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WHAT MUST I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE? LUKE 10:25-37
Over the years I have had many discussions with people about what it means to be a Christian.
Quite often people have said it is about living by the Golden Rule – do unto others what you would have them do unto you.
Others have said, it is about being good Samaritans.
The story of the good Samaritan has always worried me.. because it seems to contradict the clear New Testament teaching that eternal life is not something we earn, but a free gift. . as the Apostle Paul writes in..
Romans 6:23..
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is given freely.. to undeserving people who put their faith in Jesus Christ.
Then I came to see that this story is meant to worry us.. that Jesus intended to worry us.
He told this story to a man who had asked him two questions.
These questions are the key to understanding the meaning of the story.
In Luke 10:25 we read..
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’
The expert in the Law is expecting an answer something like this. Obey the Law of Moses and it will give you life in this world and in the world to come.
Jesus knows what he is thinking and responds with a question..
What is written in the Law? How do you read it?
How do you understand the Law? What do you think it says you must do?
The expert in the law answers by quoting from the Law.. from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18..
‘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.’
Jesus responds..
You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.
What He says is very strong.
Do this.. and keep on doing this.. and you will live!
Now the expert in the law reveals his true agenda.
Luke writes..
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
What is on his mind as he asks this?
Kenneth E. Bailey spent many years living among people very similar to the people to whom Jesus told this story. He came to understand the way they think.. and points out that the expert in the law is expecting Jesus to answer,
‘Your relatives and your friends.’
He will then answer, ‘I have fully loved these.’
And expects that Jesus will then praise him and say to him,
‘You have truly fulfilled the law.’
He will then go on his way, feeling good about himself.. and pleased that he has been honored before the people.. [Through Peasant Eyes p39].
But instead of answering like that, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan.
A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho is down hill through rugged and rocky country. In some 27 kilometers it descends about 1200 meters.
It was a favorite place with robbers. They could hide.. attack.. and get away easily.
This poor man was attacked. They stripped him of his clothes.. beat him.. and left him half dead!
Bailey points out that he is unconscious and stripped.. that there was no way to identify him.. to know whether he was a Jew or a foreigner. He is reduced to a mere human being in need.. [Through Peasant Eyes p42,43].
Jesus goes on..
A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
The expert in the law will have pictured a robed man.. riding on an animal.. on his way from serving at the Temple. He is ritually pure.. sees this poor man.. cannot tell whether he is a Jew.. or dead or alive.. so he passes by on the other side of the road.
Had he helped a non Jew or a dead man.. he would have made himself ritually unclean.. and would have had to return to Jerusalem to be cleansed again..
The expert in the law mentally excuses him..
Jesus continues..
So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
The expert in the law excuses this man, too.
He passes by for reasons similar to the priest.
The people listening.. and the expert in the law.. are now caught up in the story.. and as Bailey points out.. expect that the next traveler to come into the story will be a Jewish layman.
Stories were to these people what movies are to us today. I am sure you have got caught up in a moving film.. have been expecting it will turn out in a certain way.. and then have been jolted by a twist in the plot.
The expert in the law.. and the people listening.. are not merely jolted.. but horrified when Jesus says..
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins 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 Samaritan, a despised and hated Samaritan!
Centuries of animosity had passed between Jews and Samaritans. The Jews publicly cursed the Samaritans in the Synagogues.. and prayed daily that Samaritans might not be partakers of eternal life.
And Jesus makes a Samaritan the hero of his story.
His behavior is remarkable!
He took pity on the injured man.. went to him.. bandaged his wounds.. put the man on his donkey.. took him to an inn and cared for him there.
He knew the wounded man had no money.. and that if he cannot pay, the inn keeper will have him arrested for debt.. so the next day.. he gave the innkeeper two silver coins. Two days’ wages [$400 or more?] – to cover the man’s costs! And promised to pay any extra costs when he returned!
And on top of this.. he put his own life at risk. The man’s relatives would be out for revenge.. would assume the Samaritan was the attacker.. and kill him.
The hero of the story.. a Samaritan.. in spite of the cost in time, effort, money and personal danger.. demonstrated love to the one in need!
Jesus lets this sink in.. and then asks..
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 cannot bring himself even to say the word, ‘Samaritan’ and grudgingly answers..
The one who had mercy on him.
Then Jesus says..
Go and do likewise.
And again His words are strong.
Go.. and do as this man did.. and keep on doing it.. day in and day out.. This is what it means to be a loving neighbor.
This is what it takes to inherit eternal life.. to love like this.. and to keep on loving like this.
The expert in the law.. and the people listening.. are stunned!
The expert in the law had expected to go on his way, feeling good about himself.. and pleased that he had been honored before the people.. but now.. he goes on his way.. angry and completely shaken!
Who can love people like this Samaritan did.. and love like this day in and day out?
No one can. It is impossible!
And that is the point of the story.
Jesus told it to destroy this man’s confidence in his own righteousness!
The Apostle Paul was at one time just like this expert in the law.
Let’s now look at what he discovered.
In Galatians 2:15 he writes..
We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ know that a man is not justified by observing the law..
Let that sink in. That is what Jesus was driving at in the story.
If we are doing good things in an effort to earn our way into God’s favor.. forget it.
Then Paul goes on to say.. In Galatians 2:15,16
We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
Paul speaks from experience.
When he was struggling with his own sin.. with his failure to obey the law.. He encountered the Risen Jesus and saw with the utmost clarity that He was the Son of God.. and had made a far greater sacrifice than this Samaritan had made. He had died a cruel death on a cross.. as the sacrifice that takes away sin..
Paul believed that!
He put his faith in Jesus.. and was justified.
He found peace.. peace with God.. and joy.. and love.. and hope! And from that moment on.. knew that he would inherit eternal life!
Do we know the peace that Paul discovered.. are we sure as he was that we will inherit eternal life?
We can be.. right now.. believe in Jesus now!
Jesus has taught us.. and powerfully.. that we cannot be justified by obeying the Law.. by loving our neighbor.. but only through faith in Jesus.
Does that mean we can turn a blind eye to the challenge of the Good Samaritan.. turn a blind eye to people in need?
No way!
In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul writes about justification.. and freedom.
He urges his readers to value this.. to stand firm in this.. and says.. Galatians 5:13,14..
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
As free people.. justified people.. people who will inherit eternal life.. we are to serve one another in love!
We are to be compassionate and caring people - like the Good Samaritan!
And we can do it!
Paul tells us how in Galatians 5:16,22,23
So I say, live by the Spirit.. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
When we believe.. and are justified.. Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to us.. and He enables us.. to live a life of love!
Will we fall short of the amazing example of the Good Samaritan? Yes!
Sometimes we may almost reach that standard.. at other times fall way short.
But if we are trusting in Jesus.. if we know He has justified us and given us eternal life.. we will not despair. We will not give up.
I love to watch people on the flying trapeze..
Once to my horror.. the performers performed without a net.
One mistake.. and its game over.
It is like that when we try to inherit eternal life by keeping the law.. fail once.. game over!
But when we have been justified through faith in Jesus.. and know that we will inherit eternal life.. it is like flying through the air with a net beneath us.
With a net.. we can fail.. and live.. and get up and fly again..
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