“A Parable on Loving God AND Neighbor”

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Our parable today begins with these words – “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.” One occasion? This was just one of many times - they were constantly testing Jesus! These experts – the Pharisees – were, indeed, experts in the law, as well they should be. They, and their predecessors had taken the Law that the Lord handed down to Moses at Sinai, and had expanded it with their personal thoughts and details until it was nearly unrecognizable!

And at every opportunity, they challenged Jesus as to why he was so intent on changing everything that they had come to depend upon for over a thousand years. But their dependency was on their own interpretation of what God wanted from them, and not on God’s desire itself. And their test today would be oriented toward their understanding of the law, with the intent being whether Jesus would acknowledge their authority in this matter, or if he would continue on his rampage against their truths.

But as we know so well, Jesus was never tied to their agenda!

Read Luke 10:25-28

And the test question is this – “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” In Matthew and Mark’s gospels, the question is regarding the greatest commandment, but this one is more to the point – in that, the Pharisees believed that strict adherence to the law was required if you desired to live eternally. And Jesus plays to the legalist’s perspective by saying – “You know. What does the law say?” And the Pharisee bites when he responds with the two greatest commandments in all of Israel – Love the Lord your God with every ounce of your being, and love your neighbor as you would be loved.

For Israel, every commandment was founded on these two. As a matter of fact, the first – Loving the Lord their God – was so important that they were called to literally tie those words to their hands and foreheads, and to write them on the doorposts of their homes and on the gates into their property. They were to love these words to the point that they would teach them to their children, and discuss them with others wherever they were. (Deuteronomy 6:3-9) Nothing was to be withheld from their God.

The Pharisee knew the written law, but did he truly know the truth behind it? Did he know and live the depth of love that God deserved from him? Did he show that love to others? Did he love his neighbor as completely as he wanted to be loved? Did he understand that loving God and loving neighbor were interrelated? Did he know that “love” was more than simple adherence to some legalistic concept or demand?

Read Luke 10:29-35

For Israel, much of the law was about how the people related to others – Jews to Jews, Jews to Gentiles, Jews to Samaritans, men to women, the people to the priests and vice versa. It was all about individual and unique boundaries for each category. But what about their relationship with God? Notice that the parable, at first glance, is all about human relationships, and doesn’t specifically address our relationship with Almighty God. So let’s take a look at both the depth and the shallowness of love that becomes evident in this story, and how it may define the need to love the Lord.

1 – the “Victim” - an unidentified, non-specific, unfortunate and innocent man who falls among thieves, and who is stripped of any love that he may have left home with that morning.
2 – the “religious” officials – a priest on an undefined mission, and a Levite, who is also journeying to an unknown destination. These two should be the epitome of love for the people, but instead, even though they see the dying man and recognize his great need, intentionally avoid even coming in contact with him, and leave him to his dying.
3 – An “outcast”, a “sinner”, a “racially mixed” and “unclean” man who, as far as Israel was concerned, was about as worthless as anyone could possibly be. This was a man who was not only unloved by his countrymen, but was actually hated for who he was.

Jesus, in his usual mode of turning the tables on normalcy, upsets all of the expectations that the Pharisees had as he began the story. The Victim not only doesn’t die, he also receives one of the greatest gifts of love. The Religious Men are shown to be uncaring scoundrels. And the Outcast become the hero and the Loving Neighbor in the parable. Preconceived notions, traditional stereotypes, and personal boundaries have all been smashed – all in the name of true neighborly ways.

The Samaritan did everything that the righteous men didn’t do. He saw the man, and stopped to help him, putting his own plans and destination on hold. He cleaned and bandaged his wounds. He lifted the bloody man onto his own donkey, and took him to a nearby inn. And while this could be seen as meeting all expectations, it didn’t end here. The man, even though he may have had pressing business elsewhere, remained with the injured man all night long, caring for him and making sure that he was going to survive. And even this wasn’t enough – the next morning, he paid for the night, and gave the innkeeper money to pay for the man’s care until he was able to continue on toward Jericho, and he even offers to pay more if the innkeeper’s expenses are greater to get the man back on his feet!

The Samaritan places no expectations and few responsibilities on the owner of the inn except to ensure that the man is cared for. He places no condemnation on the righteous leaders who failed in their duty to care for those in need. And he refused to surrender to the prevailing attitudes among the Jews regarding Samaritans and Gentiles. He didn’t even seek recognition for the great service he had performed to the wounded man. He simply did what the Lord led him to know was right.

Ephesians 3:16-19 – (excerpt) – “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ”
The Samaritan had a firm grasp on that incredible love.

Read Luke 10:36-37

Jesus, again, turns the intent back onto the Pharisee. “Which of the three do you think was the neighbor..?” What could the lawyer say? There was only one possible choice, and the other two couldn’t even be considered as runners up! But the man was a Samaritan, unworthy of any credit and honor! So he simply replies that it was the man who “showed mercy”.

And this is the very definition of a neighbor – they show unqualified, unlimited, unrestricted mercy to all - ALL. And this is what faith in Christ demands. And this is the relationship that the Lord wanted Israel to accept - one that was based in faith, and not just in legalistically based actions.

In a recent open letter to a TV evangelist, Greg Garrett – an author, professor, and Episcopal pastor - described this very issue to a “T”. He wrote:

You and other prosperity gospel preachers advance a vision of God that is transactional: if you do this, then God will do that. He has to, in fact. Because a verse here or there in the Bible says so, however little it reflects God's actual redemptive work in the world.

And I'm here to tell you, sir, in the same language I use with anyone who imagines we can be in a transactional relationship with God, that this isn't what Christian faith is. Praying the right prayer often enough to get what you want, believing really hard in Jesus to get what you want are not true to the Christian story, or to logic. To imagine that you, or your followers, or the person out in the bookstore or TV land who is exposed to your message somehow influences the God of the Universe, the Creator of All That Is, by his or her personal actions is not belief in God.

[This is simply a] belief in magic. Put your hands together, say a few faithful words and the Universe will give you what you ask.

--Greg Garrett, "An open letter to Joel Osteen," Patheos.com, June 1, 2011. patheos.com. Retrieved December 14, 2016.

Live faith, not acts. Live in Jesus’ way, not in the law’s. Live in loving mercy, not out of self-justification.

“Go and do likewise.”, and both God AND your neighbor will know your love.