22; Rm 12:17,19; Heb 10:30; Rv 19:2 or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself;f Pr 17:17; Mt 5:43; 22:39; Mk 12:31; Lk 10:27; Rm 13:9; Gl 5:14; Jms 2:8 I am Yahweh.

Bible scholars refer to Leviticus 19 as the Holiness Code because it states the behavior GOD expects from HIS people, before CHRIST.

JESUS acknowledged that the lawyer had given the right answer. He had the right answer but what was missing? He needed to put into action what he already knew! Isn’t that the problem with many Christians today? We know what GOD expects but fail to put into action what we know. Christians cannot obediently serve our LORD without the leadership, guidance, enlightenment and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. There is more to be done than one person can ever do. The Holy Spirit brings order and priority to that which GOD wants accomplished, according to HIS will and purpose through HIS children.

The lawyer asked a follow-up question to justify himself, “And who is my neighbor?” The lawyer likely felt good that JESUS had acknowledged that he gave the right answer. He wanted to continue the academic discussion. He knew that he should love his neighbor as himself but who would JESUS define as a neighbor? Jews often defined fellow Jews or fellow Jews of the same religious level e.g., Pharisee or scribe as their neighbor. But the real question the lawyer was asking was, “Define my neighbor so I can love and focus on only those who count.” He did not want to waste his time and effort on those who did not qualify as his neighbor. JESUS knew what was in his heart so JESUS gave him a realistic example or parable of who qualified as his neighbor. Be careful what you ask, you might get the answer you don’t expect.

Let’s read Luke 10:30-32:  (The parable or even possibly a real story regarding a Good Samaritan. The story JESUS told could have actually happened because robbers lived in the mountains where the road ran. In fact, people often traveled along that road in pairs or groups to discourage would be robbers.)

30 Jesus took up the question and said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Jerusalem is about 2,500 feet above sea level and Jericho is about 800 feet below sea level. So this man was going down. JESUS did not identify the nationality of the man but he could have been a fellow Jew since he was coming from Jerusalem. There were hiding places along the road where would be robbers could wait and attack an unsuspecting person. This happened to the man in the story JESUS told. The man was attacked, brutally beaten, stripped of his clothes, robbed and left half dead.

A priest just happened to be going down that same road. He saw the man, chose to move to the other side of the road and passed by without helping the man. JESUS did not fill in details because they were not needed. There is speculation that the priest had been serving as priest in the temple and was likely going home. The priest did not want to defile himself by coming in contact with a person who might die. If a priest touched a dead body he was ceremonially defiled for 7 days. The fact that the priest was going down the road likely indicated that he had completed his appointed time to serve in the temple and was going home. If that was the case, then he could have stopped to help the man without jeopardizing his priestly duties. The point being, the priest saw the need but passed by. 

Then a Levite was traveling down the same road. A Levite helped the priests. He saw the man. He looked at the man and also moved to the other side of the road and passed by without helping this hurt man. The Levite did not have the same restrictions as the priest. He could have stopped but chose not.

Both the priest and the Levite were responsible for leading in the worship of GOD.  Yet both failed to practice being a loving neighbor to this hurt man.

Let’s read Luke 10:33-37:

33 But a •Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. 34 He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two •denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.

It happens that a Samaritan came along the same road. JESUS does not say if the Samaritan was going up the road or down the road. It does not matter. Why did JESUS choose a Samaritan to be the person to stop? The Jews despised the Samaritans because they considered Samaritans as half-breeds. They were Jews who had intermarried with non-Jews. Jews would go out of their way to avoid stepping a foot on Samaritan soil.

This despised Samaritan came along, saw the hurt man, and went over to him. This was a risk because robbers often used a hurt person as a decoy so they could lure others over to help the hurt person to rob them. The Samaritan ministered to the hurt man. He showed compassion. He might have thought but for the grace of GOD, that hurt person could be me. Something like that may have happened to him or to someone he knew. He could put himself in the hurt man’s place.

He bandaged his wounds, poured oil and wine on them, which was standard treatment for wounds in that day. He didn’t stop there. He placed the man on his animal and walked along beside him until they reached an Inn. He apparently stayed with the man through the night because JESUS stated that he left the next day. Further, he went the extra mile because he paid 2 denarii (2 silver coins) to take care of the man until he was able to function on his own.  A typical day’s wage for a working person was one denarii.  He told the innkeeper to take care of the man and, if more was needed, he would pay him more money when he returned. It is likely that the Samaritan had stayed in the Inn before and knew the innkeeper.

JESUS then asked the lawyer to answer the question, “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” JESUS framed the question such that the lawyer had to identify whose neighbor he could be. When truth is revealed it is always better when we see it rather than being told.

The lawyers answer was, “The one who showed mercy to him.”

Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.” Every fellow human is your neighbor. GOD does not play favorites.

I think the lawyer’s answer gives us a clue that the priest and the Levite were available to minister to the hurt man because the lawyer did not make an issue of their inability to minister to do so.

This message is as relevant to Christians today as the day JESUS spoke it. Who is our neighbor? Christians must not define who they consider to be their neighbor. When we do, we will miss the opportunity of obedient service. What is our attitude toward others – Indifference or Compassionate Action?” Discernment is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Pray for discernment when you encounter situations in life. Blessings!!!