WEBVTT 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:07.000 Today, Tobin teaches from Luke chapter 10, verses 25 to 37, the story of the Good Samaritan, 00:00:07.419 --> 00:00:09.900 and addresses the question, who is my neighbor? 00:00:10.700 --> 00:00:14.640 As we continue to prepare our hearts, please join me in this reading found on the screens above. 00:00:15.720 --> 00:00:19.480 Holy God, we thank you for the promise of renewal that Christ brings. 00:00:20.359 --> 00:00:24.339 Lord, our hearts are heavy for the broken lives and hurting homes of Hong Kong. 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:29.760 Through the mediating blood of our merciful Savior, Jesus, hear our cries. 00:00:30.420 --> 00:00:34.640 For the poor and homeless of our city, Lord, extend your mercy. 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:40.079 For the lonely and forgotten of our city, Lord, extend your love. 00:00:40.579 --> 00:00:45.159 For the abused and the oppressed of our city, Lord, extend your justice. 00:00:46.100 --> 00:00:50.780 For those that do not know the good news of the gospel, Lord, make yourself known. 00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:55.340 For our neighbors, those we work with, those we see every day, 00:00:56.120 --> 00:00:59.859 Lord, open our eyes to see the people you've put in our path. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:05.560 May your justice roll like a river and your righteousness like a never-ending stream. 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:08.980 Help us to love you and to love our neighbors. 00:01:09.480 --> 00:01:12.879 In the name of Jesus Christ, heal our broken city. 00:01:13.460 --> 00:01:13.680 Amen. 00:01:14.219 --> 00:01:15.060 Please be seated. 00:01:15.060 --> 00:01:20.920 Today's scripture reading comes from the gospel of Luke, chapter 10. 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:23.260 Please follow along in your bulletin. 00:01:23.260 --> 00:01:28.920 And the lawyer stood up and put him to the test, saying, 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:32.060 Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 00:01:32.660 --> 00:01:35.100 And he said to him, What is written in the law? 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:36.480 How does it read to you? 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:43.079 And he answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:47.280 and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:50.140 And he said to him, You have answered correctly. 00:01:50.579 --> 00:01:52.000 Do this and you will live. 00:01:53.460 --> 00:01:57.560 But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 00:01:57.560 --> 00:02:05.960 Jesus replied and said, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers. 00:02:06.520 --> 00:02:10.920 And they stripped him and beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 00:02:11.860 --> 00:02:14.800 And by chance, a priest was going down on that road. 00:02:15.219 --> 00:02:18.480 And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 00:02:19.219 --> 00:02:25.060 Likewise, a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 00:02:25.060 --> 00:02:30.500 But a Samaritan who was on a journey came upon him. 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:37.000 And when he saw him, he felt compassion and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, 00:02:37.460 --> 00:02:39.340 pouring oil and wine on them. 00:02:39.879 --> 00:02:46.620 And he put him in his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 00:02:47.219 --> 00:02:51.420 On the next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, 00:02:51.580 --> 00:02:52.360 Take care of him. 00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:56.200 And whatever more you spend, when I return, I will repay you. 00:02:57.180 --> 00:03:01.940 Which of these three do you think proved to be the neighbor to the man who fell into the robber's hands? 00:03:02.980 --> 00:03:06.020 And he said, The one who showed mercy toward him. 00:03:06.480 --> 00:03:09.300 Then Jesus said to him, Go and do the same. 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:11.180 This is God's word. 00:03:14.380 --> 00:03:14.900 Amen. 00:03:17.100 --> 00:03:17.940 Thanks, guys. 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:19.220 Worship was great. 00:03:19.219 --> 00:03:21.900 How you guys doing? 00:03:23.580 --> 00:03:23.939 Good. 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:24.379 Great. 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:25.000 That's great. 00:03:25.620 --> 00:03:28.740 You know, this has been a crazy week for our family. 00:03:30.199 --> 00:03:36.919 Tuesday night, I was awakened to the thing that no parent wants to be awakened to. 00:03:38.060 --> 00:03:41.479 Your little five-year-old standing beside your bed saying, 00:03:42.620 --> 00:03:46.060 Dad, Mom, I think I'm about to get sick. 00:03:46.060 --> 00:03:48.659 What happens next? 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:54.259 You turn up and right on you. 00:03:54.500 --> 00:03:55.560 And you're like, No. 00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:57.280 Don't tell us. 00:03:57.939 --> 00:03:59.599 Go to the bathroom and do it. 00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:00.140 Please. 00:04:01.080 --> 00:04:03.920 Which began a journey for us as a family this whole week. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:07.280 We've all been sick with some kind of stomach flu or something going on. 00:04:07.659 --> 00:04:09.400 First we thought it was some kind of food poisoning. 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:10.860 Then we said, Okay, maybe it's a flu. 00:04:10.860 --> 00:04:13.140 Or we find out that everybody else has had flu. 00:04:13.260 --> 00:04:15.460 And I've had it for the last couple days. 00:04:15.600 --> 00:04:17.360 And I've been fighting Christina for the bathroom. 00:04:18.259 --> 00:04:22.280 And even this morning, Kip goes, You think you're going to throw up when you preach? 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:24.639 And I'm like, I don't know. 00:04:24.699 --> 00:04:25.840 He goes, That would be really cool. 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:29.400 So the mind of a nine-year-old, right? 00:04:30.100 --> 00:04:33.400 So you can pray for us and pray for me as we bring God's word today. 00:04:33.399 --> 00:04:35.819 And we are on a journey. 00:04:35.959 --> 00:04:36.620 We're on a journey. 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:39.759 And we're looking at the book of Luke. 00:04:39.899 --> 00:04:42.219 We're in chapter 10. 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:49.379 And we're about to come to this point where Jesus encounters some very smart and intelligent 00:04:49.379 --> 00:04:52.719 and wise people in his world. 00:04:53.219 --> 00:04:59.199 And you're going to realize really quickly that being wise and intelligent and smart 00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:06.659 and well-connected and popular have very little to do with getting life right or correct. 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:11.439 I think some of you probably already know that, that some of the smartest people you know 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:16.379 or some of the most popular people you know don't really get it when it comes to life. 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:22.860 And Jesus is going to approach these people who are the leaders of his culture. 00:05:22.860 --> 00:05:29.699 And he's going to talk to them about what it means to walk with God and what it means to live with God. 00:05:30.180 --> 00:05:36.960 And he's trying to persuade and encourage these brilliant people, the most learned of the gospel. 00:05:38.139 --> 00:05:42.580 When I thought of this, I was reminded of a story I'd heard a long time ago of four people. 00:05:42.780 --> 00:05:46.080 They were going on a fishing trip to Alaska, and they were getting in a little airplane. 00:05:47.139 --> 00:05:52.840 It was an NBA star, a guy who had won a Nobel Prize as a physicist, a granddad. 00:05:52.860 --> 00:05:54.439 Taking his eight-year-old grandson. 00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:59.960 And so they were on this little puddle jumper airplane flying to the fishing location. 00:06:01.300 --> 00:06:03.780 And about halfway through, the airplane started to shake and shimmy, 00:06:04.199 --> 00:06:07.939 and the pilot came out, and he said, we're not going to make it. 00:06:08.600 --> 00:06:11.660 And he grabbed the parachute, and he jumped out, and he said, save yourselves. 00:06:12.939 --> 00:06:15.620 Well, the four passengers stood up, and they looked at each other. 00:06:16.980 --> 00:06:18.460 There was only three parachutes. 00:06:19.460 --> 00:06:20.379 What did they do? 00:06:21.300 --> 00:06:27.319 The NBA player, the basketball player, stood up, and he goes, I'm the greatest athlete in the world. 00:06:28.180 --> 00:06:29.939 The world needs great athletes. 00:06:30.779 --> 00:06:32.719 And so he grabbed the parachute, and he jumped out. 00:06:34.019 --> 00:06:38.000 The three are looking at each other, and also the Nobel physicist stood up, 00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:41.379 and he goes, I am the smartest man in the world. 00:06:42.199 --> 00:06:44.759 The world needs smart people. 00:06:44.759 --> 00:06:47.699 And he grabbed the bag, and he jumped out. 00:06:48.779 --> 00:06:53.060 Well, there's only one parachute, and granddad and grandson together. 00:06:54.180 --> 00:06:55.219 And the granddad thought about it. 00:06:55.259 --> 00:07:00.439 He said, son, I've lived a long and fruitful life, and you're just beginning your life. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:02.420 Why don't you take the parachute? 00:07:02.420 --> 00:07:08.020 And the son looked at the granddad and said, dad, I don't think we need to worry, 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:11.939 because the smartest man in the world just jumped out with my backpack. 00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:17.259 You think about that. 00:07:17.300 --> 00:07:17.699 You get it? 00:07:17.779 --> 00:07:18.040 Get it? 00:07:18.100 --> 00:07:18.360 Get it? 00:07:18.839 --> 00:07:23.660 You think about that sometimes, because sometimes having intelligence and knowing what to do 00:07:23.660 --> 00:07:28.439 doesn't necessarily make us wise or smart. 00:07:29.220 --> 00:07:36.220 Sometimes the smartest people try to justify themselves, and they say the dumbest things, 00:07:36.259 --> 00:07:37.980 and we do the dumbest things. 00:07:37.980 --> 00:07:43.939 And so we get to this passage in Luke 10, and Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, and he's teaching. 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:49.200 You know that because everybody's seated down, and he's teaching them a lesson. 00:07:50.439 --> 00:07:55.319 And the passage says that a lawyer, a Pharisee, someone who knew the law perfectly, 00:07:55.400 --> 00:07:57.140 a lawyer wasn't like what we thought today of litigation. 00:07:57.280 --> 00:08:00.000 A lawyer was a guy who knew God's word back and forth, 00:08:00.280 --> 00:08:03.680 and so that whenever the priest had a question, they would come to the lawyer and say, 00:08:03.740 --> 00:08:04.640 well, what does this really mean? 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:09.979 And the lawyer's job were to parse the words and the sentences and try to bring meaning 00:08:09.979 --> 00:08:12.419 and understanding to what the law really meant. 00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:16.759 And so Jesus is in there teaching, and in verse 25 it says, 00:08:16.979 --> 00:08:20.899 a lawyer stood up, and he put him to the test. 00:08:21.500 --> 00:08:25.039 So this lawyer, he stands up, and he's going to ask Jesus a question. 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:30.659 Now, normally this would be seen as a good thing because you stand up in respect to your teachers, 00:08:30.819 --> 00:08:33.179 but we know right away the passage that it's not a good thing. 00:08:33.179 --> 00:08:43.019 In the Greek, the word test means to bring before, to show flaws, to shame, to prove that you're wrong. 00:08:44.099 --> 00:08:47.620 It's the same word that we read about later on when Jesus is tempted by the devil, 00:08:47.859 --> 00:08:50.899 and he takes him up to this pinnacle, and he says, jump off, and God will catch you. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:55.699 And Jesus says, Scripture says you're not to put the Lord your God to the test. 00:08:55.700 --> 00:09:01.640 And so the lawyer stands up, and he asks this question of him to prove that Jesus is wrong, 00:09:01.680 --> 00:09:06.220 and it's a very interesting question because if you read the Scriptures and you read Luke and you've been following us, 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:12.879 you realize that he already knows the answer because Jesus was giving the answer for the last 10 chapters. 00:09:13.800 --> 00:09:16.800 So over and over, Jesus has been saying this is the answer, 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:23.359 but the lawyer has something else in mind, and he wants to trick Jesus and make him look foolish. 00:09:24.679 --> 00:09:28.459 And he says, teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 00:09:29.459 --> 00:09:30.659 That's a very interesting question. 00:09:30.719 --> 00:09:34.719 I think it's probably the most important question we ask in our lives every day. 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:37.159 And he says there, look at what he says. 00:09:37.219 --> 00:09:39.019 He says, what shall I do? 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:40.740 What can I do? 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:41.620 What do I need to do? 00:09:41.620 --> 00:09:44.639 How do I prove myself to inherit eternal life? 00:09:46.659 --> 00:09:49.960 When you think about that sentence, inherit, what do you do to inherit? 00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:52.960 You don't do anything. 00:09:54.279 --> 00:09:58.440 You're just born into a family, and you inherit things. 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:02.159 And so the question is kind of awkwardly placed. 00:10:03.480 --> 00:10:05.659 And Jesus said to him, what is written in the law? 00:10:06.340 --> 00:10:07.680 How does it read to you? 00:10:08.340 --> 00:10:10.919 The Greek actually means recite it to me. 00:10:11.379 --> 00:10:14.979 So it's like he's talking to a seven-year-old boy, and he says, okay, recite it to me. 00:10:15.019 --> 00:10:15.559 You're a lawyer. 00:10:15.699 --> 00:10:16.319 You know the law. 00:10:16.599 --> 00:10:18.439 You've been reciting this since you're seven years old. 00:10:18.699 --> 00:10:22.139 Any seven-year-old Jewish child can stand up and recite this to me. 00:10:22.899 --> 00:10:25.139 And so he recites it to him in verse 27. 00:10:25.459 --> 00:10:28.719 So whenever you see capital letters throughout the whole New Testament, 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:31.379 you realize that this is a quote taken from the Old Testament. 00:10:31.779 --> 00:10:33.379 And the lawyer comes, and he recites it. 00:10:33.379 --> 00:10:38.019 And he says, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, 00:10:38.620 --> 00:10:43.399 with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. 00:10:43.939 --> 00:10:48.600 And that word all there means completely, fully, all the time. 00:10:48.600 --> 00:10:55.600 That if you want to inherit eternal life, you're basically living a perfect life. 00:10:57.560 --> 00:10:58.680 Because God is perfect. 00:10:59.820 --> 00:11:03.019 Jesus said in verse 28, he said to him, you've answered correctly. 00:11:03.740 --> 00:11:05.060 Actually, the word is orthodox. 00:11:05.159 --> 00:11:06.180 You're right on track. 00:11:06.940 --> 00:11:09.620 Actually, if we were teaching today, you would give two thumbs up. 00:11:09.740 --> 00:11:11.080 My kids say, give me two thumbs up. 00:11:11.879 --> 00:11:14.100 Or Jesus would have put a little smiley face by his paper. 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:15.920 And he would have said, you're right. 00:11:16.040 --> 00:11:16.800 You're correct. 00:11:16.940 --> 00:11:18.560 You've answered perfectly. 00:11:19.620 --> 00:11:23.200 And Jesus says, do this, and you will live. 00:11:25.040 --> 00:11:27.080 Basically, Jesus is saying, if you live perfectly, 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:30.800 if you've never had a fault, if you've given all your life to God, 00:11:30.860 --> 00:11:32.080 if you've given all your mind to God, 00:11:32.120 --> 00:11:33.480 if you've given all your resources to God, 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:37.820 if every waking thought is about God and how you can honor him and we with him, 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:39.120 then you're without sin. 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:41.759 And you don't need a savior. 00:11:43.820 --> 00:11:46.539 Now, how would you feel if you're asking me these questions 00:11:46.539 --> 00:11:49.279 and you say to me, how can I get to heaven? 00:11:49.379 --> 00:11:50.139 And I say, well, it's really easy. 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:50.820 Just be perfect. 00:11:53.580 --> 00:11:54.779 What would your response be? 00:11:57.720 --> 00:12:01.080 Well, hopefully you'd be saying, well, man, I already blew it. 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:02.720 I can't be perfect. 00:12:04.840 --> 00:12:06.100 But look what the lawyer says. 00:12:06.220 --> 00:12:07.220 It's very interesting. 00:12:07.220 --> 00:12:10.680 But wishing to justify himself, verse 29. 00:12:11.500 --> 00:12:16.620 The word justify means to make righteous, to save, to perfect, to earn salvation. 00:12:17.180 --> 00:12:22.259 Wishing to earn his salvation by himself, he said to Jesus, who is my neighbor? 00:12:23.800 --> 00:12:27.040 So we have here, how do I enter into eternal life? 00:12:27.340 --> 00:12:29.399 You love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and body, 00:12:29.540 --> 00:12:31.040 and love your neighbor as yourself. 00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:34.039 Now, this love your neighbor is a big discussion that was going on in Jesus' day. 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:39.860 I mean, you read the historical documents and you realize that the rabbis were going back and forth. 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:41.199 What does it mean to love your neighbor? 00:12:41.419 --> 00:12:42.199 Who is your neighbor? 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:47.799 And they finally came to the decision that a neighbor was any Jew that was walking with God. 00:12:49.259 --> 00:12:52.539 Now, if he was apostate or he hadn't been to the temple or he wasn't purified, 00:12:52.779 --> 00:12:53.819 then he wasn't your neighbor. 00:12:54.500 --> 00:12:55.679 And that was the final decision. 00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:56.879 This is what our neighbor is. 00:12:57.720 --> 00:12:59.379 And so this guy, he's trapped. 00:13:00.539 --> 00:13:01.620 Jesus says, be perfect. 00:13:02.740 --> 00:13:05.419 And this guy goes, well, maybe with, I don't know, 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:08.059 you can't really determine if I'm perfect with God because that's internally, 00:13:08.179 --> 00:13:09.840 but maybe you can determine if I'm perfect with people. 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:11.019 So who is my neighbor? 00:13:14.039 --> 00:13:16.000 It's kind of the thing that happens to us sometimes. 00:13:17.379 --> 00:13:20.019 When we read something in the passage and it says, do this, 00:13:21.019 --> 00:13:23.419 and we walk away from church and we go, what does that really mean? 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:26.039 I mean, does it really mean do this? 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:28.700 Or does it mean do part of it? 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:32.259 And how much part of it can I do? 00:13:34.500 --> 00:13:38.480 I mean, how much do I need to do to make God happy? 00:13:40.500 --> 00:13:42.179 How much do I need to do to please God? 00:13:42.179 --> 00:13:48.639 But wishing to make himself righteous and earn his salvation, 00:13:48.779 --> 00:13:50.599 he said to Jesus, who is my neighbor? 00:13:51.959 --> 00:13:55.899 Jesus replies to him, and it's very interesting because whenever Jesus asks you a question 00:13:55.899 --> 00:13:58.899 or whenever he tells a parable, you know you're in trouble. 00:14:00.719 --> 00:14:02.659 You're going to see it throughout the whole gospel of Luke. 00:14:02.659 --> 00:14:05.500 And so he tells this parable of this guy. 00:14:06.439 --> 00:14:11.620 And he replied and he said, a man, verse 30, a certain man in Greek, 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:14.679 was going down to Jerusalem, to Jericho. 00:14:15.659 --> 00:14:17.799 And he fell among robbers and he was stripped him. 00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:19.199 And they beat him. 00:14:19.480 --> 00:14:21.819 And they went away, leaving him half dead. 00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:25.480 Now there was also a discussion in Hebrew culture, what is death? 00:14:26.340 --> 00:14:28.200 And there was gradations of death. 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:30.519 And half dead wasn't dead dead. 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:32.259 Half dead was almost dead. 00:14:32.820 --> 00:14:35.120 So I know it sounds like some kind of comedy or something like that. 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:36.740 But there was actually a discussion. 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:37.300 What is dead? 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:37.980 What is half dead? 00:14:38.019 --> 00:14:38.779 What is nearly dead? 00:14:38.779 --> 00:14:41.000 There was like five different variations of death. 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:43.960 And so this guy is walking down the road. 00:14:44.060 --> 00:14:47.420 And all of Jesus' readers would have assumed that he is a Jewish person. 00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:51.659 Now the road from Jerusalem, way up here in the north, 00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:54.980 down to Jericho in the south, is about 17 miles. 00:14:56.120 --> 00:14:59.360 And it's a very windy, difficult, treacherous road. 00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:02.899 It notoriously was a place where bandits lived. 00:15:03.860 --> 00:15:05.500 It was 17 miles. 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:07.940 You always went up to Jerusalem from wherever you were in Israel. 00:15:08.180 --> 00:15:12.779 Because Jerusalem was on a mountain 2,500 feet square, 2,500 feet high. 00:15:13.899 --> 00:15:15.899 And Jericho was one of the lowest places on earth. 00:15:16.039 --> 00:15:17.820 Jericho was about 800 feet below sea level. 00:15:18.560 --> 00:15:21.560 And so you would go on this passage back and forth, back and forth. 00:15:21.559 --> 00:15:24.779 And it was notorious for having robbers and difficulties. 00:15:25.379 --> 00:15:27.299 And really, it was a bad area. 00:15:28.139 --> 00:15:30.619 Actually, the Romans tried to subdue it, and they couldn't subdue it. 00:15:31.099 --> 00:15:36.199 And Jericho was the first place that Joshua came in, and he conquered the New Land. 00:15:36.200 --> 00:15:39.600 And it became a town for priests and Levites. 00:15:40.300 --> 00:15:43.980 So on Jesus' day, most of the priests and the Levites lived in Jericho. 00:15:44.740 --> 00:15:48.240 Whenever they had to come serve in the temple for their two weeks, they would take this trip. 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:51.419 And they'd usually travel in a caravan, and they'd go to the temple. 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:53.399 They would serve in the temple, then they would come back. 00:15:54.419 --> 00:15:55.560 And so that's where they lived. 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:57.680 And so this man is there. 00:15:57.879 --> 00:15:58.480 He's beaten. 00:15:58.659 --> 00:15:59.580 He's half dead. 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:01.320 He has no clothes on him. 00:16:02.060 --> 00:16:04.060 Okay, now picture this, because clothes are important. 00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:07.500 They identify you, and you can tell what race people are and what culture they're from. 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:09.180 And so he has no clothes on him. 00:16:10.279 --> 00:16:12.899 So when you see him, you don't know who he is. 00:16:13.699 --> 00:16:17.639 You don't know if he's a Jew or a Samaritan or a Persian or a Phoenician. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:18.579 You have no idea. 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:20.259 All you know is he's butt naked in the road. 00:16:21.199 --> 00:16:26.039 Now, chances are he's probably face down, because if he was face up, you'd know what culture he's from. 00:16:26.939 --> 00:16:28.319 You can figure that out later. 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:30.819 But he's face down, and no one knows. 00:16:31.539 --> 00:16:33.980 And he's beat up, and he's almost dead. 00:16:34.340 --> 00:16:34.980 He's half dead. 00:16:35.699 --> 00:16:36.579 Verse 31. 00:16:37.579 --> 00:16:41.699 And by chance, just by coincidence, a priest was going down on that road. 00:16:42.899 --> 00:16:46.480 And when he saw him, now priests are very interesting. 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:50.480 Priests were probably the most educated and connected people in society. 00:16:50.620 --> 00:16:52.899 They were the elite of the society. 00:16:53.220 --> 00:16:53.919 They were wealthy. 00:16:54.279 --> 00:16:55.120 They were well-to-do. 00:16:55.419 --> 00:16:56.179 They were connected. 00:16:56.819 --> 00:16:59.779 They traveled back and forth from Jericho to Jerusalem all the time. 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:01.319 They served God. 00:17:01.620 --> 00:17:04.500 They were God's man in the land. 00:17:04.500 --> 00:17:06.799 When everybody looked at a priest, they realized that he was the man. 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:08.579 I mean, they were the upper class. 00:17:08.579 --> 00:17:14.919 Everybody in here, if you were alive in Jesus' day and you were a follower of Judaism, 00:17:15.619 --> 00:17:19.439 everybody in here, you'd probably either be a priest or a Levite, 00:17:19.779 --> 00:17:21.759 because you're well-connected. 00:17:22.460 --> 00:17:23.319 You have money. 00:17:23.439 --> 00:17:24.199 You have relationships. 00:17:24.439 --> 00:17:26.740 Your parents would have paid for you to go to school, 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:30.059 because remember, the top of the food chain is priest. 00:17:30.059 --> 00:17:32.179 No one wants to be a banker. 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:35.059 No one wants to be a lawyer. 00:17:36.339 --> 00:17:42.159 Everybody wants to be a priest or a scribe or a Pharisee or a rabbi. 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:45.039 And so this priest comes down, and he sees him. 00:17:45.079 --> 00:17:45.980 What do you think this priest does? 00:17:46.059 --> 00:17:47.039 He's God's man. 00:17:47.099 --> 00:17:47.700 What does he do? 00:17:48.759 --> 00:17:54.019 It says in verse 31, he saw him, and he passed by on the other side. 00:17:54.740 --> 00:17:56.000 So he passes by on the other side. 00:17:56.159 --> 00:17:57.579 He doesn't come anywhere near him. 00:17:57.579 --> 00:18:01.159 Now, this priest has a problem, and I'm going to lay it out for you. 00:18:01.480 --> 00:18:04.720 I've tried to study the law, and I've tried to give you some ideas of what he's facing here, 00:18:04.899 --> 00:18:05.980 and so I'm just going to talk through him. 00:18:06.399 --> 00:18:09.079 Now, if this guy is a Jew, he should stop. 00:18:10.859 --> 00:18:12.220 But the guy is half naked. 00:18:12.379 --> 00:18:12.939 I mean, he's naked. 00:18:13.740 --> 00:18:15.720 He doesn't know if he's a Jew or a Samaritan. 00:18:15.939 --> 00:18:17.199 He has no idea. 00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:18.179 He's naked. 00:18:18.299 --> 00:18:18.919 He's unconscious. 00:18:19.059 --> 00:18:19.740 He can't talk. 00:18:20.059 --> 00:18:21.039 Maybe he's dead. 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:28.980 So the priest who is holy is looking at this, and culturally, he's supposed to stop if he's a Jew. 00:18:29.240 --> 00:18:31.099 If he's not a Jew, he has no responsibility. 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:34.460 He wants to fulfill his duty, but he doesn't know what his duty is. 00:18:36.139 --> 00:18:37.180 You see the problem here? 00:18:38.279 --> 00:18:41.440 I mean, if he stops, the place is dangerous. 00:18:42.579 --> 00:18:44.279 Maybe he gets robbed like this other guy. 00:18:44.339 --> 00:18:45.059 Maybe it's a trap. 00:18:45.159 --> 00:18:45.960 Maybe they're tricking him. 00:18:46.039 --> 00:18:48.500 It's notoriously the bandits would lay somebody out like they got beat up. 00:18:48.500 --> 00:18:50.440 So when you came to stop, you got beat up. 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:53.200 So the priest doesn't know. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:54.220 He says, maybe it's dangerous. 00:18:54.279 --> 00:18:54.980 Maybe I shouldn't stop. 00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:57.019 The priest is a holy man. 00:18:58.220 --> 00:19:00.319 I mean, he's seriously religious. 00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:02.480 He goes to the temple. 00:19:02.660 --> 00:19:03.480 He handles the money. 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:04.460 He handles the tithe. 00:19:04.539 --> 00:19:05.619 He handles the sacrifices. 00:19:06.660 --> 00:19:10.200 I mean, he leads worship in the temple. 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:12.900 I mean, he has to be clean. 00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:15.940 He has to be pure. 00:19:15.940 --> 00:19:19.160 He cannot be defiled. 00:19:20.539 --> 00:19:22.840 I mean, people expect that of him. 00:19:24.259 --> 00:19:25.900 You don't want a dirty priest. 00:19:26.740 --> 00:19:28.660 You don't want an unclean priest. 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:34.620 So he has to remain pure because he's a symbol of love and devotion for God. 00:19:34.619 --> 00:19:41.419 Now, if he touches the dead body, he becomes impure and he becomes defiled. 00:19:42.139 --> 00:19:43.339 He can't serve in the temple. 00:19:43.439 --> 00:19:44.419 He can't do his job. 00:19:44.659 --> 00:19:46.439 He has to actually walk back to Jerusalem. 00:19:46.779 --> 00:19:49.199 He goes through this one-week cleansing process. 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:51.459 It's called the process of the red heifer sacrifice. 00:19:52.219 --> 00:19:55.139 He loses his job for one week. 00:19:55.359 --> 00:19:56.599 He doesn't earn any money. 00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:01.000 He can't receive the food or the tithe from the temple because he's not officially working. 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:04.720 And so for one week, he's without a job. 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:09.900 He's stripped down and he's actually humiliated because people who were unclean were pushed to the side of the temple 00:20:09.900 --> 00:20:13.119 and they had to say, I'm unclean, I'm unclean, and I'm unclean. 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:16.180 And culturally, it was a very bad thing. 00:20:17.660 --> 00:20:18.700 It was humiliating. 00:20:19.819 --> 00:20:24.099 And so if he touches this guy and this guy is dead, he has to go through all these things. 00:20:24.380 --> 00:20:25.779 He loses standing in the community. 00:20:26.180 --> 00:20:27.000 He's humiliated. 00:20:27.180 --> 00:20:27.980 He loses honor. 00:20:28.099 --> 00:20:28.720 He loses money. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:29.619 He loses all these things. 00:20:29.619 --> 00:20:32.859 Now, if the guy is not a Jew, he has no obligation to him. 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:34.879 I mean, he wastes his time. 00:20:34.919 --> 00:20:36.279 And you know you're not supposed to waste your time. 00:20:36.359 --> 00:20:37.439 You're supposed to make the most of your time. 00:20:38.219 --> 00:20:41.979 He can't come more than 12 feet towards the dead body. 00:20:42.859 --> 00:20:47.559 The law says that a holy man, a priest, could not get within 12 feet of death. 00:20:48.659 --> 00:20:51.259 If he gets him within 12 feet of death, he becomes contaminated. 00:20:52.299 --> 00:20:53.399 So he's sitting there. 00:20:53.579 --> 00:20:58.419 He's looking at this dead person, butt naked, laying down, not moving, half dead, almost dead. 00:20:58.420 --> 00:21:00.400 And he's wondering, what should I do? 00:21:04.640 --> 00:21:05.560 What should I do? 00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:12.240 I mean, if the guy dies eventually and he touches him, he has to tear his clothes. 00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:16.279 And that's very expensive because clothes are a sign of wealth. 00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:19.139 And so he loses wealth and he wastes money. 00:21:19.779 --> 00:21:24.519 I mean, the guy is wounded and he's unrighteous, which is probably true because only unrighteous people get hurt. 00:21:24.619 --> 00:21:26.359 Only bad things happen to bad people, right? 00:21:27.579 --> 00:21:28.559 That's what he believes. 00:21:29.460 --> 00:21:32.240 So if he touches the guy and the guy's unrighteous, then he becomes unrighteous. 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:39.380 And if he goes to the temple or if some of the other priests think that he touched an unrighteous man, they'll kill him immediately. 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:47.299 If he walks into the temple to do his duty and he's not purified, everyone will drag him out and stone him to death. 00:21:49.700 --> 00:21:51.140 You see the problem this guy has? 00:21:54.279 --> 00:21:58.319 I mean, he's wanting to do the right thing, but he doesn't know what the right thing is. 00:21:58.319 --> 00:22:00.359 And so he's in a quandary. 00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:06.240 So after measuring everything, the priest decides purity is the most important command. 00:22:08.179 --> 00:22:10.599 That we're all called to be undefiled. 00:22:10.899 --> 00:22:13.519 To be undefiled is unconditional in his day. 00:22:15.339 --> 00:22:19.240 And the command to love your neighbor is conditional. 00:22:21.220 --> 00:22:22.460 Because I don't even know who he is. 00:22:22.460 --> 00:22:27.740 And so after thinking through all these things, he measures everything. 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:30.740 And he says, I choose purity. 00:22:31.420 --> 00:22:32.880 I choose holiness. 00:22:33.660 --> 00:22:35.160 I choose my community. 00:22:36.059 --> 00:22:39.259 And for him, the most important thing was to maintain his status in his community. 00:22:40.600 --> 00:22:43.380 Instead of reaching out to the hurt person. 00:22:45.220 --> 00:22:46.579 We're told in verse 32, 00:22:46.579 --> 00:22:48.259 Likewise, a Levite also. 00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:50.619 He came to the place and he saw him. 00:22:51.539 --> 00:22:52.399 And what do you think he did? 00:22:52.980 --> 00:22:54.839 Now, Levites were assistants to the priest. 00:22:55.720 --> 00:22:59.240 The Levite came alongside the priest and he helped the priest do everything that the priest needed done. 00:22:59.559 --> 00:23:00.439 He helped with the sacrifice. 00:23:00.639 --> 00:23:02.240 He helped with the atonement. 00:23:02.519 --> 00:23:03.319 He helped with the money. 00:23:03.619 --> 00:23:04.399 He helped with feeding. 00:23:04.779 --> 00:23:05.679 He did all of these things. 00:23:05.899 --> 00:23:08.579 Now, he didn't have all the measurements that the priest had to measure up to. 00:23:10.059 --> 00:23:12.000 I mean, he wasn't as connected as the priest either. 00:23:12.059 --> 00:23:13.500 He was probably a middle class person. 00:23:14.259 --> 00:23:17.759 That's why I'd say all of us in here would be priests or middle class people or Levites. 00:23:18.980 --> 00:23:21.900 And so, what does the Levite do? 00:23:23.940 --> 00:23:25.660 Well, you read in the passage. 00:23:26.779 --> 00:23:28.119 The Levite came to the place. 00:23:28.660 --> 00:23:30.019 And actually, he said it came to the place. 00:23:30.099 --> 00:23:35.279 And so, there might even be an idea that he came to the body nearer to it and he looked at it. 00:23:36.940 --> 00:23:38.859 But he couldn't tell if it was a Jew or not. 00:23:40.359 --> 00:23:42.960 And so, it says he came to the place and he did what? 00:23:43.500 --> 00:23:46.140 What's it say? 00:23:47.240 --> 00:23:47.900 Verse 32. 00:23:50.039 --> 00:23:52.099 He came to the place and he saw him and he what? 00:23:53.700 --> 00:23:55.460 Passed by him on the other side. 00:23:55.980 --> 00:23:59.420 Now, this is an interesting story here because the Levite, he had problems. 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:03.720 I mean, chances are that he was following this rabbi or the priest. 00:24:04.259 --> 00:24:07.880 You always watched on this road to see who was ahead of you because you're looking for danger. 00:24:07.880 --> 00:24:12.540 He probably saw this priest look at this guy or go around this guy and not stop. 00:24:13.540 --> 00:24:15.040 Well, the Levite's problem is this. 00:24:16.280 --> 00:24:20.340 If my boss didn't stop, should I stop? 00:24:20.339 --> 00:24:28.159 I mean, here's the guy who represents our country and our culture, the holy man. 00:24:29.159 --> 00:24:30.519 And he didn't stop. 00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:34.659 What if I stop? 00:24:35.919 --> 00:24:37.379 I mean, what if he sees me stop? 00:24:39.139 --> 00:24:40.299 Will I get rebuked? 00:24:44.139 --> 00:24:45.199 Will I get in trouble? 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:49.940 I mean, should I question the priest's judgment? 00:24:50.039 --> 00:24:50.980 Is the priest ever wrong? 00:24:52.580 --> 00:24:57.279 I mean, what happens if I show up in Jericho with this wounded person on the back of my horse 00:24:57.279 --> 00:24:59.420 that the priest didn't even pay attention to? 00:24:59.640 --> 00:25:00.880 Do I make the priest look bad? 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:05.539 Will I get in trouble? 00:25:05.640 --> 00:25:06.340 Will I get stoned? 00:25:06.440 --> 00:25:07.080 Will I get killed? 00:25:07.079 --> 00:25:07.119 Will I get killed? 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:11.559 And so the Levite, he basically does the same thing that the priest does. 00:25:11.740 --> 00:25:12.500 He does nothing. 00:25:13.879 --> 00:25:16.000 Now, it's up to this point when Jesus is telling his story. 00:25:16.059 --> 00:25:16.559 It's really important. 00:25:16.899 --> 00:25:18.319 Everyone is listening to him and they're going. 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:26.220 Because they all know that priests and Levites are like that. 00:25:28.740 --> 00:25:34.399 They all know that the holy people treat the unholy people really poorly. 00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:40.680 They all know that the sacrificial system, the temple and the priesthood was corrupt. 00:25:42.620 --> 00:25:44.019 The people were just in it for money. 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:46.660 Just to take care of themselves. 00:25:47.600 --> 00:25:52.320 And so everybody listening to this story would have understood and would have been so sympathetic to this story. 00:25:53.360 --> 00:25:57.420 Now, if you were telling this story in Jesus' day, what you would do is you always tell a part of a three-part story. 00:25:57.960 --> 00:25:59.820 You tell the first part with the priest. 00:26:00.300 --> 00:26:02.220 You tell the second part with the Levite. 00:26:02.280 --> 00:26:02.800 This is culturally. 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:05.220 And then you tell the third part with a blue-collar Jew. 00:26:06.619 --> 00:26:08.460 Now, the holy people wouldn't do the right thing. 00:26:08.579 --> 00:26:10.579 But the blue-collar worker, he would do the right thing. 00:26:11.659 --> 00:26:16.700 And so in almost every story that we read from this day, the blue-collar guy would come in and he would save the day. 00:26:16.779 --> 00:26:17.559 He would save the man. 00:26:17.619 --> 00:26:18.259 He would be the hero. 00:26:21.299 --> 00:26:25.539 But when Jesus says to them, a Samaritan shows up, 00:26:26.279 --> 00:26:29.119 that changes everything. 00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:31.979 I mean, people would have been in shock. 00:26:32.059 --> 00:26:33.399 They would have been incredibly offended. 00:26:34.599 --> 00:26:35.500 They would have been angry. 00:26:35.500 --> 00:26:40.980 I remember one time I was telling this story to my group of my students in China, 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:45.039 and I was trying to teach them about love and compassion and reaching out sacrificially. 00:26:45.339 --> 00:26:47.539 And I said, one day, there was a Nanjing businessman. 00:26:48.500 --> 00:26:50.740 And he was on the road from Nanjing to Shanghai. 00:26:50.740 --> 00:26:57.240 And on this road, some robbers beat him and robbed him and stripped him and left him there. 00:26:58.500 --> 00:27:00.740 And then a Chinese government official walked by, 00:27:02.200 --> 00:27:05.680 looked at the guy, shook his head, and went around him. 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:09.140 A little while later, a policeman came by, 00:27:10.120 --> 00:27:13.980 looked all around the guy, shook his head, and went around him. 00:27:13.980 --> 00:27:18.740 And then a Japanese soldier came. 00:27:20.579 --> 00:27:22.579 And the Japanese soldier saw the man. 00:27:24.120 --> 00:27:27.360 He had compassion and love for him. 00:27:28.620 --> 00:27:30.339 And he reached down and he picked that guy up. 00:27:31.860 --> 00:27:34.200 And when I told that, my students became angry. 00:27:35.640 --> 00:27:37.640 One of the students actually left the classroom. 00:27:38.339 --> 00:27:39.200 He said, I can't hear that. 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:42.480 The hero of the story cannot be my enemy. 00:27:43.980 --> 00:27:45.779 Make a Chinese person a hero of the story. 00:27:46.360 --> 00:27:47.960 And the Japanese person be the dead person. 00:27:48.740 --> 00:27:52.319 But the hero of the story cannot be a Japanese person. 00:27:53.319 --> 00:27:56.299 The hero can't be the bad person. 00:27:58.700 --> 00:28:00.339 But Jesus uses a Samaritan. 00:28:01.339 --> 00:28:02.880 Now, it's interesting in verse 33, 00:28:03.680 --> 00:28:05.000 it said a Samaritan was on a journey. 00:28:05.160 --> 00:28:08.059 He came upon him, and when he saw him, he felt compassion. 00:28:09.220 --> 00:28:10.940 The Greek word is about that long, 00:28:10.940 --> 00:28:13.599 and it means this inner feeling from your gut. 00:28:14.279 --> 00:28:17.259 Not unlike what I've been experiencing the last couple days, 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:18.940 but in a good sense. 00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:22.380 And he came to them, and he bandaged up his wounds, 00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:24.200 pouring oil and wine on them. 00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:27.360 Now, you've got to understand that Samaritans are hated by the Jews. 00:28:28.759 --> 00:28:31.960 In about 750 B.C., the Syrian race came in, 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:34.519 and they wiped out the northern part of Israel. 00:28:35.380 --> 00:28:36.440 The ten tribes are gone. 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:39.099 They took away 30,000 prisoners, 00:28:39.099 --> 00:28:41.119 and in their place, they brought their own people. 00:28:42.159 --> 00:28:45.059 And these people started to intermingle and intermarry 00:28:45.059 --> 00:28:46.899 with the Israelites that were left there. 00:28:47.659 --> 00:28:49.179 And you had the Samaritan race. 00:28:50.199 --> 00:28:51.639 And they were seen as half-breeds. 00:28:51.719 --> 00:28:53.359 They were seen as no good. 00:28:53.480 --> 00:28:56.279 They were seen as counterfeit to the Jewish faith. 00:28:56.559 --> 00:28:58.619 They had their own temple, their own set of laws. 00:28:58.740 --> 00:29:01.519 They read the Torah, but they only took parts of it. 00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:03.740 And everyone hated the Samaritans. 00:29:05.539 --> 00:29:06.980 What did the Samaritan do? 00:29:08.180 --> 00:29:13.139 He comes, he sees, and he does. 00:29:14.420 --> 00:29:16.759 Now, before this point, the two Jewish guys, 00:29:16.839 --> 00:29:20.200 all they do is they come, and they see, and they leave. 00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:24.460 But the Samaritan comes, and he sees, and he does. 00:29:25.379 --> 00:29:28.299 It's told that he has compassion on the man. 00:29:28.299 --> 00:29:31.259 Actually, if you read verses 33 through 35, 00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:35.079 you see that he does five or nine things that are amazing. 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:37.079 He binds the wounds. 00:29:37.980 --> 00:29:39.279 He pours oil and wine, 00:29:39.339 --> 00:29:41.359 and oil and wine would have been symbolic of the temple. 00:29:41.500 --> 00:29:42.359 It would have been a holy thing. 00:29:42.680 --> 00:29:44.399 And the word actually pouring in Greek 00:29:44.399 --> 00:29:46.079 is a word for worship. 00:29:47.159 --> 00:29:48.240 So what Jesus is saying is, 00:29:48.339 --> 00:29:49.980 as this guy is fixing this guy up, 00:29:50.200 --> 00:29:51.259 he's worshiping God. 00:29:54.259 --> 00:29:57.119 As he's serving, as he's helping, 00:29:58.299 --> 00:29:59.379 he's worshiping. 00:30:01.339 --> 00:30:02.859 It says here that he took care of him, 00:30:02.899 --> 00:30:04.079 he put him on his own beast, 00:30:04.119 --> 00:30:05.839 and he brought him to an inn and took care of him. 00:30:06.419 --> 00:30:08.240 On the next day, he took out two denarii, 00:30:08.279 --> 00:30:09.200 and he gave him to the innkeeper, 00:30:09.259 --> 00:30:10.180 and said, take care of him. 00:30:10.659 --> 00:30:12.159 And whatever you spend, when I return, 00:30:12.200 --> 00:30:12.980 I will repay you. 00:30:13.799 --> 00:30:15.039 Now, you don't understand what's happening here, 00:30:15.059 --> 00:30:15.639 because it's amazing, 00:30:15.919 --> 00:30:17.859 because this Samaritan is reaching out to his enemy, 00:30:18.159 --> 00:30:20.059 and he's using all his resources to help him. 00:30:21.419 --> 00:30:22.279 He's using oil. 00:30:23.139 --> 00:30:24.099 He's using wine. 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:25.740 He's using cloth wrappings. 00:30:25.740 --> 00:30:27.620 He's letting the guy ride on his horse. 00:30:27.819 --> 00:30:28.759 He's using his time. 00:30:28.859 --> 00:30:29.720 He's using his energy. 00:30:30.039 --> 00:30:34.220 And he's at a great, great cost of his life. 00:30:35.539 --> 00:30:39.200 Because remember, the Samaritan is in Jewish territory. 00:30:40.819 --> 00:30:43.220 If the Jews find him, they're going to kill him, 00:30:43.620 --> 00:30:44.960 because he's a dog. 00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:51.500 And so he's doing all of this at an incredible cost of his own life, 00:30:51.539 --> 00:30:52.900 and his life is at risk. 00:30:53.700 --> 00:30:56.100 It says that he doesn't just drop the guy off and fix him, 00:30:56.140 --> 00:30:58.540 but he takes him to Jericho to find an inn, 00:30:58.600 --> 00:31:00.000 because there are no inns on this road. 00:31:00.780 --> 00:31:02.019 Archaeologically, there are no inns. 00:31:03.360 --> 00:31:05.460 And so he takes him to the enemy's territory. 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:07.880 He takes him into an inn, 00:31:08.880 --> 00:31:10.360 and he takes care of them. 00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:13.340 I mean, all scholars who read this passage, 00:31:13.519 --> 00:31:15.720 Middle Eastern, American, Western, Asian, 00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:17.420 anybody who reads this passage says, 00:31:17.740 --> 00:31:19.540 this guy was doing all of these things 00:31:19.540 --> 00:31:20.820 at an incredibly high cost. 00:31:20.819 --> 00:31:25.399 An incredibly high risk to himself. 00:31:28.839 --> 00:31:30.079 And he'd be like you. 00:31:31.939 --> 00:31:32.879 He'd be like this. 00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:35.759 He'd be like an American Indian 00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:37.740 walking through the wilderness 00:31:37.740 --> 00:31:40.000 and finding a cowboy with three arrows 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:40.859 stuck out of his back. 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:43.539 And he picks the cowboy up, 00:31:43.740 --> 00:31:45.179 and he puts him on his horse. 00:31:45.180 --> 00:31:48.580 And he takes the cowboy into Dodge City, 00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:50.500 or Cowboy City. 00:31:52.259 --> 00:31:54.200 What do you think everybody's going to think 00:31:54.200 --> 00:31:55.660 when that guy walks in like that? 00:31:59.560 --> 00:32:00.400 Come on. 00:32:01.580 --> 00:32:02.560 You're going to think he's good? 00:32:04.620 --> 00:32:06.519 I mean, even if they don't think he shot him, 00:32:06.759 --> 00:32:08.180 some of his people shot him. 00:32:09.180 --> 00:32:10.580 And the law of retribution, 00:32:10.820 --> 00:32:11.900 especially in the Middle Eastern culture, 00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:13.100 was revenge, revenge, revenge. 00:32:16.140 --> 00:32:17.080 And so this guy brings, 00:32:17.420 --> 00:32:19.019 he has three arrows sticking out of his back. 00:32:19.080 --> 00:32:20.279 Hey, hey, I just found this guy. 00:32:20.720 --> 00:32:21.560 Yeah, I know I'm an Indian, 00:32:21.779 --> 00:32:23.259 but I love this guy, 00:32:23.320 --> 00:32:24.440 even though he's trying to kill me, 00:32:24.560 --> 00:32:25.960 and you guys are going to kill me afterwards, 00:32:26.360 --> 00:32:27.580 and that's okay. 00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:29.519 I just want to take care of this guy. 00:32:29.779 --> 00:32:31.140 And so that's what it would have been like. 00:32:32.140 --> 00:32:33.320 We're told the next day, 00:32:33.620 --> 00:32:34.640 he goes to the innkeeper, 00:32:34.759 --> 00:32:35.720 he takes out enough money, 00:32:35.840 --> 00:32:36.320 two denarii. 00:32:36.420 --> 00:32:37.980 Denarii is one day's wage. 00:32:38.340 --> 00:32:39.800 To give one denarii would be enough 00:32:39.800 --> 00:32:41.940 to survive in a hotel for seven days 00:32:41.940 --> 00:32:42.700 for food and board. 00:32:43.680 --> 00:32:45.280 So he gives this innkeeper 00:32:45.280 --> 00:32:47.720 14 days to take care of this guy. 00:32:48.380 --> 00:32:49.060 And he says to him, 00:32:49.300 --> 00:32:50.680 hey, verse 35, 00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:52.620 when I return, I'll repay you. 00:32:53.720 --> 00:32:54.420 Now he doesn't even know 00:32:54.420 --> 00:32:55.660 if he's going to get out alive. 00:32:57.700 --> 00:32:58.780 But he says, I'll come back. 00:32:58.800 --> 00:32:59.500 And that's really important 00:32:59.500 --> 00:33:00.400 because it's notorious, 00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:01.019 the innkeepers, 00:33:01.420 --> 00:33:03.300 whenever somebody raised up a debt 00:33:03.300 --> 00:33:04.420 and they couldn't pay it off, 00:33:04.460 --> 00:33:05.980 the innkeepers would sell him as a slave. 00:33:08.720 --> 00:33:09.940 And so what this guy is saying is, 00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:10.759 I'm going to come back. 00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:13.400 And I'm going to pay off all his debts 00:33:13.400 --> 00:33:14.440 and I'm going to take care of him. 00:33:14.600 --> 00:33:16.340 And he's not entering into slavery. 00:33:18.160 --> 00:33:18.880 And the next day, 00:33:18.920 --> 00:33:20.000 the Samaritan has to get out of town 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:20.700 without getting killed. 00:33:24.259 --> 00:33:25.840 Now when Jesus told this story, 00:33:25.839 --> 00:33:30.699 it was very counter-cultural. 00:33:34.299 --> 00:33:36.000 Very few people could understand it. 00:33:38.659 --> 00:33:40.379 Very few people wanted to listen to it. 00:33:43.480 --> 00:33:45.059 He says in verse 36, 00:33:45.819 --> 00:33:47.079 which of these three do you think 00:33:47.079 --> 00:33:49.919 was proved to be a neighbor 00:33:49.919 --> 00:33:51.659 to the man who fell into the robber's hands? 00:33:51.660 --> 00:33:53.500 Verse 37, 00:33:54.200 --> 00:33:55.220 the man said, 00:33:55.300 --> 00:33:56.360 and I don't understand it's the lawyer, 00:33:56.880 --> 00:33:58.720 he hates the Samaritan so much, 00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:02.120 he can't even say the Samaritan. 00:34:04.480 --> 00:34:05.180 But he says, 00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:06.600 the one who showed him mercy. 00:34:08.180 --> 00:34:09.400 That Jesus said to him, 00:34:10.200 --> 00:34:12.380 go and do the same. 00:34:12.940 --> 00:34:13.599 Go and do the same. 00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:17.860 There's three things 00:34:17.860 --> 00:34:19.099 that God has been teaching me this week 00:34:19.099 --> 00:34:20.480 and I want us to learn together 00:34:20.480 --> 00:34:21.440 as a church family. 00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:25.839 And I just want to share them with you. 00:34:26.619 --> 00:34:28.099 The first thing that sticks out in this passage 00:34:28.099 --> 00:34:30.980 is that God takes that question, 00:34:31.219 --> 00:34:31.960 who is my neighbor? 00:34:32.920 --> 00:34:34.119 And he reshapes it. 00:34:35.619 --> 00:34:37.239 And how Jesus brings that question 00:34:37.239 --> 00:34:38.139 back to you and me, 00:34:38.539 --> 00:34:39.019 he says, 00:34:39.920 --> 00:34:42.000 to whom shall you become a neighbor? 00:34:43.599 --> 00:34:48.500 The answer is everyone. 00:34:50.119 --> 00:34:51.099 Everyone in need. 00:34:53.299 --> 00:34:54.139 Even your enemy. 00:34:55.719 --> 00:34:56.719 Now the priest, 00:34:56.880 --> 00:34:57.460 the Levite, 00:34:57.539 --> 00:34:57.940 and the lawyer, 00:34:58.059 --> 00:34:59.099 they couldn't handle this 00:34:59.099 --> 00:35:00.539 because they were living under the law 00:35:00.539 --> 00:35:01.980 and they tried to perform 00:35:01.980 --> 00:35:03.099 and to earn their salvation. 00:35:03.619 --> 00:35:05.480 And the law is very specific 00:35:05.480 --> 00:35:06.199 because it says 00:35:06.199 --> 00:35:08.619 that it demands compassion above all else, 00:35:08.699 --> 00:35:09.860 but the guys were so busy 00:35:09.860 --> 00:35:11.719 trying to do and to be 00:35:11.719 --> 00:35:13.299 that they miss grace 00:35:13.299 --> 00:35:17.619 and they miss compassion. 00:35:20.839 --> 00:35:21.980 The scripture says 00:35:21.980 --> 00:35:23.719 that we can't understand compassion 00:35:24.359 --> 00:35:25.779 unless we understand grace, 00:35:26.299 --> 00:35:27.059 unless we understand 00:35:27.059 --> 00:35:28.259 what God has done for us 00:35:28.259 --> 00:35:29.759 and how merciful and gracious 00:35:29.759 --> 00:35:30.539 he's been to us, 00:35:30.799 --> 00:35:32.699 we can't be that way to other people. 00:35:32.699 --> 00:35:39.019 So Jesus takes the question 00:35:39.019 --> 00:35:39.839 and he doesn't say, 00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:41.739 who is my neighbor? 00:35:41.819 --> 00:35:42.359 But he says, 00:35:42.639 --> 00:35:43.879 who must I become a neighbor? 00:35:46.019 --> 00:35:47.460 Who must you become a neighbor to? 00:35:50.059 --> 00:35:51.039 Everyone in need, 00:35:52.559 --> 00:35:53.359 even your enemy. 00:35:58.159 --> 00:35:59.579 Who must we become a neighbor to? 00:35:59.579 --> 00:35:59.639 Who? 00:36:02.699 --> 00:36:07.119 Who must we become a neighbor to? 00:36:12.759 --> 00:36:13.239 You know, 00:36:13.319 --> 00:36:14.659 we've been praying about this as a church, 00:36:14.779 --> 00:36:15.799 like who are our neighbors? 00:36:16.899 --> 00:36:18.139 In April, there's Easter 00:36:18.139 --> 00:36:19.399 and the week after Easter, 00:36:19.500 --> 00:36:20.539 we're gonna have our first gathering 00:36:20.539 --> 00:36:21.639 of members at our AGM 00:36:21.639 --> 00:36:22.699 and one of the things 00:36:22.699 --> 00:36:23.379 that we've been proposing 00:36:23.379 --> 00:36:24.839 is that we want to set up 00:36:24.839 --> 00:36:25.559 what I call 00:36:25.559 --> 00:36:27.000 is a neighborhood watch fund. 00:36:28.179 --> 00:36:29.559 It's a good Samaritan fund. 00:36:30.279 --> 00:36:31.460 So as we give money 00:36:31.460 --> 00:36:32.419 to the church every week, 00:36:32.420 --> 00:36:33.260 we give a certain percentage 00:36:33.260 --> 00:36:33.840 to missions, 00:36:34.300 --> 00:36:36.220 to building up our church planning fund 00:36:36.220 --> 00:36:37.680 and we give a certain percentage 00:36:37.680 --> 00:36:38.860 to our neighborhood watch fund. 00:36:39.700 --> 00:36:42.079 So as God sends us on this journey 00:36:42.079 --> 00:36:43.900 and we see people who need fixing, 00:36:44.059 --> 00:36:45.880 we see places that we can redeem, 00:36:46.260 --> 00:36:47.220 we have the availability 00:36:47.220 --> 00:36:48.159 to make that happen. 00:36:51.880 --> 00:36:52.659 Who's your neighbor? 00:36:52.659 --> 00:36:56.599 Everyone in need. 00:36:56.719 --> 00:36:57.119 Everyone in need. 00:36:58.819 --> 00:36:59.679 Even your enemy. 00:37:01.159 --> 00:37:02.299 The parable shows us 00:37:02.299 --> 00:37:02.920 that for Jesus, 00:37:03.539 --> 00:37:04.960 love is something we feel 00:37:04.960 --> 00:37:06.859 but it's also something that we do. 00:37:08.019 --> 00:37:08.920 I don't know if you guys 00:37:08.920 --> 00:37:09.599 have ever tried this. 00:37:09.639 --> 00:37:10.179 It's really hard 00:37:10.179 --> 00:37:11.480 because sometimes people are broken 00:37:11.480 --> 00:37:12.059 and they're mean 00:37:12.059 --> 00:37:12.639 and they're angry 00:37:12.639 --> 00:37:13.719 and it's really hard 00:37:13.719 --> 00:37:15.639 to love people well. 00:37:16.619 --> 00:37:16.879 I mean, 00:37:16.920 --> 00:37:17.399 it's easy 00:37:17.399 --> 00:37:18.399 as you look at the passage 00:37:18.399 --> 00:37:20.440 to shirk off our responsibility 00:37:20.440 --> 00:37:20.840 and say, 00:37:20.920 --> 00:37:21.179 well, you know, 00:37:21.340 --> 00:37:22.940 I have a lot of good reasons 00:37:22.940 --> 00:37:23.960 why I shouldn't do that. 00:37:24.240 --> 00:37:24.500 I mean, 00:37:24.659 --> 00:37:25.820 the priests and the Levites, 00:37:25.900 --> 00:37:27.000 they had good reasons. 00:37:32.619 --> 00:37:34.240 Sometimes we do often too. 00:37:37.300 --> 00:37:37.740 I mean, 00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:39.059 it's easy to come up with reasons 00:37:39.059 --> 00:37:40.300 but the passage here says 00:37:40.300 --> 00:37:41.659 and what Jesus is trying to teach us 00:37:41.659 --> 00:37:43.460 is that love is costly. 00:37:43.460 --> 00:37:47.559 I mean, 00:37:47.619 --> 00:37:48.860 the Samaritan spent his time, 00:37:48.980 --> 00:37:49.579 he spent his money, 00:37:49.679 --> 00:37:50.539 he spent his resources, 00:37:50.900 --> 00:37:52.079 he risked his life, 00:37:52.340 --> 00:37:54.000 he was hugely inconvenienced, 00:37:54.260 --> 00:37:55.579 he lost two days of work, 00:37:55.840 --> 00:37:56.800 he had overcome hatred 00:37:56.800 --> 00:37:57.880 from everybody in his culture 00:37:57.880 --> 00:37:58.659 because he was reaching out 00:37:58.659 --> 00:37:59.880 to people all around him. 00:37:59.980 --> 00:38:02.760 They hated love cost. 00:38:07.679 --> 00:38:09.820 Sometimes we're just so busy doing. 00:38:09.820 --> 00:38:15.500 We don't have time to love. 00:38:17.539 --> 00:38:18.740 I remember at my seminary, 00:38:18.820 --> 00:38:19.620 we tried to study, 00:38:20.200 --> 00:38:21.200 actually the professors did, 00:38:21.519 --> 00:38:22.460 they took 20 students 00:38:22.460 --> 00:38:24.120 and they gave them a sermon to preach, 00:38:24.180 --> 00:38:24.840 it was this sermon. 00:38:26.120 --> 00:38:26.900 And all of a sudden, 00:38:27.080 --> 00:38:29.460 they added a sense of urgency to it, 00:38:29.500 --> 00:38:30.660 they called the guys up 00:38:30.660 --> 00:38:31.539 in the dorms 00:38:31.539 --> 00:38:31.700 and said, 00:38:31.800 --> 00:38:33.000 we need you to come over right away 00:38:33.000 --> 00:38:34.720 because we're going to film this right now 00:38:34.720 --> 00:38:35.500 and we need you to come 00:38:35.500 --> 00:38:36.100 because you're prepared. 00:38:37.200 --> 00:38:39.320 So the 20 guys went at different times. 00:38:39.820 --> 00:38:42.220 And on the pathway to the seminary 00:38:42.220 --> 00:38:43.440 to where they were going to record, 00:38:43.539 --> 00:38:44.680 they had this homeless person 00:38:44.680 --> 00:38:46.220 who was beat up and bleeding and hurting. 00:38:48.580 --> 00:38:50.640 Wondering what seminary students 00:38:50.640 --> 00:38:51.200 are going to do 00:38:51.200 --> 00:38:52.620 as they cross past this guy. 00:38:55.280 --> 00:38:57.180 How many of the 20 students 00:38:57.180 --> 00:38:59.559 do you think stopped to help him? 00:39:01.740 --> 00:39:02.620 Because they were busy. 00:39:03.080 --> 00:39:04.300 I mean, they're about to give God's word 00:39:04.300 --> 00:39:07.240 on how to be a neighbor. 00:39:07.239 --> 00:39:07.359 However, 00:39:08.359 --> 00:39:11.299 how many students stopped? 00:39:14.579 --> 00:39:14.939 One. 00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:19.099 They did a study later at Yale, 00:39:19.879 --> 00:39:20.839 no one stopped. 00:39:23.579 --> 00:39:24.859 And they came to this conclusion 00:39:24.859 --> 00:39:26.139 that the more hurried we are, 00:39:26.219 --> 00:39:27.099 the more busy we are, 00:39:27.299 --> 00:39:28.599 the less likely we are to stop. 00:39:29.919 --> 00:39:30.199 They said, 00:39:30.299 --> 00:39:31.739 if you live a hurried and busy life, 00:39:31.939 --> 00:39:34.000 you're 600% less likely 00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:35.940 to see people in need. 00:39:38.400 --> 00:39:40.280 That if you live a hurried and busy life, 00:39:40.579 --> 00:39:42.500 you're 600% less likely 00:39:42.500 --> 00:39:44.760 to be a neighbor. 00:39:47.340 --> 00:39:48.320 And Jesus says here 00:39:48.320 --> 00:39:49.579 that this is what we're called to do. 00:39:49.940 --> 00:39:51.219 We're called to do this. 00:39:51.599 --> 00:39:52.980 We're called to practice these things. 00:39:53.079 --> 00:39:54.559 We're called to do these good works. 00:39:54.920 --> 00:39:56.599 We're called to show compassion. 00:39:56.599 --> 00:40:00.400 Sometimes it's hard. 00:40:02.480 --> 00:40:03.639 Christina and I were living in China 00:40:03.639 --> 00:40:04.679 and we were trying to reach out 00:40:04.679 --> 00:40:05.699 to our neighbors next door 00:40:05.699 --> 00:40:06.739 who were actually our landlords. 00:40:09.079 --> 00:40:10.739 We hadn't had a lot of interaction with them. 00:40:11.440 --> 00:40:11.860 And I says, 00:40:11.940 --> 00:40:12.599 oh, I've got a good idea. 00:40:12.679 --> 00:40:13.119 Let's do this. 00:40:13.179 --> 00:40:13.759 And she said, okay, what? 00:40:14.179 --> 00:40:15.819 I said, let's bake them some cookies. 00:40:17.539 --> 00:40:18.779 And so we baked them some cookies 00:40:18.779 --> 00:40:19.739 and we brought it to their house 00:40:19.739 --> 00:40:20.259 and said, hey, 00:40:20.759 --> 00:40:22.059 we're just happy to be here. 00:40:22.139 --> 00:40:22.639 We're glad. 00:40:22.719 --> 00:40:23.400 We want to get to know you. 00:40:23.679 --> 00:40:24.279 Here's some cookies. 00:40:24.319 --> 00:40:24.799 We're just cooking. 00:40:24.900 --> 00:40:25.639 We want to give them some cookies. 00:40:25.639 --> 00:40:27.579 And they were happy 00:40:27.579 --> 00:40:28.539 and we talked for a little while 00:40:28.539 --> 00:40:29.719 and went home 00:40:29.719 --> 00:40:30.859 and the next day, 00:40:30.940 --> 00:40:32.500 we had this plate of eggs 00:40:32.500 --> 00:40:34.039 outside of our door 00:40:34.039 --> 00:40:34.699 that they gave us. 00:40:37.440 --> 00:40:38.239 We're like, wow, 00:40:38.319 --> 00:40:39.259 that's kind of interesting. 00:40:40.879 --> 00:40:41.859 So let's try this again. 00:40:42.339 --> 00:40:43.659 So Christina cooked some banana bread. 00:40:45.099 --> 00:40:45.799 And the next day, 00:40:45.839 --> 00:40:46.359 we went there 00:40:46.359 --> 00:40:46.759 and we said, hey, 00:40:46.759 --> 00:40:47.279 we're just cooking 00:40:47.279 --> 00:40:48.500 and we have some extra left over 00:40:48.500 --> 00:40:49.440 and we want to give you this banana bread. 00:40:51.319 --> 00:40:52.059 The next day, 00:40:52.119 --> 00:40:52.900 we had this chicken. 00:40:55.639 --> 00:40:56.440 Outside our door. 00:40:58.059 --> 00:40:58.739 We're like, man, 00:40:58.779 --> 00:41:00.019 these people aren't going to let us 00:41:00.019 --> 00:41:00.779 be friends to them, 00:41:00.799 --> 00:41:01.179 are they? 00:41:01.920 --> 00:41:03.699 Because they don't want to owe us anything. 00:41:05.319 --> 00:41:07.400 They don't want to be beholding to anybody. 00:41:09.239 --> 00:41:10.219 And I realized, man, 00:41:10.259 --> 00:41:12.119 how hard it is to understand the gospel 00:41:12.119 --> 00:41:14.900 in grace 00:41:14.900 --> 00:41:20.339 if it's all about giving back and works. 00:41:20.340 --> 00:41:23.300 I wanted the next day 00:41:23.300 --> 00:41:24.059 to take my son 00:41:24.059 --> 00:41:24.559 and say, hey, 00:41:25.340 --> 00:41:29.579 I'll give you my son for a week. 00:41:30.400 --> 00:41:30.559 Just, 00:41:30.960 --> 00:41:31.940 he's your indentured servant 00:41:31.940 --> 00:41:34.920 and see what they would return back to me. 00:41:36.440 --> 00:41:37.539 But we didn't do that. 00:41:39.240 --> 00:41:41.000 But God calls us in this passage 00:41:41.000 --> 00:41:42.220 to be a church that does 00:41:42.220 --> 00:41:44.440 and to be people that do. 00:41:44.440 --> 00:41:49.619 When we first started the church, 00:41:49.659 --> 00:41:50.720 we had a lot of families come 00:41:50.720 --> 00:41:51.460 and they're checking it out 00:41:51.460 --> 00:41:52.619 and some of them got really involved 00:41:52.619 --> 00:41:53.240 and then all of a sudden, 00:41:53.320 --> 00:41:54.400 I noticed one of them disappeared. 00:41:55.940 --> 00:41:57.079 And I saw them the other day 00:41:57.079 --> 00:41:57.940 in the shopping area 00:41:57.940 --> 00:41:58.519 and I said, hey, 00:41:58.579 --> 00:41:59.320 we miss you. 00:42:00.220 --> 00:42:01.280 And they said, yeah, 00:42:01.380 --> 00:42:02.500 we decided to stop coming. 00:42:02.579 --> 00:42:03.099 I said, okay. 00:42:03.780 --> 00:42:04.500 I said, you know, 00:42:04.579 --> 00:42:05.340 and I'm just, 00:42:05.659 --> 00:42:07.320 so why did you decide to stop coming? 00:42:07.420 --> 00:42:08.039 And they said, well, 00:42:08.740 --> 00:42:10.880 we realized that if we stayed in your church, 00:42:10.880 --> 00:42:13.700 that we'd have to serve, 00:42:16.980 --> 00:42:18.260 we realized if we stayed in your church, 00:42:18.320 --> 00:42:19.280 we'd have to do things. 00:42:20.980 --> 00:42:22.300 And we might even have to tithe. 00:42:23.900 --> 00:42:25.039 And we don't want to do that. 00:42:26.619 --> 00:42:27.760 We just want to come, 00:42:27.940 --> 00:42:28.680 sit in the back, 00:42:28.720 --> 00:42:29.220 and when it's over, 00:42:29.300 --> 00:42:29.980 leave really quickly. 00:42:33.400 --> 00:42:34.420 And I thought about that. 00:42:34.460 --> 00:42:35.260 I didn't say anything. 00:42:37.019 --> 00:42:37.820 I just prayed. 00:42:39.059 --> 00:42:40.340 But if I had courage, 00:42:40.880 --> 00:42:43.599 and the next time I see them, 00:42:45.079 --> 00:42:46.880 the next time I had this conversation, 00:42:47.019 --> 00:42:47.460 I would say, no, 00:42:47.619 --> 00:42:50.420 the Christian life is about doing. 00:42:52.260 --> 00:42:53.680 God made you to be a servant. 00:42:55.099 --> 00:42:57.300 You don't do to get salvation. 00:42:57.920 --> 00:42:58.860 That's legalism. 00:42:59.480 --> 00:43:00.280 That's religion. 00:43:01.619 --> 00:43:03.440 But you do because you are saved. 00:43:05.440 --> 00:43:07.079 And that's what this passage is saying. 00:43:07.360 --> 00:43:08.500 Christ is saying, what are you doing? 00:43:09.460 --> 00:43:11.179 The final thing that sticks out to me here 00:43:11.179 --> 00:43:13.320 is just this idea of this first question 00:43:13.320 --> 00:43:14.800 because this is the question 00:43:14.800 --> 00:43:16.300 that this whole passage is about. 00:43:16.659 --> 00:43:18.320 And it's a question in verse 25. 00:43:18.760 --> 00:43:19.940 Teacher, what shall I do 00:43:19.940 --> 00:43:21.659 to inherit eternal life? 00:43:21.920 --> 00:43:23.019 What must I do? 00:43:23.219 --> 00:43:24.920 And what Jesus shows us in this passage 00:43:24.920 --> 00:43:26.280 is that it's impossible. 00:43:30.219 --> 00:43:31.300 That if you're here today, 00:43:31.300 --> 00:43:32.980 and you're trying to earn your way to heaven, 00:43:34.220 --> 00:43:35.320 Jesus says it's impossible. 00:43:39.260 --> 00:43:41.420 This parable says it's impossible. 00:43:44.940 --> 00:43:46.320 Because if you go home today, 00:43:46.460 --> 00:43:48.680 or you lead children's ministry next week, 00:43:48.720 --> 00:43:49.820 or you talk to your kids, 00:43:49.860 --> 00:43:50.560 or you talk to somebody, 00:43:50.620 --> 00:43:51.940 and you tell the story of the parable, 00:43:52.500 --> 00:43:53.560 and they ask you, 00:43:53.620 --> 00:43:54.340 which person are you? 00:43:56.100 --> 00:43:56.920 Are you the lawyer? 00:43:56.920 --> 00:43:59.119 Are you the priest? 00:44:01.480 --> 00:44:02.400 Are you the Levite? 00:44:04.159 --> 00:44:05.000 Or are you the guy? 00:44:07.280 --> 00:44:08.039 Which one are you? 00:44:12.559 --> 00:44:14.500 You realize that when Jesus ever, 00:44:14.740 --> 00:44:16.300 always starts a parable, 00:44:16.659 --> 00:44:17.800 and he says a certain man, 00:44:18.840 --> 00:44:20.320 in Greek, what he's telling you to do, 00:44:20.440 --> 00:44:21.880 in Aramaic, what he's telling you to do, 00:44:22.159 --> 00:44:23.420 is to put your name there. 00:44:23.420 --> 00:44:28.059 Now, Tobin was on a journey, 00:44:29.720 --> 00:44:30.960 and he was robbed, 00:44:32.159 --> 00:44:33.760 and he was stripped down. 00:44:34.800 --> 00:44:36.780 He was beaten, and he was left for dead. 00:44:38.380 --> 00:44:39.700 Then all the things in his world 00:44:39.700 --> 00:44:40.659 passed around him. 00:44:40.720 --> 00:44:41.619 He couldn't do anything. 00:44:41.920 --> 00:44:43.260 He couldn't even cry out. 00:44:44.579 --> 00:44:46.400 And then a true good Samaritan came. 00:44:48.019 --> 00:44:48.980 His name is Jesus. 00:44:50.539 --> 00:44:52.059 He was forsaken by the culture. 00:44:53.420 --> 00:44:54.619 He was forsaken by the world. 00:44:56.280 --> 00:44:57.860 He saw Tobin laying on the road. 00:44:59.720 --> 00:45:00.740 He felt compassion. 00:45:02.740 --> 00:45:03.920 He moved towards him. 00:45:05.200 --> 00:45:06.340 It's the same in Virginia he does 00:45:06.340 --> 00:45:07.639 when he comes and he touches the dead person. 00:45:07.700 --> 00:45:08.519 He moves towards him. 00:45:09.840 --> 00:45:10.760 He picks him up. 00:45:12.260 --> 00:45:13.019 He heals him. 00:45:15.039 --> 00:45:16.039 He takes care of him. 00:45:18.320 --> 00:45:19.420 He puts him in a home. 00:45:19.420 --> 00:45:21.760 And he says, 00:45:21.840 --> 00:45:22.480 you wait for me 00:45:22.480 --> 00:45:25.220 because one day 00:45:25.220 --> 00:45:28.579 I'm going to come back for you, 00:45:29.139 --> 00:45:31.280 take care of you. 00:45:35.059 --> 00:45:36.599 That's the message of this parable. 00:45:38.079 --> 00:45:39.320 You put your name there 00:45:39.320 --> 00:45:41.039 because that's what Jesus wanted you to do. 00:45:41.039 --> 00:45:43.719 What he wanted us to understand 00:45:43.719 --> 00:45:45.179 is that Christ paid 00:45:45.179 --> 00:45:46.940 this incredible sacrifice for us. 00:45:47.960 --> 00:45:49.199 And if we don't understand this, 00:45:49.239 --> 00:45:50.099 if we don't put ourselves 00:45:50.099 --> 00:45:51.420 in that person's place, 00:45:51.960 --> 00:45:53.440 we'll never understand mercy. 00:45:55.460 --> 00:45:56.920 We'll never understand grace. 00:45:58.719 --> 00:46:00.179 Because we'll think people owe us. 00:46:01.860 --> 00:46:02.719 God owes us. 00:46:04.860 --> 00:46:05.460 The passage says, 00:46:05.579 --> 00:46:05.779 no. 00:46:05.780 --> 00:46:08.900 You're dead. 00:46:11.940 --> 00:46:13.440 And when we understand this, 00:46:13.620 --> 00:46:15.080 we can go to verse 37 00:46:15.080 --> 00:46:17.200 and we can go 00:46:17.200 --> 00:46:18.960 and do the same. 00:46:20.260 --> 00:46:21.780 But until we understand that, 00:46:21.840 --> 00:46:22.740 we're never going to serve. 00:46:25.019 --> 00:46:25.980 Until we understand that, 00:46:26.019 --> 00:46:26.840 we'll never tithe. 00:46:28.580 --> 00:46:29.420 Until we understand that, 00:46:29.460 --> 00:46:30.420 we'll never be the hands and feet 00:46:30.420 --> 00:46:31.800 that God wants us to be in the community. 00:46:33.280 --> 00:46:35.240 Because we'll always expect something from him. 00:46:36.340 --> 00:46:37.519 We're the people that we serve. 00:46:38.700 --> 00:46:39.980 Now, I don't know what this looks like 00:46:39.980 --> 00:46:40.540 for you today. 00:46:41.120 --> 00:46:41.840 Verse 37, 00:46:42.000 --> 00:46:42.880 go and do the same. 00:46:43.260 --> 00:46:44.040 As a pastor, 00:46:44.160 --> 00:46:44.460 for me, 00:46:44.540 --> 00:46:46.260 it scares the bejesus out of me. 00:46:46.640 --> 00:46:47.280 Because I don't want to say, 00:46:47.400 --> 00:46:48.560 here's the five things you need to do. 00:46:48.620 --> 00:46:49.340 Because if you're like me, 00:46:49.380 --> 00:46:50.540 you do them all by Tuesday 00:46:50.540 --> 00:46:50.980 and you go, 00:46:51.060 --> 00:46:51.519 okay, I'm done. 00:46:54.540 --> 00:46:56.560 But the passage comes to each one of us, 00:46:56.620 --> 00:46:57.600 wherever you're at right now 00:46:57.600 --> 00:46:58.080 in your journey, 00:46:58.180 --> 00:46:58.820 and it asks you 00:46:58.820 --> 00:47:01.080 to remember what Christ has done for you. 00:47:02.280 --> 00:47:03.400 To remember that the neighbor 00:47:03.400 --> 00:47:05.040 is anybody that you can serve. 00:47:06.240 --> 00:47:07.580 That love isn't just a feeling, 00:47:07.700 --> 00:47:08.420 but it's an action 00:47:08.420 --> 00:47:09.760 and putting those things into work. 00:47:11.460 --> 00:47:12.820 And that you go and do the same. 00:47:15.280 --> 00:47:16.000 For some of us, 00:47:16.040 --> 00:47:16.980 it might mean just finding 00:47:16.980 --> 00:47:19.220 people to bless who are around you. 00:47:19.300 --> 00:47:19.760 For some of us, 00:47:19.780 --> 00:47:20.800 it might mean getting involved 00:47:20.800 --> 00:47:21.360 in an outreach 00:47:21.360 --> 00:47:21.980 that we've been doing 00:47:21.980 --> 00:47:22.600 at nursing homes 00:47:22.600 --> 00:47:23.760 and other places in our community. 00:47:24.440 --> 00:47:25.120 For some of us, 00:47:25.140 --> 00:47:25.920 it might just mean praying 00:47:25.920 --> 00:47:26.900 for people in your office. 00:47:27.620 --> 00:47:28.160 For some of us, 00:47:28.160 --> 00:47:29.260 it might be looking for opportunities 00:47:29.260 --> 00:47:31.080 to come alongside people 00:47:31.080 --> 00:47:32.680 who are enemies 00:47:32.680 --> 00:47:36.040 and to serve them 00:47:36.040 --> 00:47:36.800 and to bless them. 00:47:38.820 --> 00:47:40.000 I think for all of us, 00:47:40.040 --> 00:47:41.180 it might mean just praying 00:47:41.180 --> 00:47:43.200 and asking God to show us 00:47:43.200 --> 00:47:47.160 who our neighbor really is 00:47:47.160 --> 00:47:49.480 and what he wants us to do to him. 00:47:49.480 --> 00:47:56.740 But a Samaritan 00:47:56.740 --> 00:47:57.659 who was on a journey 00:47:57.659 --> 00:47:59.139 came upon him 00:47:59.139 --> 00:48:01.039 and then saw him 00:48:01.039 --> 00:48:03.679 and built compassion. 00:48:06.260 --> 00:48:06.900 Let's pray. 00:48:06.900 --> 00:48:08.780 Father, we just thank you 00:48:08.780 --> 00:48:09.260 for this day. 00:48:09.380 --> 00:48:10.920 We thank you for this passage 00:48:10.920 --> 00:48:12.280 which is amazing 00:48:12.280 --> 00:48:14.500 that it speaks to us 00:48:14.500 --> 00:48:15.300 in our condition 00:48:15.300 --> 00:48:16.320 where we're at right now. 00:48:17.579 --> 00:48:18.180 Father, we thank you 00:48:18.180 --> 00:48:20.220 that we have a big brother, 00:48:21.599 --> 00:48:22.980 a true good Samaritan 00:48:22.980 --> 00:48:29.300 who could have passed beside us 00:48:29.300 --> 00:48:32.440 just as everybody else 00:48:32.440 --> 00:48:33.340 has done in our culture. 00:48:35.000 --> 00:48:35.800 But he didn't. 00:48:37.460 --> 00:48:38.880 He came into our lives 00:48:38.880 --> 00:48:42.099 and your word says 00:48:42.099 --> 00:48:43.019 that we were dead, dead. 00:48:43.860 --> 00:48:45.059 We were dead to sin. 00:48:46.579 --> 00:48:47.740 And he picked us up 00:48:47.740 --> 00:48:50.639 and he felt compassion on us 00:48:50.639 --> 00:48:53.700 and he cleaned our wounds 00:48:53.700 --> 00:48:56.460 and he bound our hearts 00:48:56.460 --> 00:48:58.059 in our brokenness. 00:48:59.160 --> 00:49:00.920 He poured his spirit on us 00:49:00.920 --> 00:49:01.680 to heal us 00:49:01.680 --> 00:49:02.420 and to change us 00:49:02.420 --> 00:49:03.300 and to make us different. 00:49:04.920 --> 00:49:06.740 That he put us in his position 00:49:06.739 --> 00:49:07.479 and his place 00:49:07.479 --> 00:49:09.019 and took us to a place of rest. 00:49:11.459 --> 00:49:12.419 And that he promised 00:49:12.419 --> 00:49:13.359 that he would take care 00:49:13.359 --> 00:49:13.819 of everything 00:49:13.819 --> 00:49:15.099 and provide for everything 00:49:15.099 --> 00:49:17.059 if we would trust him. 00:49:19.859 --> 00:49:21.619 That he promised one day soon 00:49:21.619 --> 00:49:22.639 he would come back. 00:49:25.639 --> 00:49:26.379 Father, we thank you 00:49:26.379 --> 00:49:27.579 that you are the Samaritan. 00:49:28.199 --> 00:49:29.319 We thank you that you saved us 00:49:29.319 --> 00:49:30.559 by grace and mercy. 00:49:31.599 --> 00:49:32.619 Help us as individuals 00:49:32.619 --> 00:49:33.419 and as a church 00:49:33.420 --> 00:49:34.360 to understand that 00:49:34.360 --> 00:49:35.820 in a deeper way today. 00:49:37.180 --> 00:49:38.380 Help us to look around 00:49:38.380 --> 00:49:39.200 and to see who 00:49:39.200 --> 00:49:40.220 we can be a neighbor to. 00:49:41.820 --> 00:49:42.740 Help us to understand 00:49:42.740 --> 00:49:43.500 why you have us 00:49:43.500 --> 00:49:44.099 at our work 00:49:44.099 --> 00:49:45.280 and our homes 00:49:45.280 --> 00:49:46.579 and our neighborhoods. 00:49:46.579 --> 00:49:49.679 and help us to be used 00:49:49.679 --> 00:49:50.139 by you 00:49:50.139 --> 00:49:51.779 to redeem 00:49:51.779 --> 00:49:52.659 broken 00:49:52.659 --> 00:49:54.360 and fallen people 00:49:54.360 --> 00:49:55.119 all around us. 00:49:56.579 --> 00:49:57.460 Father, we 00:49:57.460 --> 00:49:59.659 we are humbled 00:49:59.659 --> 00:50:00.659 by your mercy 00:50:00.659 --> 00:50:01.279 and grace 00:50:01.279 --> 00:50:03.460 and we love you. 00:50:04.420 --> 00:50:05.159 We pray all these things 00:50:05.159 --> 00:50:06.119 in your son Jesus' name. 00:50:06.900 --> 00:50:07.119 Amen. 00:50:07.119 --> 00:50:07.219 Amen. 00:50:07.219 --> 00:50:07.279 Amen. 00:50:07.279 --> 00:50:07.319 Amen. 00:50:07.319 --> 00:50:07.340 Amen. 00:50:07.340 --> 00:50:07.360 Amen. 00:50:07.360 --> 00:50:07.400 Amen. 00:50:07.400 --> 00:50:07.420 Amen. 00:50:07.420 --> 00:50:09.340 Amen. 00:50:09.340 --> 00:50:09.360 Amen. 00:50:09.360 --> 00:50:11.340 Amen. 00:50:11.340 --> 00:50:11.400 Amen. 00:50:11.400 --> 00:50:11.420 Amen.