Apr 24
14
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 119:1–16
“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” (Psalm 119:1–16, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Luke 10:25-37
“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ And he answered, ‘You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.’ But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You go, and do likewise.’” (Luke 10:25–37, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
I find this exchange between Jesus and this lawyer over the question of what one must do to inherit eternal life to be fascinating and very instructive. In particular, I find this passage to be instructive as it pertains to the view that the Christian should have of God’s law. How should the Christian view God’s law? What is the relationship that disciples of Jesus have to God’s law? This is a very important question, and I find Luke 10:25-37 to be very instructive.
It is our belief that the moral, or natural, law of God was written on Adam’s heart at the time of creation. Adam, remember, was made in the image of God with true knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. He knew right from wrong naturally.
It is also our view that the moral or natural law remains in the heart of man even after man’s fall into sin. Of course, it is all twisted up and distorted by sinful men and women. It is also suppressed by sinners. Sinners will fight against God’s moral law, disobey it, and seek to eradicate it, but there it remains. Like gravity, God’s moral law is baked into the natural order. And like with gravity, you are free to deny its existence, but the consequences are rather extreme.
Furthermore, we confess that the same moral law that was written on Adam’s heart in the beginning was summarized in the Ten Commandments written on stone by the finger of God at Mt. Sinai and given to Israel through Moses. In the Ten Commandments, we find a pure and exceedingly clear summary of God’s moral law. Under the Old Mosaic Covenant, the moral law functioned as the basis for the civil and ceremonial laws that God added and gave to the nation of Israel. And we know that the summary or essence of the moral law is found in the two great commandments, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV), and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself…” (Leviticus 19:18, ESV).
A question Christians must ask is, how should we view God’s moral law? What are its uses? What is our relationship to it now that we are united to Christ by faith and saved by the grace of God alone? As I have said, I find this passage about Jesus’ interaction with the lawyer over the question of what one must do to inherit eternal life to be fascinating and very instructive. It is interesting to see how Jesus Christ viewed God’s law. It is interesting to see how he used it in this instance.
The Pedagogical Use Of The Law
Last Sunday we focused our attention on Luke 10:25-29. If you missed that sermon, I would encourage you to go to the archives to either listen to it or read it. If I were to summarize that sermon very briefly I think I would draw your attention to the fact that one, Jesus honored the law of Moses, two, he appealed to it in response to the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”, and three, he used the law as a rod or disciplinarian to show this lawyer his sin and his need for a Redeemer. When Christ replied to the lawyer, saying, go ahead, do this, keep God’s law and live, he honored the law, appealed to its goodness, and used it to show the lawyer that he could not be justified by the law because of his inability to keep it. The law cannot save us, friends. But it is not because the law is flawed or weak. The reason the law cannot save us is that we are flawed and weak – better words would be, guilty, corrupt, and sinful.
So then, how should we view God’s moral law? What are its uses? What is our relationship to it now that we are united to Christ by faith and saved by the grace of God? Well, like Christ, we should honor the law, appeal to its goodness, and use it as a disciplinarian or strict teacher. Theologians refer to this as the pedagogical use of the law. The law is useful in that it reveals our sins and shows us our need for a Savior. It is the Gospel that reveals that Christ is the Savior.
Can you see, therefore, that the law and the Gospel are not at odds? No, when the law is properly understood and rightly used, it compliments and agrees with the Gospel. God’s law reveals what God requires of us and what he forbids. And because we are fallen and sinful, the law reveals our sin. The law speaks to all of us and says, you are guilty, you are condemned, judgment awaits. But the Gospel says salvation has been accomplished. Forgiveness is available. It is received by turning from your sin and trusting in Christ. And why is he able to forgive, save, and grant eternal life to those who come to him by faith? It is because he has done what we could not do. He was born into this world guiltless and undefiled. He obeyed God’s law perfectly and perpetually. He laid down his life to atone for the sins of those who trust in him. And because he was perfectly obedient, he was raised to life in glory – life eternal. This eternal life is his to share. He grants it to all who are united to him by faith.
Can you see, dear friends, that the law is good when viewed and used properly? Can you also see that it is very bad to misuse God’s law? This lawyer to whom Jesus spoke was misusing God’s law. He thought he could obtain eternal life by keeping it, but he was badly mistaken. He was blind to his own sin. He was blind to his inability. And so Jesus held the law up to him as if it were a mirror for his soul so that he might see himself as he truly was.
As I said in the previous sermon, though we do not know what became of this lawyer, there is evidence that he began to see the problem. After Jesus held the law up to him as a mirror, the text says that he desired to justify himself. In other words, he could see the problem and he wanted to find a solution. Sadly, though the solution was standing right in front of him, he was still attempting to find a solution in the law. Desiring to justify himself, he spoke to Jesus saying, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29, ESV). In other words, he could see that if he was to be justified by obeying the law, then his obligations to love his neighbor would need to be reduced to a minimum. The parable that Jesus told about the good Samaritan should have crushed this man’s hopes of being justified by law-keeping, for in this parable, Jesus does not reduce the requirements of the law to love one’s neighbor down to a minimum but interprets the law as requiring a maximum, as we will soon see.
The Normative Use Of The Law
Before moving on to consider the parable, I want to draw your attention to another legitimate use of God’s moral law, and that is as a light to our feet. Theologians call this the normative use of the law.
Just because obedience to God’s moral law cannot bring us salvation now that we are guilty in Adam, corrupt in nature, and law-breakers ourselves, that does not mean that God’s law is no longer useful as a guide to us. No, God’s law is a guide. It shows us the way we are to go. It is a rule or standard for us. It is a light to our path. God’s law is to be regarded by the Christian as good and precious when used lawfully.
The Antinomian Error
I wonder if you can see why I am addressing this. From my admittedly limited perspective, it seems to me that Christians today are well aware of the dangers of legalism. The legalist seeks to be justified before God by his obedience to the law and his good works. The legalist will often add manmade laws to God’s law. He does this because he thinks it is good to build fences around God’s law to lessen the possibility of transgressing God’s law. This is all bad and it is to be avoided. But I am afraid there is another problem within Christ’s church today, and that is the error of antinomianism. This word comes from two Greek words: ἀντί means “against” and νόμος means “law”. So, the antinomian is against God’s law. If the legalist errors in believing that he can be justified before God by his law-keeping, the antinomian errors in thinking that there is no law for the Christian.
It is not difficult to see how the antinomian error creeps in. Can we merit eternal life through obedience to God’s law? No. What does God’s law do to the sinner, therefore? It condemns the sinner by showing the sinner their sin. Is the Christian obligated to obey the ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant – those Old Testament laws about worship at the temple, purification, dietary restrictions, holy days, etc? No. These have been fulfilled by Christ and taken away. And what about the civil laws that were given to Isarel through Moses to govern them as a nation? Are they binding on us? No. These belonged to the Old Covenant order. God’s kingdom is no longer isolated to or identified with a particular nation on earth. Civil laws are not attached to the New Covenant, therefore. We may learn moral principles from the civil laws of the Old Covenant, but those particular laws are not binding on any nation today. Do you notice how consistently “negative” these replies are to questions about God’s law? Can God’s law save? No. Are the ceremonial laws of the Mosaic Covenant still binding? No. Are the civil laws of the Mosaic Covenant still in force? No. What does the moral do? It condemns sinners and shows them their need for a Savior. With all of this “negativity”, it is not difficult to see how some slip into the error of believing that no positive function remains for God’s law today. But the antinomians are badly mistaken.
God’s Law Is Good
God’s law is good when used lawfully.
Though perhaps unpleasant for a time, it is good that God’s moral law shows us our sin, for it is when we see our sin and guilt that we also see our need for the Savior. The law condemns and the Gospel has the power to save as it offers salvation through Jesus Christ to all who believe.
But God’s law is also good because it functions as a light to our feet. God’s law is both a mirror that enables us to see our sin-stained faces and a light that illuminates our path as we sojourn in this dark world.
Friends, I hope and pray you are not a legalist. I also hope and pray that you are not an antinomian. My prayer for you is that you would see your sin and your need for a savior, that you would hear and believe the precious promise of the Gospel, that all who turn from their sins to trust in Christ will have life everlasting (John 3:16). And being found in Christ, I pray that you would love God’s law and strive to obey it with the strength that God supplies.
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The Parable Of The Good Samaritan
This brings us now to the parable of the Good Samaritan. A parable is a story that is meant to teach spiritual lessons. Notice a few things about this parable.
Firstly, we must remember that Jesus told this story in response to the question, who is my neighbor? And that question was asked by the lawyer after he was told to go earn eternal life by keeping the commands to love God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, and one’s neighbor as himself. The point that I am here making is that this parable is about God’s law. It is an answer to the question, what does God’s law require of us? God’s law requires us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Who then is my neighbor? In other words, who does God’s law require me to love?
Secondly, notice that this parable begins with a story about a man in need. In verse 30 we encounter the words of Jesus: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho…” This road was notoriously dangerous in Jesus’ day. The hills were filled with bandits and robbers. Many travelers were assaulted there. Most would have dreaded the journey given the dangers. And so the road from Jerusalem to Jericho functions as an appropriate illustration for life in this world. In this life, people encounter many difficulties, trials, and tribulations. Jesus goes on to say, “and [this man] fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead” (Luke 10:30, ESV). It is important to observe that this man’s need was legitimate and urgent. He was not merely deprived of some of the pleasures of life. No, he was destitute. He was unable to help himself. He was half-dead.
What else is there to notice about this man in need? Well, I think we should also notice what is not said about him. Jesus says not a word about his ethnicity or social status, and this is very significant. Jesus simply presents him as a man (Ἄνθρωπός). More than this, he is a man stripped of his clothes and belongings, badly beaten, and left for dead. This means that anyone who stumbled upon him would only be able to see that he was human. They would not be able to recognize if were rich or poor, educated or uneducated, of the priestly or common caste, etc. In this parable, the man in need is simply a man in need.
Thirdly, notice that three other characters are introduced to us in this parable, and Jesus tells us something about each one of them.
One, in verse 31, we are told that “by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side” (Luke 10:31, ESV). The priests of Isarel were descended from Aaron. They were responsible for guarding and keeping the temple and offering sacrifices to God on behalf of the people as mediators. That this priest would show such little regard for human life and so little concern for human suffering is meant to shock. It is also meant to function as a critique of the religious elite in Jesus’ day who were deeply concerned about religious ceremony and purity but neglected the weigher matters of the law. I’m reminded here of Jesus’ scathing rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees as found in Matthew 23:23: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” (Matthew 23:23–24, ESV).
Two, in verse 32, we read, “So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side” (Luke 10:32, ESV). The Levites also served in the temple. They were set apart as assistants to the priests (see Numbers 8:19). It would make sense that a priest and a Levite were on this road from Jerusalem to Jerico. Jericho was filled with priests and Levites. Many lived there, given its proximity to Jerusalem. I think it is significant that Jesus has these men traveling from Jerusalem to Jerico. This implies that their service at the temple had just concluded. One would think that the priest and Levite would be more compassionate towards their fellow man given that they were just engaged in the worship of God. Also, if they were traveling from Jerico to Jerusalem, then perhaps they could be somewhat excused for their behavior given their need to remain ceremonially clean to serve at the temple. Contact with a dead body would have made them cerimonially unclean. But Jesus removes this excuse when he says they were heading from Jerusalem to Jerico.
Three, in verse 33 a Samaritan man is introduced. The text says, “But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back’” (Luke 10:33–35, ESV).
There are a number of observations to make. One, Samaritans, you should know, were despised by the Jews. And so it is surprising that Jesus (a Jew) makes this Samaritan the exemplar of the story. Two, it is interesting that Jesus answers the question, who is my neighbor, by telling a story about men on journeys. Typically, when people think of neighbors they think of those who live near to their home. But these men are all travelers. They are sojourners. And that is significant. It’s as if Jesus says, who is your neighbor? Let me tell you, it’s not restricted to those who live next door to you. The whole parable is about travelers or sojourners, and we are all sojourners, as you know. Three, Jesus tells us that when the Samaritan saw the man who had been robbed, beaten, and left half dead, he had compassion. Compassion is an emotion felt within the heart. Those who love truly will have compassion for others. This Samaritan did what he did for this man who was in need being moved by a heart of love and compassion. Four, this Samaritan did not merely feel compassion, he took action because it was his place and in his power to do so. Notice the action this Samaritan took. He went to the man in need. He bound up his wounds. He poured oil and wine on his wounds as medicine. Then he set the man on his own animal and brought him to an inn. There he took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, “Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.” This Samaritan risked his own safety, went out of his way, and spent the time and money required to care for this man who was in true need. As you can see, by telling this parable, Jesus answered more than the question, who is my neighbor? He also teaches us a great deal about what love is. True love emanates from the heart. True love results in action.
It is in verse 36 that Jesus brings the parable to a conclusion. He turned to the lawyer and asked him a question: “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” Notice the slight change in perspective. The question Jesus put to the lawyer was not, who do you think your neighbor is, but who proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? Essentially, these questions are the same. The questions, who is my neighbor and who am I a neighbor to, will receive the same answer. But the perspectives are slightly different. It’s as if Jesus wished to stress the obligation to be a good neighbor rather than merely answer the question, who is my neighbor?
In verse 37 we find the lawyer’s response, and it is correct. “He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You go, and do likewise’” (Luke 10:37, ESV).
So, what is the answer to the question, who is my neighbor? Your neighbor is any human being with whom you come into contact. The definition of “neighbor” must not be restricted to those who live next door, those of your race, or those of your class, creed, or religion. Your neighbor is any human with whom you come into contact. And what does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? It means that we are to treat others as we would want to be treated. More than this, it means we are to have compassion for others. We are to show mercy.
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Conclusion
Let me ask you, how is the law, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, to be used by us now that we know what it truly requires? Is it to be used as a strict teacher and disciplinarian to show us our sin, condemn us as lawbreakers, and reveal our need for a Savior? Or is it to be used as a light to our feet to show us how we are to walk in this world?
The question you should be asking is, why must we choose? Can not the same law function in these two different ways simultaneously? Yes, I think this should be our perspective. When we first come to realize what the law to love your neighbor as yourself requires and forbids, it should cause us to fall to our knees and say, Lord, have mercy upon me, a sinner.
I have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what I have done,
and by what I have left undone.
I have not loved you with my whole heart;
I have not loved my neighbor as myself.
I are truly sorry and I humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on me and forgive me…”
But that is not all we should say. We should go on. Lord, have mercy upon me and incline my heart to keep this law.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on me and forgive me…
that I may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name.
I’m sure you can see that this is how Jesus used the law with the lawyer. When Christ spoke to him saying, “You go, and do likewise”, it was to have a double effect. One, it was to show the man that he had failed and would fail again to meet the righteous requirement of God’s law. He needed forgiveness, therefore. Two, it was to show that all who are forgiven in Christ Jesus are then to walk in new obedience. In other words, when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said, “You go, and do likewise”, he meant it. The Christian is not without law, you see. The Christian, having been freely forgiven through faith in Christ Jesus alone, is then to pursue obedience to God’s law, not to be saved, but because they are saved by God’s grace – not to inherit eternal life, but because they have been given new life by God’s Word and Spirit.
So then, my exhortation to you is twofold: Firstly, turn from your sins and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Secondly, look intently at the perfect law of liberty and be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (see James 1:22-25). Brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, you must know God’s law, what it requires and forbids, and you must strive to keep it, not in your own strength but with the strength God supplies.
As it pertains to the command to love your neighbor as yourself, I must exhort you to have compassion for others. Friends, you must start with those nearest to you. Husbands have compassion for your wives. Wives have compassion for your husbands. Parents have compassion for your children, and children for your parents. Siblings, have compassion for one another. Compassion is to be shown to all you come into contact with, but it should start with those nearest to you. Start with the members of your own household, the members of this church, and those who live in close proximity to you. But do not stop there. Show compassion to all you come into contact with.
And do not merely feel compassion in the heart, show mercy to others with your words and actions. It may be that you have the opportunity to meet some physical needs. Like in the parable, you might someday find yourself in a situation where you are called to bind up physical wounds and meet physical needs. More often than not, the wounds and the needs will be emotional and spiritual in nature. Have compassion. Show mercy. Be patient. Be long-suffering and kind.
You have likely noticed how harsh, judgemental, and divided this world is. Truly, this world a harsh and cruel place. But the Christian is to be different. The Christian is characterized by love, compassion, and mercy. Think of how merciful God has been to you. Think of the mercy that Christ has shown to us. Indeed, the Samaritan of this parable seems to be a type of Christ. Consider how Christ responded to our sin and misery. Has he not rescued us from death? Has he not bandaged our wounds? Has he not anointed us with oil and wine? Did he not pay the price to heal us and to bring us home? Certainly, we are to imitate our Lord in this.
Dear friends, the gospel is not only that through faith in Christ our sins are forgiven and life eternal is inherited. No, more than this, we are renewed in Christ Jesus now. By God’s Word and Spirit, we are renewed. Our minds have been enlightened. Our hard hearts have been made soft. Our wills have been renewed too, so that we are now able to do what God has commanded. Let us then love one another as Christ has loved us. Let us love our neighbor as ourselves.
