Exploring God’s Word with Brad Thurston

Love Mercy and Live!

Episode Summary

How Jesus responds to the greatest question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Episode Notes

Read Text Luke 10:25-37

The Big Question:  What must I do to inherit eternal life?  

First the question:  how would you respond? Confess, repent, believe, and accept? 

This story revolves around two things: the big question, and the lawyer’s attitude.

  1. The lawyer is in a critical mood.  
  2. As are other religious leaders the closer they get to Jerusalem.  
  3. And so are the Samaritans from chapter 9.

The reply from Jesus focuses on God’s law for the lawyer!

  1. The dialogue centers around two Bible verses from the law of Moses: Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.  
  2. Two verses from two different places that show the study of the law was careful and the man was intelligent.  
  3. As the two face each other, Jesus commends him and tells him to do that to live: 
  4. in other words he ought to be treating Jesus as he himself wished to be treated and not be taking a superior position. He fails to love his neighbor standing in front of him

So not wanting to give in to the compassionate shaming, he tries to justify himself, by asking who his neighbor is.  

  1. The parable is among the best known, but only appears in Luke. 
  2. He describes loving your neighbor as being a merciful attitude, not keeping a set of rules and laws, 
  3. Such as purity laws of not touching unclean things
  4. Priority of status and position among the people
  5. The powerful impact of this story is the rejection that the Samaritans have for Jesus from 9:53
  6. The care comes from compassion, not regulation. 
  7. It is a loving rebuke when he asks, who showed mercy?
  8. See Matthew 9:17 “But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.””
  9. Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”
  10. The loving of neighbor is closely related to loving God
  11. 1 John 4:20,21 “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.”
  12. How do we show mercy?  Serve others
  13. Pray for, get to know, affirm, encourage, help, hospitality
  14. “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.” 1 Samuel12:23NASB
  15. “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians2:3-4NASB
  16. “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews10:24-25NASB

This is how to love God