Go and Do!

Luke 10:25-37

Key Verse 37b “Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.””

1. Read verses 25-28. What did the expert in the law ask Jesus? (25) What does this question reveal about him? How did Jesus reply to him? (26) What was the expert's answer? (27) How did Jesus respond? (28) What can we learn from Jesus’ answer?

2. Read verses 29-32. Why did the man ask the second question? What does this show about him? In Jesus’ parable, what did the first two do and what did they have in common? (30-32) How do you think they might have justified themselves?

3. Read verses 33-35. What did the Samaritan do when he saw the man? Why? What else did he do the next day and what did he ask the innkeeper in person? Why do you think Jesus chose a Samaritan to be the hero of this story? What can we learn from him?

4. Read verses 36-37. What was Jesus' last question? How did the expert answer? What then did Jesus tell him to do? Who do you think the injured man might be for us? What can we do for them practically?

Go and Do!

Luke 10:25-37

Key Verse 37b “Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.””

Introduction

In today's passage Jesus tells a parable of a good Samaritan. The story of the good Samaritan has had a powerful effect on humankind for it shows the compassionate heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus wanted to strengthen the expert of the Law to do good for the glory of God. May Jesus do the same for us through today’s passage.

1. Read verses 25-28. What did the expert in the law ask Jesus? (25) What does this question reveal about him? How did Jesus reply to him? (26) What was the expert's answer? (27) How did Jesus respond? (28) What can we learn from Jesus’ answer?

1-1, Read verses 25-28.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

1-2, What did the expert in the law ask Jesus? (25)

“Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

1-3, What does this question reveal about him?

• To become an expert in the law was not easy. It required rigorous study from a young age.

• This man must have memorized the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.

• His hard work paid off. Now he was an honorable expert in the law. So he stood up with confidence to test Jesus.

• He does not seem malicious. But he must have been proud of his knowledge, asking Jesus. "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

• There was real substance to his question though. It must have reflected his own desperate struggle.

• God made man to live eternally with him. But the reality is that all people die. This power of death drives people to despair.

• At least, this man was seeking the way of eternal life. The man thought that by "doing something" he could "inherit" eternal life.

• Generally, inheritance is given from love. It is too great to be earned; it is given freely to be received with gratitude.

• When we skim through Genesis 1 and 2, God wanted to give eternal life to humankind as a loving Father to his children.

• In return, he wanted people to be thankful, and to love and serve him joyfully.

• But man forfeited this inheritance due to sin.(Romans 1, Ephesians 2:1) Since then, a sense of lost eternity resides in the souls of men.

• This caused the expert in the law to be very desperate. In his desperation, he wanted to do something to earn eternal life.

• However, eternal life cannot be attained by man's effort. This man needed to turn away from himself and look up to God.

• We can find the similar inquiry in the story of Nicodemus who visited Jesus at night with a desperate question. “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” He wanted to get his despair solved with Jesus’ miracle.

1-4, How did Jesus reply to him? (26)

"'What is written in the Law?' he replied. 'How do you read it?'"

• The Law is the word of God. The word of God is a trustworthy guide to eternal life. Jesus is called as the Word of God. (Revelation 19:13)

• Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6)

John 20:31 reads,

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

• The Bible is God's word. God is the author of life. So the Bible can teach us the way to eternal life.

• Also “How do you read it?” indicates that inheriting the eternal kingdom is hinged upon how you read the word of God.

Luke 24:25-27 read,

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

1-5, What was the expert's answer? (27)

“‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

1-6, How did Jesus respond? (28)

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

1-7, What can we learn from Jesus’ answer?

• Then Jesus touched the man's problem by pointing out, "Do this and you will live."

James 1:22-25 read,

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

• Knowing was not enough. The man needed to do what the law commanded.

• Though he spoke well he had no power to obey it. Though he was willing to do something, he felt powerless before the demands of the law. He could not love God. He did not even know God.

• In fact, knowing the Law did not help him live a better life; rather, it condemned him as a sinner who deserved to die.

• So the law that was intended to give life actually brings death.

• Apostle Paul explained the deeper purpose of the law in Romans 3:20: "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."

• An honest study of the law, applied to our own lives, should lead us to admit that we fall short, the fault is ours, and we are without excuse.

2. Read verses 29-32. Why did the man ask the second question? What does this show about him? In Jesus’ parable, what did the first two do and what did they have in common? (30-32) How do you think they might have justified themselves?

2-1, Read verses 29-32.

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

2-2, Why did the man ask the second question?

"And who is my neighbor?"

2-3, What does this show about him?

• It was time for the expert to surrender before the word of truth. But he did not. He wanted to justify himself.

• Instead of dealing with the major point of loving God, the man diverted the conversation to the secondary(easier) issue of loving his neighbor.

• He figured that he obeyed the first command well enough, but his keeping of the second commandment depended on how you defined neighbor.

• His first and perhaps greatest mistake was in assuming that he had fulfilled the first commandment.

• His second mistake was in thinking that he could fulfil the commandment to love God with all he had and still possibly not fulfil the command to love his neighbor.

1 John 4:20-21 read,

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

• His third mistake was in the way that he wanted to narrowly define neighbor. If only our friends and those who are easy to love are our neighbors, then perhaps this man fulfills it.

• It all depends on how broad the definition is. The Jews in Jesus’ day did believe that you had to love your neighbor; but they also taught that it was a duty before God to hate your enemy.

• To some orthodox Jews, "neighbor" excluded women, children and Gentiles.

• If the man could restrict the definition sufficiently, making the circle of people he had to love small enough, there might be a chance he could live up to this second teaching.

• Though the expert in the law was knowledgeable, he had failed to grasp something very important: the heart of God.

• God gave the law after his amazing grace of deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The people of Israel could live in covenant with him only by God's grace.

• God wanted them to remember this grace and live by this grace. So he commanded them to celebrate the Passover and other feasts.

• God provided the sacrificial system, inviting his people to shed animal blood for the forgiveness and cleansing of their sins.

• Trying to practice the law without the means of grace God provided was futile. No one can earn the right to eternal life by working in their own strength.

• God gives eternal life as a gift to those who trust his love and ask his grace. King David knew this secret.

• Though he had sinned greatly against God, he repented and pleaded for God's mercy. God forgave his sins and gave him eternal life.

• David had assurance of eternal life deep within his soul.

• So he said in Psalm 16:11, "You have made known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

• The expert in the law needed this kind of assurance in his heart. For that, he needed to know the heart of God and the grace of God.

2-4, In Jesus’ parable, what did the first two do and what did they have in common? (30-32)

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.”

• The twenty mile journey from Jerusalem to Jericho is a sharp downhill descent from 2,400 feet above sea level to 1,300 feet below sea level.

• It is a barren desert area and was historically the place for robbers of various kinds. They could rob travelers, and then disappear into the desert. This story was real to the people listening.

• The poor victim was left naked and wounded. He must have felt terribly lonely and sorrowful as he laid on the roadside, left for dead.

• A priest happened to be going down the same road. Perhaps he had just finished his weekly duty in the temple.

• He might even have delivered the Sabbath day message. Then he came upon the dying man.

• He might have thought that touching a dead body would make him ceremonially unclean.

• Or that the danger of robbers was palpable, so it was too dangerous to stop.

• In any case, he passed by on the other side of the road.

• Then a Levite appeared. Levites were temple servants, entrusted with liturgy and music ministry.

• The Levite might have pulled out his guitar and sang, "I'm so sorry for your trouble; life is often so unfair.

• But it may be you deserve it; for the sin I guess you bear." Then he sensed possible danger from robbers, and hurried away

2-5, How do you think they might have justified themselves?

• We may think of all the excuses that they could have used:

• “This road is too dangerous for me to stop and help the man.”

• “He might be a decoy for an ambush.”

• “I’ve got to get to the temple and perform my service for the Lord.”

• “I’ve got to get home and see my family.”

• “Someone really should help that man properly like a licensed physician.”

• “If I’m going to serve at the temple I can’t get my clothes bloody.”

• “I don’t know first aid(how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation: CPR).”

• “It’s a hopeless case.”

• “He never asked for help”

3. Read verses 33-35. What did the Samaritan do when he saw the man? Why? What else did he do the next day and what did he ask the innkeeper in person? Why do you think Jesus chose a Samaritan to be the hero of this story? What can we learn from him?

3-1, Read verses 33-35.

33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

3-2, What did the Samaritan do when he saw the man? Why?

When he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.

• When the Samaritan saw the half-dead man, "he took pity on him." This is another way of saying that he had compassion on the man.

• Compassion means that he put himself in the half dead man's place and felt the same thing he was feeling: pain, the awful loneliness and sorrow.

• This motivated him to help the man at any cost. Compassion made him selfless and sacrificial.

• The Samaritan did not hesitate, thinking about his own safety. All that mattered to him was helping the half-dead man to get well.

• So he went to him boldly. He sacrificed much to help him: using his oil and wine, his own donkey, and spending lavishly.

• Why was the Samaritan so compassionate? It is because he was made in the image of God. He was mirroring God's own compassion on the needy.

• When God revealed himself to Moses, the first thing he said about himself was that he is the "compassionate and gracious God" (Ex 34:6).

• Human beings have the capacity to bear the same compassionate and gracious image.

3-3, What else did he do the next day and what did he ask the innkeeper in person?

The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

• A denarius (or "penny") was what an agricultural worker typically was paid for one day's labor (Mt. 20:2).

• If we assume U.S. minimum wage for 10 hours, that would be $72.50 currently.

• He paid the innkeeper about $150 in advance.

• Compare this with the feeding of the 5,000 men (plus women and children), where the disciples noted that 200 pennyworth (denarii) ($14,500) was insufficient to feed the group (Mk. 6:37; Jn. 6:7).

• He promised to pay any extra expense when he come back.

• He did not have to come back for he did his best already.

• However he wanted to take care of him to the end until he would be healed.

3-4, Why do you think Jesus chose a Samaritan to be the hero of this story?

• Perhaps Jesus made the Samaritan the hero to underscore this point.

• Samaritans were known to be religious pluralists. They had a confused idea of worship. They did not follow the Law of God well.

• Jews looked down on Samaritans as inferior in their spiritual and moral life.

• And yet this Samaritan did a better job of loving his neighbor than the Jewish religious leaders.

• The Samaritan's compassion did not come from the Law, but from the image of God in him.

• By telling the story this way, Jesus illustrates that having God's compassion in one's heart is more important than superior knowledge of the Law.

• How then can we have God's heart of compassion? We must ask God for help. God can take away our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh (Eze 36:26).

• Anyone can have a chance with a new heart by the work of the Holy Spirit.

3-5, What can we learn from him?

• The Samaritan reveals/represents the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Perhaps we can all relate to the half-dead man.

• The power of sin and the devil attacked us, wounding us mortally. We were dead in our transgressions and sins.

• Our souls were full of open sores; we were powerless. The law passed us by, unable to bring healing or life.

• But Jesus did not pass us by. Jesus came down from heaven to help us. Jesus did not condemn us for our wrongs.

• Jesus understood our pain and the anguish of our souls. Jesus came as a tender, understanding friend.

• Jesus was willing to pay the price to heal and restore us.

Isaiah 53:4-5 say,

"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."

• By Jesus' grace we could be healed of all the consequences of sin and become healthy children of God.

• Jesus has also given us the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, care for us, and guide us, until he returns in power and great glory.

• Jesus has poured out his grace upon us in rich abundance to give everything we need to prosper spiritually.

• Jesus' grace is a fountain that flows without ceasing, an inexhaustible supply of the strength we need to love God and others.

Hebrews 4:16 reads,

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

4. Read verses 36-37. What was Jesus' last question? How did the expert answer? What then did Jesus tell him to do? Who do you think the injured man might be for you and me? What can we do for them practically?

4-1, Read verses 36-37.

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

4-2, What was Jesus' last question?

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

4-3, How did the expert answer?

“The one who had mercy on him.”

• He did not even answer as “the Samaritan”, but the one who had mercy on him.

4-4, What then did Jesus tell him to do?

“Go and do likewise.”

• With these words, Jesus urges the man, and all of us, to practice mercy as we seek to follow the Law of God.

• We can practice mercy when we share the compassionate heart of God and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

4-5, Who do you think the injured man might be for us?

4-6, What can we do for them practically?

• College students are our neighbors in the context of our mission.

• They need shepherds. They look fine outwardly: handsome or beautiful, intelligent, and artistic.

• But on the inside many are broken or lonely. Many have no clear identity, and no real truth to stand on. They are insecure, anxious and feel lost.

• They need to know that God loves them and Christ died for them. They need to receive in word and deed through "good Samaritans."

• Then they can find their identity as God's children and his direction for their lives.

• We must not pass by them, but respond to their cry. However, in light of this story, we should expand our neighborhood.

• We should be ready to serve anyone we meet who is in need of God's grace and compassion.

• It may be someone in our workplace, common life, or even a stranger we meet while shopping or traveling.

• It includes those of other nations, like Russia, Muslim countries, North Korea and China.

Conclusion

We thank God for today’s precious teaching through the example of a Samaritan. Let's pray to learn the compassion of God, remember Jesus' grace, and be like good Samaritans in our own generation. May the Lord raise up many shepherds who can take care of young people on college campuses. Amen.

One word; One Samaritan counts!

Who is my neighbor?

Luke 10:25-37

Key Verse 10:37

^“The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

We all know we need to love our neighbors. But we also know to love our neighbors is one of the most challenging thing even among Christians. Statistics shows that the number one reason for missionaries to give up their mission and return from their mission field is ‘broken relationship with other missionaries.’ They fail to love their neighbors, who were other missionaries, and this is the number cause of their return. So today we want to think about ‘who is our neighbor’ and ‘how we can love our neighbor’.

Part I. What must I do to inherit eternal life? (v.25-28)

Part II. Which of these three was a neighbor to the man? (v.29-37)

Part I. What must I do to inherit eternal life? (v.25-28)

Look at verse 25.

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

To the expert in the law Jesus was not the Messiah but a teacher. So he wanted to test the knowledge of Jesus since he was an expert in the law. Then he asked the question, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” It was a difficult question. He did not ask what is the greatest commandment but what he must do to inherit eternal life.

The same question was also raised by one rich young ruler according to other gospels. (Luke chapter 18, and Mark chapter 10) But the rich young ruler did not come to test Jesus. He came to Jesus with the question because he did not know the answer. And he called Jesus, ‘good teacher’. Jesus’ answers for these two people were different.

To the rich young ruler, Jesus said, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” But to the expert in the law Jesus replied. “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”(v.26)

The expert in the law wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life. His question was about ‘doing’. Obviously as an expert in the law he believed that he could inherit the eternal life by obeying the law. Jesus did not tell him about the limitation of obeying the law saying, “well, if you can obey the law that is good. But you cannot obey the whole law all the time. Therefore by obeying the law you cannot inherit eternal life.” But rather Jesus followed his question and said, “What is written in the law. How do you read it?” Jesus did not try to teach him, but he tried to answer his question.

The expert answered in verse 27, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

To love the Lord and love our neighbor are the two most important commandments. They are the essence of all the laws and prophets. But the conditions attached to each one is different. “To love the Lord” comes with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind. But “to love our neighbor” comes with loving our neighbor as ourselves.

The expert in the law answered correctly. So in verse 28 Jesus replied, “You have answered correctly,”  “Do this and you will live.”

It is true that the expert in the law would inherit eternal life if he loves the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his strength and with all his mind and loves his neighbor as himself. So Jesus plainly said, “Do this and you will live.”

Part II. Which of these three was a neighbor to the man? (v.29-37)

Verse 29 reads, ^“But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

The expert in the law was confident that he loved the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind. But he had a little question about loving his neighbor as himself because the law did not define who was his neighbor. However, he wanted to justify himself as one who loves his neighbor as himself. So he asked the question, “Who is my neighbor?”

Then Jesus told him a story. Look at verses 30-35.

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

The story is very simple. One man met robbers on his way to Jericho from Jerusalem. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him, went away, leaving him half dead. The robbers did not care whether the man would live or not. They did not need to beat him to half dead in order to steal him, but they did not care. They were very violent. Then a priest happened to go down the same road, and when he saw the man he passed by on the other side. So did a Levite. When he came to the place and saw him he passed by on the other side. Priest and Levite are supposed to care people the most because their calling from God is to take care of people. But somehow both of them could not do so. Both the priest and the Levite knew the needs of the man who was dying there, but they had other pressing concerns or inner limitation that they could not help him out.

But a Samaritan man was different. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

His help is described here in very detail. First he took pity on the man when he saw him. The priest and Levite did not take pity on him when they saw him. But the Samaritan man took pity on him when he saw him. That is the main difference. “To take pity on someone’ means ‘to feel sorry for him and share his pain”.

Then he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. That was not it. ³⁵ Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. When he put the man on his own donkey he had to walk by himself. It could be labor if the distance to the inn was far away. Obviously he could not help him the next day because he had other things to take care of. When he could not stay there anymore, he could have said to the innkeeper. “Hey, I found the man dying on the road. I did all I could do so far. But I need to go away for my business. So can you take care of him? If not, can you contact synagogue ruler or someone who can take care of him? I am sorry.”

But the Samaritan sought the innkeeper’s help on his own expense. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

In Jesus’ time, one denarius was a small silver coin, and it was equivalent for the daily wage for an unskilled laborer. So it could be equivalent between $50 to $100 if we think about the price of asking one laborer to work for a whole day. Sometimes we need someone in front of Home Depot. Two denarii means the expense of the two days’ labor of a man. The Samaritan man was willing to pay all the cost involved in helping the man. Was the Samaritan rich? Probably not. But he was willing to pay any extra expense to help him.

Then Jesus asked the question. ³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (v.36-37)

The expert in the law was so compelled to say, “The one who had mercy on him”. His intention to test Jesus was gone while he was listening to the story. Without realizing what he was saying he replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” That was what the expert in the law was seeking. He wanted to know what he must do to inherit internal life, and Jesus told him, ‘go and do likewise.’

“Who is my neighbor?”

According to Jesus’ story, who is one’s neighbor is determined by two things. First, it is not determined by one but by one’s neighbor. The expert in the law asked, “who is my neighbor?” But Jesus asked, “who is a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” To the priest and Levite, the man who fell into the hands of robbers was not their neighbor. So they could justify themselves in heart, saying “Oh, I love my neighbor as myself. And the man lying on the road is not my neighbor. I did not know him, and I was so busy. I am sure that somebody must have called 911 or police and could have taken care of him.” But Jesus’ question was not ‘who was the neighbor of the priest or the Levite?” It was ‘who was the neighbor to the man?” Jesus taught that we should understand the definition of our neighbor from the view point of our neighbor rather than that of us.

The second thing that determines ‘who is one’s neighbor’ is ‘mercy’. The expert in the law replied ‘the one who had mercy on him’. The priest and the Levite did not take pity on the man. But the Samaritan man had mercy on him, and indeed he was the neighbor to the man.

How can we love our neighbor?

We can love our neighbor by remembering two things.

First, we can love our neighbor by remembering how we were treated by Jesus, and knowing that we are so precious toward each other.

Figuratively speaking, the Samaritan man represents Jesus because he saw things from our point of view of us and had mercy on us. When we were suffering from our sin he saw our pain and agony from our point of view. Then he had great mercy on us. He took our pain and suffering on himself on the cross because of his great mercy on us.

The man who fell into the hands of robbers can refer to all men. The robbers could be symbol of the devil and its subjects. We are all like the man who fell into the hands of robbers. Without realizing it we all fell into their hands, and we were beaten and wounded and left half dead on the road. And many times we are left alone. It is only a matter of time for us to die in loneliness. If it were not the mercy of Christ we would have all been dead by now.

But Christ came to us and bandaged our wounds pouring on oil and wine. The “oil and wine” could be the symbol of the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ blood. Our wounds by our sin can only be healed by the blood of Jesus and his Spirit.

Then, he put us on his own donkey and brought us into an inn and took care of us. When he could not stay with us any longer he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying “Look after him” “when I return I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.” This is what Jesus did practically in our lives. How did he do so? By sending our bible teachers and shepherds. Jesus used them because they were his own people, the people whom he called as his own. Although his people are not perfect at all they still represent Jesus because Jesus gave them his mercy in their hearts. They took care of us even at the cost which is beyond their own ability. They have mercy on us not because we deserve but because Jesus put his mercy in their hearts. Indeed they are our good neighbors, representing Jesus who is our true neighbor.

Who are our neighbors? Look around you. They are your bible students, bible teachers, your brothers and sisters in the church, your children, your parents, and your wives and husbands. Are they our neighbors? Yes! They are our neighbors.

How then can we love our neighbors? How then can we have mercy on them? By remembering how Jesus treated us and knowing how precious we are toward each other. When we remember how Jesus treated us in his mercy, we realize that we are all brothers and sisters in the Lord. We call God as ‘our heavenly Father’, and indeed we are all brothers and sisters. What does it mean we are brothers and sisters in the Lord? It means we love each other. And we must believe that we love each other. Why? Why should we believe that we love each other? It is because we cannot see the love of our neighbors if we do not believe it!

Do you feel that your neighbor love you when they speak well of you and you feel that they hate you when they speak ill of you? If we feel that way, that is the main reason why we could not love our neighbors. We could not love them because we were not confident of their love for us. We could not love them because we did not know how precious we were to them, and they were to us. So when they speak well of us, we feel that they love us, and when they speak ill of us, we feel that they hate us.

That is the very reason why loving our neighbor became so challenging. But remember how Jesus treated us. When we remember how Jesus treated us in his mercy, we realize we are all precious to him. Therefore we are all precious toward each other. Think about it! Who joined us together in this church? Did you choose your bible students or your bible teachers, your sons and daughters, most of all your brothers and sisters in the Lord? No, you did not choose. It is God who joined us together. Think about it! No one can replace each other in our lives in a given situation, time, and place. That is why we are precious to each other. Not only it is God who chose us to live together, but also it is God who poured his own love for us in our hearts that we can love one another. Look at

Romans 5:2b-5

And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

So we love one another. We have mercy on each other. Do you believe this? We need to believe because we cannot see it if we do not believe. When we doubt our love toward each other we sin. When Adam and Even doubted the love of God in the Garden of Eden, they sinned.

When we know we are so precious toward each other, and we love each other regardless of our careless words and deeds, we can love each other. We can love our neighbors. Most of all, we must remember Jesus left our neighbors under our care.

Secondly, we can love our neighbors by remembering that Jesus will reimburse us for any extra expense in the course of helping our neighbors when he returns.

When the Samaritan man says, “and when I return I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have” he reminds us of Jesus who will return again, and at that time he will reimburse all of our extra expense in the course of helping our neighbors. Sometimes we may feel that our cost is too much or beyond what we can bear in order to help our neighbors. But the bible reveals that when Jesus returns again he will reimburse us for any extra expense we may have. What a wonderful truth it is! So we should not worry about our extra expense toward our neighbors.

In conclusion, our neighbors are those who need our help, and we can become neighbors when we have mercy on them. We can love our neighbors when we remember how we were treated by Jesus, and how we are precious toward each other. We must remember that we love one another in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. We can love our neighbors by remembering that Jesus will reimburse us for any extra expense we may have in the course of helping our neighbors.

One word: who is my neighbor?