Missed part one? Go to emboldened.net/2024/03/25/enjoying-being-set-apart/
I recently was listening to a teaching on the Good Samaritan. It’s such a popular and well-known parable that it’s become an axiom. In some cases, even the title of laws. In many states in the United States, “good samaritans” are protected from lawsuits if they’ve provided physical aid but an additional injury may have occurred as a result of that help (ie a person giving CPR fractures a person’s rib). For many believers and non-believers this story represents “being nice” or acting kindly to others. Jesus, however, throughout His time on earth spoke basically about only two things: God and His Kingdom. So, it’s important, however familiar we may be with the parable, to know why the story was told. It starts with this interaction:
"On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 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.’ "Luke 10:25-27
Now let’s look at what was happening. This lawyer was testing Jesus. Maybe he wanted Jesus to say, “Follow me.” This would have been heretical for the Jew. Instead, Jesus points him back to God’s Word. Notice the man fully counts himself a wonderful, loving person in his own eyes. He believes he uniquely and fully loves God with all his heart, mind and soul. There’s apparently no chance he has failed at this overwhelming task. Instead, he wants to parse out the requirements by then asking Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
“‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly….“‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God." Leviticus 19: 17 & 33-34
The Old Testament religious Jewish leaders had come to define (erroneously) their “neighbors” as those in their own circle. People exactly like them. That allowed them to hate anyone else — other Jews who they deemed unworthy such as tax collectors and then gentiles. They turned “love your neighbor as yourself” into “love your neighbor and hate your enemies.”
Some might say they were justified. I mean God did call on them to eliminate entire groups of people. But biblical scholars will clarify those particular groups actively hated God and sinned in abominable ways against Him. Murderous cultures, child sacrifices, rampant sexual immorality, pillaging and raping innocent people year after year after year. God also had warned them for hundreds of years. They all knew of the God of Abraham and Jacob — as witnessed by the likes of Rahab from Jericho. (Joshua 2:9-13) So, when Israel was directed to take action it was God’s justice, not personal justice. Each man was directed throughout Deuteronomy and Leviticus to treat the foreigner as themselves. Personal vendettas were against the Law. And still the religious leaders contorted God’s Word.
Jesus upends their well-worn, twisted morality by exposing the lack of compassion by the “righteous” versus the godly love by an “outsider” or even enemy. This parable wasn’t about acts of kindness, rather it highlights our sinful tendencies to divide and hate those on the other side of that divide. That hatred and the distortion of God’s Word leads us in the opposite direction the Jewish lawyer wanted to go. It’s not heaven he will find with a dark heart. Jesus allows the lesson to sink in; the lesson of reminding believers that He sets us apart from the world to do something unthinkable and difficult. To love others and show mercy as God loves us.
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:36-37
Friend, in God’s world, the world of eternal life, envy, hatred, greed, and jealousy, have no place. It didn’t during King Solomon’s time seen in Ecclesiastes 4 and it doesn’t now. True justice for the oppressed and downtrodden is not equity or retroactive punishment or even self-flagellation. It’s love. It’s the kind of love that looks different than the world. It says, “Let me help you out of sin.” It gives all that it can and doesn’t hoard the blessings we’ve been given. It looks hatred in the eye and says, “God loves you too.” It stops and, without care for itself, gives compassion. It protects the weak and helpless. It overflows with mercy and forgiveness. It’s a love that hates only one thing — the hatred of God — yet still prays for that person. It helps us see we are all needy sinners who disobey the Lord regularly and we thank God He abounds in mercy.
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism,you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it....Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2: 8-13
We are all, no matter our worldly status, guilty of not loving enough. Not forgiving enough. Not being people of grace. It’s not just to the faceless who we think have wrong us but to those in our church, in our home, in our neighborhood. It is our constant striving for the one and only thing that makes life meaningful that will bring us eternal life – our joyful obedience to the God who loves us.
When we seek personal justice or vengeance let’s remember the Apostle Paul. Remember the evil that lived in him and the terrible acts he oversaw. Then look to your Bible and see not only God’s mercy but the mercy and forgiveness he was granted by his fellow Christian Jews and gentiles. There is always hope in God’s plan for someone (like us) to turn their meaningless, oppressive life into something oh so meaningful.
When I was researching Ecclesiastes 4, I was led to reflect on my experience with Tom. You remember him? The one who hated women. The Holy Spirit convicted me. I have long, quietly harbored ill-will toward him. For making my life difficult during a stressful time. For hating an entire “type” of people. Suddenly I realized I was just as guilty. I was not loving my enemy, my oppressor. That realization brought me to tears of joy. Knowing our good God is constantly working in our hearts to prune us in ways we didn’t realize needed work. That act, alone, made that day so meaningful.
Ask Him today to reveal any hidden sins, especially of hatred, envy, oppression, vengeance, and jealousy. Then thank Him for the revelation and mercy. Enjoy the moment where you have been set free once again.
For more on Pastor John MacArthur’s sermon concerning the dangers and false teaching in our churches on social justice, go to https://www.gty.org/library/articles/45SJ
emboldened.net 