Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1–9 

“Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:1–9, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 10:38-42

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38–42, 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

This story about Mary and her sister Martha is well-known and much loved, and for good reason. As a father with grown children, this story puts a little smile on my face. It’s a blessing to watch your children grow and develop their unique personalities. I imagine all parents, especially those with older or adult children, will know what I mean. These two sisters, Mary and Martha, were wired differently. Martha was a doer. She was a servant. She excelled in hospitality. Mary, it seems, was a bit more relational. These differences between the sisters can be seen in other passages of Scripture too. Mary, Martha, and their brother, Lazarus, were dear friends of Jesus. These sisters are mentioned in John 11 and 12. There too we see their temperaments manifest. Martha serves, and Mary is found at Jesus’ feet. As you may know, Mary was the one who expressed her faith in and love for Jesus by extravagantly anointing his feet with expensive ointment (see John 12:3). 

These observations about the temperaments, strengths, and weaknesses of Mary and Martha are good and fine to make. They are certainly a big part of the story that is told here. But we must be careful not to make this story about them. This story is not about them. It is instead about Jesus and the relationship we are to have with him.      

The question I would like to begin with is, why this story, and why this story here? If you remember, we asked this same question about the story of Jesus’ encounter with the lawyer as recorded in Luke 10:25-28 and the Parable of the Good Samaritan that followed. We ask this question because we believe that the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are more than dry and straightforward histories. No, they are histories carefully crafted under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of teaching. Luke admits at the beginning of his gospel that he wrote to persuade us to have stronger faith in Jesus Christ  (see Luke 1:1-4). 

As I have said, this story about the sisters, Mary and Martha, and their interaction with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is well known and much loved. In a way, it can stand on its own. However, I believe that the meaning and message of this story are better understood and appreciated when we consider it in its context. 

Why did Luke tell this story immediately following the story of Jesus’ interaction with the lawyer as recorded in Luke 10:25-37? I believe the reason is this. In Jesus’ exchange with the lawyer, the two great commandments, “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’” (Luke 10:27, ESV), were brought forward. The lawyer, seeking to justify himself, then asked a follow-up question about the second greatest commandment: who is my neighbor? Jesus replied to him by telling the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In that parable, Jesus did only answered the question, who is my neighbor, but also showed what true love for neighbor is. True love for others emanates from a heart of compassion. True love for others takes action to meet real needs. The command to love your neighbor as yourself requires us to treat those we encounter compassionately. Where real needs exist, and when it is in our power to meet those needs, we should meet them with wisdom and care.  

So, the Parable of the Good Samaritan describes what it means to keep the second great commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself. And I do believe that Luke inserted this story about Mary and Martha here in his gospel to teach us something about keeping the first and greatest commandment, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to illustrate the superiority of the first great commandment over the second. Stated differently, though the question, what does it mean to love the Lord our God with all the heart, soul, strength, and mind, is never explicitly asked, I believe this story about Mary and Martha answers that question. It also illustrates the importance of maintaining the proper order. The first and greatest commandment requires love for God. It is first and greatest for good reason. The second greatest commandment requires love for one’s neighbor. It is the second great commandment for good reason. Neither of these commandments is to be neglected. But the order must be maintained. In my opinion, this is what the story about Mary and Martha is about. It reveals what keeping the first great commandment requires. More than this, it shows the priority that is to be given the first great commandment over the second. 

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Mary Contrasted With The Lawyer:
Those Who Love God Will Sit At The Feet Of Jesus To Receive His Word

It should be clear to all that, in the story that is open before us, Mary is to be contrasted with her sister, Martha. In just a moment, we will compare and contrast the behavior of these two sisters. But I believe that Mary is also to be contrasted with the lawyer of Luke 10:25.

We should remember how the lawyer was introduced to us. Luke 10:25 says, “And behold, a lawyer stood up to put [Jesus] to the test…” But notice how Mary is introduced to us in verse 39. Mary is described as one “who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.” So, the lawyer stood up to test Jesus. But Mary sat at Jesus’ feet to learn from him. The lawyer in his arrogance and self-righteous pride challenged the Word of God incarnate. But Mary humbly submitted to the Word. She “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.” These two – Mary and the lawyer – are meant to be contrasted. One would expect the the lawyer – the expert in God’s law  – to love Christ, to welcome him, honor him, and to sit as his feet to learn from him. But he did not. In his self-righteous pride, he stood up to test Jesus. In contrast, Mary – a lowly and sinful woman – is found sitting at the feet of Christ, the eternal Word of God incarnate, to humbly receive his teaching. 

You might ask, what does this have to do with the first great commandment, to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind? Answer: Our love for God if it is true will involve submission to his word. Those who love God will receive and submit to the word of God. Those who love God will strive to obey the word of God. Those who love God will love God’s word. And if you know who Jesus is, you will see that those who love God truly will receive and submit to Jesus Christ, the eternal word of God incarnate. 

Those who love God will love Christ, for Christ is God. Those who love God will receive and submit to God’s word. Christ is the eternal Word of God incarnate. Those who receive Christ receive the Word of God. Those who reject Christ reject the Word of God. We should remember the words of Jesus found in Luke 9:48: “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me”, that is to say, the Father. A similar statement is found in Luke 10:16. There Jesus speaks to the 72 disciples that he sent out to heal and to preach, saying, “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” So then, to reject Jesus’ word is to reject the word of God. To receive Jesus’ word is to receive the Word of God. 

I do believe that Mary is put forward here in Luke 10:39 as one who loved God truly. Her love for God was manifest as she sat humbly at the feet of Jesus, the eternal Word of God incarnate, to receive his teaching. She is one of the “little children” that Jesus spoke of in  Luke 9:48. In a spirit of meekness and humility, her greatest desire was to hear and receive the Word of God. She sat at Jesus’ feet. But the wise lawyer – the one who was held in high esteem by the people – stood up to put Jesus to the test. So, the lawyer is doubly condemned. The Parable of the Good Samaritan revealed that he did not love his neighbor as himself. And this story about Mary at the feet of Jesus reveals that he did not truly love the Lord with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind. Those who love God truly will sit humbly at the feet of Jesus to receive the Word of God. The lawyer stood and put Jesus to the test. He sought to justify himself. It should be clear to all that he stood condemned.     

A true love for God will involve, and even begin with, love for God’s Word. Those who love God will love the Word of God, humbly receive it, and strive to obey it. 

It is interesting (and very sad) when people attempt to separate the concept of love for God from the idea that we are obligated to receive God’s word and strive to obey it. Have you ever encountered this way of thinking? I’d be shocked if you haven’t. It’s all around. Perhaps you have heard someone say, Christianity is about love, not law. Or maybe you have heard it put this way: Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. Both of these phrases illustrate the tendency that so many have in our day and age to pit love for God against obedience to his law or a relationship with God through Christ against religious devotion. So many in our day imagine that a choice between the two must made. Will you love God or will you strive to obey his law? Will you pursue a relationship with God through Christ or will seek to be religious and devout?

Friends, this is a false dilemma. The question you should ask of the person who thinks and speaks this way is, why must I choose between love for God and obedience to his law? Why must I pick between a relationship with God and religious devotion? Really, the most important question you should ask is, do the Holy Scriptures make such distinctions and press us with choices like these? The answer is, no. Again I say, these are false dilemmas.

Truth be told, the Scriptures teach that those who love God will submit to his word, receive it with meekness, and strive to obey all that it requires and forbids. Furthermore, those who have a right relationship with God will enjoy this relationship through religious devotion. In other words, love for God and heartfelt obedience to his law are in no way opposed. Instead, they agree. 

Frankly, this should be common sense. Someone who loves God will also love God’s word. Those who love the Lord will agree with the Psalmist who said, “I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight” (Psalm 119:174, ESV). What would you think of a child who says, I love you mommy or I love you daddy, but then lives a life of willful rebellion against his parents? Would you not begin to question if their love is true? A child who truly loves their parents will desire and strive to honor and obey their parents. And so it is with God. God’s true children – those who have been made alive by him and adopted in Christ by his grace –  will receive God’s word and strive to obey his commandments.  

Not only should it be common sense that those who love God will also love his law. It is also the clear teaching of Holy Scripture. Consider, very briefly the context in which the first great commandment, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, is given. It is found in Deuteronomy 6:5. This passage immediately follows the giving of the Ten Commandments and precedes many other laws found in the book of Deuteronomy. The point is this: the command to love God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength was given in the context of this second presentation of God’s law to the people of Isarel near the end of Moses’ life and not long before the conquest. More than this, in the text itself the concepts of loving God and obeying his commandments are intertwined. We read Deuteronomy 6:1-9 a moment ago. You may want to read it again to see what I mean. The point is that Old Covenant Israel was called by God to obey God’s law from the heart and to fear the Lord being moved by a sincere love for him. Love for God and obedience to his Word must never be divided. If Adam had loved God purely from the heart, he would not have disobeyed God. It was because Adam loved himself more than God that he transgressed to command of his Maker.  

Of course, the same is true under the New Covenant. Those who love God will receive his Word and will desire and strive to obey his commandments. Now, it is not the law of Moses that we are to keep under the New Covenant. No, we are to keep the law of Christ. 

You might ask, what do the laws of Moses and Christ share in common? Answer: they share the moral law, contained and summarized within the Ten Commandments, in common. The moral law is unchanging and ever-abiding. God’s true people living under the Old Covenant and New will love and strive to keep the moral law. 

And how do the laws of Moses and Christ differ? Answer: The positive laws of these two covenants are different. Now that the Old Covenant has been fulfilled by Christ and has passed away, the civil or judicial laws of the Old Mosaic Covenant are no longer binding. In their place, Christ has given laws to govern his eternal kingdom, which is not of this world. The New Covenant Isreal of God – that is to say, all who have faith in Christ from amongst the Jews and Gentiles (see Galatians 3:28, 6:16) –  are to obey the laws of Christ’s heavenly and eternal kingdom. Think of the Beatitudes. Think of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Think also of Christ’s commandments regarding the government of the church – commandments about the appointment of officers, the reception of members, and discipline. The civil or judicial laws of the Old Mosaic order have passed away with that covenant, but Christ has given new laws to govern his kingdom on earth today, and this kingdom is made visible, not in some nation on earth, but in Christ’s church. Furthermore, the positive laws of the Old Covenant which we call ceremonial are no longer binding, having been fulfilled by Christ. New ceremonial laws have been instituted by Christ in their place. Those who turn from their sins and profess faith in Christ are to be baptized in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20). These are to partake of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of him (see Matthew 26:26-29). These are to assemble on the Lord’s Day, which is the first day of the week, and the Christian Sabbath (see Hebrews 4:1-13, 10:25; Revelation 1:10). These are to devote themselves to the means of grace given under the New Covenant order: the reading, preaching, and teaching of the Word of God when the church assembles, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer (see Acts 2:41-42). When the Old Covenant gave way to the New Covenant, there was a change in the priesthood. Christ is our high priest. He came, not in the order or line of Aaron (like the priests of Old), but in the order of Melchizedek. And Hebrews 7:12 tells us, “For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well” (Hebrews 7:12, ESV). We are no longer under the law of Moses. Instead, we are under the law of Christ, the mediator of the New Covenant. Again I ask, what do the laws of Moses and Christ share in common? They have the natural or moral law in common. How do they differ? They differ in their positive laws. 

Here is the point. The New Covenant under which we live – the Covenant of Grace – is not without law. And this is why Christ said things like this: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15, ESV). And “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46, ESV). And “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21–23, ESV). And “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32, ESV).

When Mary sat at Jesus’ feet to hear his teaching, she did not merely sit with him to enjoy his company, as a friend enjoys the company of a friend. She sat at his feet because she revered him. She sat at his his feet to learn from him. She sat at his feet to receive his word so that she might obey him. She sat at his feet knowing that his words were the very words of God. She sat at Jesus’ feet, not because she regarded him as a mere or common friend. She knew that but as the Messiah, the prophet, priest, and king of God’s eternal kingdom. Is Jesus a friend to his disciples? Yes, indeed. Are we to enjoy our communion with him? Yes, indeed. But he is no mere or common friend. When we sit at his feet to receive his word, we must know that we are receiving the very Word of God. Those who love God will love his Word. Those who love God will receive the Word of Christ and will desire and strive to obey him. This means that the Christian will strive to obey God’s ever-abiding moral law and the positive laws of the New Covenant that Christ has instituted – positive laws pertaining to life in Christ’s eternal kingdom, that is to say, the church – and laws pertaining to the worship of God under this New Covenant era. 

Those who claim to love God and have faith in Christ who live in sin, willfully violating God’s moral law and disregarding the positive laws that Christ has added under the New Covenant – laws about the government of the church, and laws about worship – are like those children who claim to love their parents and yet live in rebellion against them. They are hypocrites. They prove that their love is insincere by their actions.  Do not forget what Christ has said: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15, ESV. Those who love God truly will love Christ, the Word of God incarnate. And they will have the posture, not of the lawyer, but of Mary.  The one who loves God truly will be found sitting humbly at the feet of Jesus to receive his teaching as the very Word of God. The true Christian will receive the Word gladly with the intent to obey. 

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Mary Contrasted With Martha:

Love For God And His Word Is To Have Priority Over Service

We have contrasted Mary with the lawyer. Now, let us contrast Mary with her sister Martha. 

The text says, “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed [Jesus] into her house.” Martha, as you know, receives a kind of rebuke or correction from Jesus in this passage. We will come to consider that rebuke or correction in just a moment. It is obviously a very important detail of this text. But let us be careful not to exaggerate Jesus’ rebuke of Martha to the degree that we overlook her great faith in Christ and the strength of her hospitality. “Martha welcomed [Jesus] into her house.” This is to be commended. Martha was a woman strong in faith. She was a servant. She was hospitable. 

Christians are called to be hospitable, friends. To be hospitable is to welcome others into your home. Hospitality is to be shown to travelers. Hospitality is to be shown to those who are lonely. Hospitality is to be shown to those who are in need. If you are a Christian who has been blessed with a home, even if it is a humble or modest home, I encourage you to show hospitality to others. Granted, some are particularly gifted in this area. And some within the church may not be in a good position to show hospitality. But in general, we Christians should, like Martha, welcome others – especially fellow Christians – into our homes. When we welcome them, we welcome Christ. As Christ has said, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me” (Luke 9:48, ESV). Yes, Martha is corrected by Jesus in this passage, but that fact must not obscure the greatness of her faith and the strength of her gift of hospitality and service. 

You should know that the Scriptures speak often of the importance of hospitality and command us to practice it. Romans 12:13 says, “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” 1 Timothy 3:2 is about the qualifications to hold the office of overseer or elder. It says, “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach…” 1 Timothy 5:9–10 is about qualifications for widows to be enrolled in the number. “Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.” Titus 1:7-8 is also about the qualifications to hold the office of overseer or elder: “For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.” Finally, Hebrews 13:1-2 is addressed to all Christians, saying, “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Hebrews 13:1–2, ESV) Martha excelled in showing hospitality, and for this she is to be commended. 

 It is in Luke 10:39 that Mary is introduced to us. She is described as one who “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.” In verse we read, “But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to [Jesus] and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’” Pay careful attention to the way in which Martha’s service is described. She was “distracted with much serving”, the text says. Christ, the eternal Word of God incarnate, sat in her home, and she was distracted – perhaps we could say, preoccupied – with serving. And she was distracted with much serving. I think we are to take this to mean that she was overdoing it. Here desire to have everything in order, every detail in place, and every want or desire met, was over the top. Again, I say to you, that Martha’s service or hospitality is not criticized here in this text, but her approach is. Martha did not merely serve, she was “distracted with much serving.”

And notice, she was bothered that Mary did not join her in service. “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me”, she said. It is clear that in Martha’s mind, the service of Jesus and his disciples was to be the highest priority. Mary, it seemed to her, was wasting time. Mary, it seemed to her, was preoccupied with the wrong thing. Mary, it seemed to her, needed to adjust her priorities. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to receive God’s Word. Martha’s opinion was that the service of others was the priority. 

I wonder, have you ever encountered someone who thinks this way? In their view, the service of man is to take priority over the reception, study, and endeavor to obey the Word of God. This veiw is very common. Please don’t misunderstand, I am not calling Martha a liberal. But it is very common within liberal “churches” to insist that the service of man must take priority over the study of the Scriptures and the pursuit of orthodox theology and practice. Look around and you will see many “churches” that stress feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, and the pursuit of “justice”, but to the utter neglect of God’s Word. What should we think of this?  

Well, let us consider how Jesus replied to Martha’s complaint. It is found in verse 41: “But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her’” (Luke 10:41–42, ESV).

Notice a few things about Jesus’ reply.

One, Jesus did not rebuke Martha for her service and hospitality. But he did rebuke her for being “anxious and troubled about many things”. Considered in context, this is a rebuke of the way Martha was serving. She was “distracted with much serving”, remember? And Christ confronted her about this. 

Two, the phrase, “but one thing is necessary” may also be translated as, but one thing is needful or one thing is particularly needed. The meaning is not, there is only one thing that is necessary, or there is only one thing that we should be concerned about. This would flatly contradict the Scriptures we have considered that speak of the importance and needfulness of hospitality. 

Three, Christ identified Mary’s chosen occupation as the “good portion” and insisted that it not be taken from her. 

I think it is important that we continue to interpret this passage in light of the first and second greatest commandments mentioned in Luke 10:27. Considered in those terms, Mary represents love for God and love for God’s Word. Martha represents love for neighbor. It is vitally important to recognize that Martha is in no way criticized or condemned for her service and hospitality. No, she is to be commended for it! Showing love to your neighbor is vitally important! She is, however, corrected by Christ for her view that her chosen occupation was superior to Mary’s. When Christ said, “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” it illustrates the proper relationship between the first and second greatest commandments. The two greatest commandments require love for God and love for neighbor, but the order is immensely important and must always be maintained. To prioritize love for neighbor over love for God is idolatry. To love neighbor first and God second will result in neither God nor man being loved, for man’s greatest need and highest good is to know God and to be in a right relationship with him. And to know God and to be in a right relationship with him begins with sitting humbly at the feet of Jesus, as Mary did. 

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Conclusion

I have a few additional observations to make by way of conclusion. 

One, by connecting this story about Mary and Martha with the story about Jesus’ interaction with the lawyer in Luke 10:25 as we have, I think we can appreciate even more Jesus’ response to the lawyer, when he said in Luke 10:28, “do this and you will live”. In a previous sermon, I said that Jesus responded in this way to use the law as a strict disciplinarian or mirror to show the lawyer his sin and his need for a Savior.  It’s as if Jesus said, do you think you can justify yourself before God by law-keeping? Best of luck to you, my friend! In other words, the law cannot justify us. It condemns us now that we have fallen into sin. But here is another insight. If truly loving God with all of the heart, soul, strength, and mind begins with sitting humbly at the feet of Jesus, the eternal Word of God incarnate, as Mary did, then the words that Christ spoke to the lawyer were a call to repentance and faith. In this sense, Christ was calling the prideful and self-righteous lawyer to no longer stand to put him to the test, but to fall at his feet to humbly receive and submit to his Word. Remember, to receive Christ is to recieve the one who sent him, namely, God the Father. That Christ called the lawyer to faith and repentence externally is clear. Whether the lawyer was called inwardly by the effectually working of the Holy Spirit, I cannot say. 

Two, I do suspect that the sisters, Mary and Martha, do in some ways symbolize the bride of Christ, the church. Mary gave herself to the Word of Christ. Martha gave herself to the service of Christ. And if we pay attention to the establishment and development of Christ’s church as recorded in the pages of the Holy Scriptures, we see that Christ’s bride, the church, has been endowed with a diversity of spiritual gifts, some having to do with the ministry of the word of God, others having to do with the service of others. 

Listen, for example, to the exhortation delivered by the Apostle Peter to the church. “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:8–11). 

All of the spiritual gifts that Christ has poured out upon his people from on high may be divided into these two broad categories. Within Christ’s church are those with speaking gifts and those with the gifts of service. Pastors and teachers are called by God to devite themselves to the mistry of the Word of God. All of God’s people are called to use the gifts that God has given them to serve one another with the strength that God supplies. It seems to me that the sisters, Mary and Martha, represent the church in this regard. 

Three, and connected to this, Mary and Martha seem to stand for the two offices of the church, the offices of elder and deacon. The elder, among other things, is to lead in the ministry of the Word of God and the administration of the sacraments. Deacons are to lead in service. Which of these offices is higher? Which is to take priority? It is the office of elder and the ministry of the Word of God that is higher and is to be prioritized. This is what the Apostles (who were also elders) said in Acts 6:2, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables” (Acts 6:2, ESV). Both offices are vital. Service and hospitality must never be neglected. But neither should they be elevated to a place of supreme importance over, or to the neglect of, the ministry of the Word of God.

My fourth and final observation is this: it would be a mistake to interpret this passage as if Christ were teaching us to choose between occupying ourselves with love for God and his Word or the love and service of our fellow man. I’ll warn you again, brothers and sisters. Beware of false dilemmas. We are not to choose between the two but are to do both well. Both the first and second greatest commandments must be obeyed by us. The best of both Mary and Martha deserve to be emulated. But the order must be maintained. To love God with all of the heart, soul, strength, and mind is the first and greatest commandment. The command to love your neighbor as yourself is second. Though Mary and Martha both occupied themselves with good and important things, Mary chose the better portion and Christ would not allow it to be taken from her. 

May God, by his grace, move us, as individual Christians and as a congregation, to be like Mary. May we love to sit at Jesus’ feet to receive his holy word. May we receive the Word of Christ with meekness and strive to obey it with the strength God supplies. And may we be like Martha too, especially after she received Christ’s correction. May we who love God and his Word, also love one another fervently and serve one another faithfully according to the gifts Christ has bestowed upon us by his Spirit. In other words, may God strengthen us by his grace to keep his holy law. May we obey his law because we love him. May we never forget that we love him because he first loved us.

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.

Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 18:1–5

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.’” (Leviticus 18:1–5, 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

One of the questions I asked when beginning to study this text that is open before today is, what is the connection between this story about the lawyer who questioned Jesus to put him to the test, and the previous passage wherein Jesus prays to Father and gives thanks and then declares his disciples to be blesses to see what they have seen and to hear what they have heard?

By the way, I think it is right for the student of Holy Scripture to assume that the individual passages of Scripture do relate to each other and to attempt to identify the interconnectedness. Why did Luke choose to tell this story about the lawyer who put Jesus to the test? And why did Luke put this story in this place in his gospel? Perhaps you are thinking, it’s because the Spirit moved him to do it. And I agree with that. Or perhaps you are thinking, it’s because this thing happened at this time. And I agree with that too! But we should remember what John said at the end of his gospel: “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25, ESV). The point that I am making is that all of the gospel writers were selective. They do not tell us about everything that Jesus said and did. No, they highlight certain things. And, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they skillfully stitch these stories together to deliver a message. The history that we find in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is true history, but it is not presented in a bare or merely factual way. No, it is true history presented in such a way that it teaches the truth concerning Jesus Christ, his person, and his work. And so we need to read the gospels, not as mere chronological and factual accounts of Jesus’ life, but as theological documents – documents that teach – documents that seek to persuade. We should assume that the stories told are carefully chosen and strategically placed.   

So, what is the connection between this story about the lawyer who questioned Jesus to put him to the test, and the previous passage? I think it is this. In the preceding passage, Jesus declared his disciples to be blessed. They were blessed to see what they saw and to hear what they heard. And if you remember, there was a double meaning in this. They were blessed to see what they saw and to hear what they heard in a physical sense. More than this, they were blessed spiritually to comprehend what they were seeing and hearing and to believe that Jesus is indeed Messiah, the Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s eternal kingdom, the Savior. Remember, this is what Jesus gave thanks to Father about. Back in Luke 10:21 we read, “In that same hour [Jesus] rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him’” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV).

We must recognize that in this passage, Jesus rejoiced over two things and made mention of two groups of people. He rejoiced, first of all, that the Father had “hidden” the truth concerning himself from the “wise and understanding”. I’m afraid that this is often overlooked. But it is stated very clearly in Luke 10:21 – “In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding…’” And he rejoiced, secondly, that the Father had “revealed” the truth concerning himself to “little children”. So then, the two groups of people are, first, those who do not know the truth about the Father and the Son, and second, those who do know the truth about the Father and the Son. 

Who are the “little children” who are blessed to have had the truth regarding the Father and Son revealed to them? They are the humble and lowly disciples of Jesus. By God’s grace, they are the ones blessed to see and hear Jesus truly. By God’s grace, they are those who recognize their need for Jesus and, forsaking all, follow after him. 

And who are the “wise and understanding” who have the truth about the Father and Son hidden from them? In general, they are all who remain in their unbelief. They are those who are blinded by their sin and self-righteousness. It seems to me that Luke sets forth this lawyer as an example of one who is “wise and understanding” and yet blind. This lawyer was highly educated and held in high esteem and yet he was blind to the truth about Christ. He could not see that the only way to the Father was through faith in the Son. He was blind because he was filled with self-righteousness and pride.

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The Question Put To Jesus: What Shall I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?

In Luke 10:25 we read, “And behold, a lawyer stood up to put [Jesus] to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’” I have a few things to say about this verse:

First, it is important to know what a lawyer is. When you hear the word lawyer, you probably think of a person who is trained in the civil laws that govern our land. But the lawyer of Luke 10 was a person thoroughly trained in the law of Moses. This man was an expert in the law of Moses. He was an Old Testament scholar.

Two, the text says that he “stood up to put [Jesus] to the test.” This means he was seeking to trap Jesus. “He stood up…” I think it is right to imagine him standing up in pride. And “he put Jesus to the test…” The idea here is that he desired to catch Jesus in error so that he might condemn him (see Luke 4:12; 1Corinthains 10:9; Mark 4:7). There is nothing wrong with bringing questions to Jesus. But it seems the attitude of this man was all wrong. He did not come to Jesus humbly to submit to his word, but pridefully, hoping to prove him wrong. 

Three, the question he asked is of utmost importance: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Stated differently, what must I do to be right with God? What must I do to be accepted by God? What must I do to enter heaven and escape hell? I cannot think of a more important question for a person to ask. No doubt, this is a question that all people should be supremely concerned with. And, as you probably know, this question is of utmost importance theologically. As a pastor, if I want to find out if someone truly understands the gospel and has a solid grasp of the core doctrines of the Christian faith, one of the first questions I would ask is this: what must a person do to inherit eternal life? What the person says in response to this question will be very revealing. Although this lawyer lacked true faith, and though he was blinded to the truth regarding the Father and the Son, he was no dummy. He knew how to get to the heart of things. He knew how to get to the root of a matter. His motives were all wrong, but his question was well chosen as he sought to press Jesus and to get to the heart of his theology: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

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A Wise Answer From Jesus: What Is Written In The Law? How Do You Read It?

Jesus’ answer is found in verse 26: “He said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’” Notice a few things about Jesus’ response:

One, his response was very wise. Instead of walking into the trap that was set for him, he turned the situation around by asking the man his opinion. 

Two, notice that Jesus did not avoid the question altogether, but answered it somewhat when he replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” In other words, by answering the man’s question in this way, he acknowledged that the answer is found in the law of Moses. When the expert in the law of Moses asked Jesus, what must I do to inherit eternal life?, he may have expected Jesus to set aside, disregard, or disrespect the law of Moses, and to trap him in this. But Jesus did no such thing. Instead, Jesus honored the Old Testament Scriptures and submitted to them as authoritative when he answered as he did. It’s as if Jesus replied to the man like this: What must you do to inherit eternal life? Let’s go to the Scriptures. Let’s go to the law of Moses to find out. You are a lawyer. You are an expert. How do you read it? This was Jesus’ reply.

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A Correct But Hopeless Answer From The Lawyer: Obey God’s Law To Inherit Eternal Life

It is in verse 27 that we find the lawyer’s reply to Jesus: “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.” 

This should sound familiar to you. Matthew and Mark both tell a story in their gospels about another lawyer approaching Jesus to test him. The question that lawyer asked was a little different than the one asked by the lawyer here in Luke 10. In Matthew 22:35 we read, “And one of them, a lawyer, asked [Jesus] a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And [Jesus] said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:35–40, ESV). 

So, when Jesus was asked to identify the greatest commandment in the law, he identified Deuteronomy 6:5 as the greatest commandment and Leviticus 19:18 as the second greatest commandment. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 says, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Leviticus 19:18 says, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18, ESV). Jesus used these two commandments to sum up the entire law of God. He identified these two as the greatest because “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:35–40, ESV). It is not hard to see how this is so. 

The command to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…” summarizes the first four of the Ten Commandments. More than this, it is what some of the civil and all of the ceremonial laws given to Israel through Moses were based upon. What does God’s law require of us? It requires us to love God with all that we are. We are to worship him alone as God. We are not to worship with graven images. We are not to take his name in vain. We are to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. These are the first four of the Ten Commandments. They all have to do with the proper worship of God. They are a summary of God’s ever-abiding and unchanging moral law. And to worship God truly, we must worship him from the heart and in the whole of life. The command of Deuteronomy 6:5 to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, is the essence of the first four of the Ten Commandments. And as I have said, it was to this foundation – the foundation of the first and greatest commandment, and the first four of the Ten Commandments – that many of civil and ceremonial laws of the Old Mosaic covenant were added (see Romans 5:20). The ceremonial laws were about Old Covenant Israel’s worship at the temple, animal sacrifices, the priesthood, and the observance of festivals, new moons, and the special sabbath days associated with them (see Colossians 2:16). All of these positive, ceremonial laws were rooted in or based upon the first four of the Ten Commandments, and the one commandment at the heart of them: “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). 

The command of Leviticus 19:18 to “love your neighbor as yourself” was used by Christ to summarize the last six of the Ten Commandments: Honor your father and mother, do not murder,  do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not covet. These are the last six of the Ten Commandments. They are a summary of God’s ever-abiding and unchanging moral law. What are they about? Love for one’s neighbor. And it was to this foundation that many of the civil laws given to Old Covenant Israel were added – laws having to do with civil penalties for crimes committed against persons – crimes such as adultery, murder, bearing false witness, and theft. The last six of the Ten Commandments and the many civil laws added to Israel under the Old Mosaic Covenant could all be boiled down to the command of Leviticus 19:18: “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

This was the teaching of Jesus. The commands, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” are the essence of God’s law. This is why Christ said, “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:40, ESV).

So then, what did the lawyer of Luke 10 mean when he answered his own question, What must a person do to inherit eternal life?, by saying, “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” (Luke 10:27, ESV). What he meant was, eternal life must be earned by obeying all of God’s commandments. 

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A Shocking Reply From Jesus: You Have Answered Correctly; Do This, And You Will Live

Jesus’ reply is found in verse 28. He answered the lawyer saying, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live” (Luke 10:28, ESV).

Jesus’ reply will probably shock a person who knows the gospel. The good news of Jesus Christ is that, although eternal life cannot be obtained through obedience to the law, it can be received by God’s grace, as a gift, through faith in Christ alone. This is what Paul teaches in Galatians 2:16, saying, “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16, ESV). Paul could not have been more clear. Salvation, justification, or eternal life cannot be earned through law-keeping but must be received as a gift by trusting in Jesus. Notice how Paul managed to say this three times in one verse! And we know that this was the teaching of Jesus too. Take, for example, John 3:13-16. There we hear Jesus say, “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:13–16, ESV). So then, according to these passages, eternal life comes to those who turn from their sins and trust in Jesus. Eternal life cannot be earned through law-keeping. Why then would Jesus tell this lawyer that he had answered correctly when he said that to inherit eternal life one must love God with all of the heart, soul, strength, and mind, and your neighbor as yourself? There are four really good reasons for Jesus’ reply:

One, the lawyer was not technically wrong. In theory, if someone were to keep God’s law purely from a heart of love, perfectly in thought, word, and deed, and perpetually from the very beginning of their life to the very end, they would stand right before God and merit eternal life. This is why Jesus replied to the lawyer, saying, “You have answered correctly; do this…” – love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself – keep God’s law purely, perfectly, and perpetually – “and you will live.”

Listen to these passages that speak of obedience to the law of God as a path to life. In Leviticus 18:5, God says, “You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD”. In Nehemiah 9:29, the prophet speaks to God, saying, “And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them… In Ezekiel 20:11 it is God who speaks concerning his people, saying, “I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live.” And in Romans 10:5 Paul says, “For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.”

This lawyer was not wrong. Technically, theoretically, or hypothetically, if a person were to keep God’s law purely from a heart of love, perfectly in thought, word, and deed, and perpetually from the very beginning of their life to the very end,  they would inherit eternal life.  

Two, Jesus replied to the lawyer saying, ​​“You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live”, to avoid the false charge of being against the law of Moses. Jesus is not against Moses. Moses stood with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, remember? Moses was supremely interested in Jesus and in his work. Jesus is not against Moses. And neither is Jesus against the law of Moses. This is what Christ plainly said as recorded in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17, ESV). In other words, Christ did not come to oppose, cast down, or trash the law of Moses and the prophets who applied the law of Moses to the people, but to fulfill them. Did Christ do away with the law of Moses? In some ways, yes. But he did not do away with the law of Moses by opposing it or casting it down to the ground. No, the law of Moses has passed away because Christ fulfilled it. He fulfilled the moral laws of Moses by living in obedience to them. He fulfilled the ceremonial and symbolical portions of the law of Moses because they pointed forward to him and his work of redemption. The civil laws given to Old Covenant Israel have been fulfilled and have passed away too because Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. The point is that: Jesus was not opposed to the law of Moses, as some accused him of being. He was, however, opposed to the misinterpretation and misuse of the law of Moses, as we will soon see. And this is one reason he answered this lawyer in the way that he did – to avoid misunderstandings and false accusations. Christ did not cast down the law, he upheld it.

Three, Jesus replied to the lawyer who thought he could earn eternal life through obedience to the law of Moses, saying, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live”, so that the law would condemn him and thus show him his need for the Savior. 

In the garden, before sin entered the world, Adam was invited to inherit eternal life by keeping God’s law personally, perfectly, and perpetually. Adam was upright and pure, and so he possessed the ability to do this. As you know, Adam failed to inherit eternal life when he willingly sinned against God. After Adam’s fall into sin, God’s law continues to function in three ways: One, as a rule of life and as light to our feet. God’s law shows us how we ought to live. Two, by God’s common grace the moral law is also used by God to curb or restrain evil in the world generally. And three, the law is used by God to show men and women their sin and their need for a Savior. So, after the fall of man into sin, God’s moral law has these uses: it functions as light to our feet, a curb to restaurant evil, and a disciplinarian to show us our sins and our need for a redeemer.  When Christ approved of the lawyer’s answer and said, do this and live, Christ used the law to condemn the lawyer. It’s as if Christ said, you are correct. Pure, exact, perfect, and perpetual obedience to God’s law will lead to life. Go and do it. Love God with all that you are. Love your neighbor as yourself. Do this. Do it personally from a heart filled with perfect love. Do it entirely. Do it exactly. And do it perpetually. In fact, I hope you have done it from the start! If you haven’t, you are already a lawbreaker – a sinner.   Go for it, lawyer. Use the law as a means to inherit life eternal. See how it goes for you. If this lawyer knew anything about God’s law, what it truly requires, and what it truly forbids, then he would very quickly see, that the law could not give him life, it could only condemn. 

I’m not sure what happened to this lawyer. Did he ever come to his senses? Did he ever come to see that he had not and could not keep God’s law and thus merit eternal life? Did he ever come to see that he needed a Savior and that Jesus is that Savior? We don’t know. But we do see evidence in our passage that the lawyer understood the problem with using God’s law as a way to inherit eternal life. In verse 29, the lawyer answered Jesus again. The text says, “But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’”

When the text says that the lawyer desired to justify himself, it means, he wanted to prove himself to be morally upright and guiltless. As I have just said, here is evidence that the lawyer was aware of the problem. He could see that if there was any hope for him to inherit eternal life through the keeping of God’s, the requirements of God’s law would have to be reduced to a bare minimum. The lawyer cound see the problem, but in his pride, he still desired to justify himself – that is, he still desired to be right before God through his own keeping of God’s law – and so he asked, “And who is my neighbor?” in other words, who exactly am I obligated to love as myself? His thought was if I could reduce this group of people down to include a very small number of people  – family, close friends, those who look and think just like me, those who share my ethnicity and religion – then maybe I could manage. The parable of the good Samaritan that Jesus responded with should have shattered all hopes in this man regarding his being justified through law-keeping, for here in this parable Jesus expands the definition of neighbor to the maximum. We will consider that parable in detail next Sunday, Lord willing.   

For now, I want you to see, that this is what legalists who think that they can be justified through law-keeping will do. They will reduce God’s law to require and forbid as little as possible. More than this, they imagine that God’s law is truly kept when it is kept externally and formally. Jesus’ view on the law was very different. For example, Jesus taught that command, you shall not commit adultery forbids lust in the heart. And the command, you shall not murder forbids hatred in the heart. The legalist will look at God’s law and say, You shall have no other gods before me? Check. I go to church every Sunday. No graven images? Check. I don’t have any idols in my house. You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain? Check. I don’t God’s name as a swear word. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy? Check. Again, I’m in church every Sunday. Honor father and mother, no murder, no adultery, no stealing, no bearing false witness. Check, check, check, check, check. No covetousness? Well, let’s not worry about that one. It seems kind of small compared to the others. But Jesus knew better. He knew that these laws were not truly kept unless they were kept from the heart. This is what the commands, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”, reveal. Notice that the word “love” is present in both? The essence of God’s law is love. To keep God’s law truly, it must be kept purely from the heart. And to be justified by the law one must be kept in its entirety, perfectly, and perpetually. 

This lawyer was wise in the eyes of the world. He was highly educated and held in high esteem by the people. But he was a fool before God. He was blind as it pertains to the way to the Father through the Son. He knew many things about the law of Moses. He had probably memorized most of it. But he did not understand the law, what it truly requires and forbids. 

Our children have probably received better training. If they have been catechized, they have learned what sin is. Q. 17: What is sin? A: Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. And with the help of Baptist Catechism questions 44-86 they have learned all about God’s moral law, what it truly requires, and what it forbids.  And so they know how to respond to question Q. 87: Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? A: No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily break them in thought, word, or deed. They also know the answer to Q. 89: What doth every sin deserve? A: Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. And in this way they are prepared to understand their need for Jesus. Q. 90 of our catechism asks,  What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin? A: To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption. Whether or not our children believe this and trust in Christ for the salvation of their souls is another question. But I am confident that our children, if they have been catechized, have had their feet set down on a firmer foundation than this highly educated lawyer who thought he could justify himself before God through law-keeping, and thus inherit life eternal. 

 Why did Jesus respond to this lawyer’s appeal to the law as a potential pathway to life eternal by saying,  “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live”? It was to use the law to condemn him and to show him his need for a Savior. 

You see, the problem is not with the law. The problem is with man. What is the law except a rule or standard for righteousness? Does the law have the power to bring us to God? Yes, hypothetically. As I have said, if someone keeps the law purely from the heart, perfectly in thought word and deed, and perpetual all the days of their life, they would stand before God righteous. But “no mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily break them in thought, word, or deed.” The problem is not with the law but with the condition of man. And now that man has fallen, his condition is truly miserable.

Men and women are born into this world with Adam’s guilt imputed to them. In other words, we are born into this world under the broken Covenant of Works. The blessings of that Covenant are gone. Only the curses remain. And we know that the wages of sin is death (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23). Furthermore, men and women are born into this world with corrupted natures. Our minds are darkened. Our wills are bent away from God and toward evil so that we do not freely choose to do what is good, but what is evil. As I have said, man’s condition is now by nature miserable. Add to this the fact that we all commit sins personally. This begins from a very young age. It is no wonder that Paul the Apostle says that we are by nature children of wrath (see Ephesians 2:3).    

And so I ask you, is it possible for an ordinary person to inherit eternal life by keeping the law of Moses? No! But the problem is not with the law. The problem is with man. Man cannot keep the law because we are born into this world guilty in Adam and with natures that are fallen and corrupt. And therefore, we are not, in our natural and sinful state, able to keep God’s law but daily break it in thought, word, and deed. This is why Jesus answered the lawyer as he did. It was to show that the law of Moses was good, but that men are bad. The law cannot give us life because we are not able to keep it.  To use the language of Paul found in Romans 8, the law is now a “law of sin and death”. The law is not able to bring life to us because it has been, “weakened by the flesh”. And this is why Christ came. He came to deliver us from the curse of the law through his obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection. He came so that it might be said, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1–4, ESV).

This brings us to the fourth reason for Jesus’ positive reply. Why would Jesus respond to the lawyer who thought eternal life could be inherited through law-keeping, saying, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live”? Was it not to leave room for himself to inherit eternal life in this way? When Jesus affirmed the law’s ability to confer life, this did not mean that the lawyer would be able to inherit life eternal in this way. But Jesus would walk this path. He would “do this and live”. He is the one who personally, purely, perfectly, and perpetually loved the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. Jesus is the one who personally, purely, perfectly, and perpetually loved his neighbor as himself. Jesus obeyed God’s moral law in thought, word, and deed. And given that he was born, lived, and died under the Old Mosaic Covenant, he kept the civil and ceremonial laws of that covenant too. This he did to fulfill all righteousness. Indeed, Christ “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, ESV). 

This is why Christ entered into life eternal. He was raised from the dead and ascended to the Father in glory because he kept God’s law perfectly and perpetually. Jesus Christ did not obtain eternal life by the grace of God and through faith. No! He earned it through law-keeping. And how was he able to do this? One, he was not born with Adam’s guilt. He was born of a virgin. Two, his human nature was not corrupted, therefore, but was pure from the moment of conception. His mind was not darkened. His will was not twisted. His affections were not disordered. He was born as Adam was in the beginning – upright and pure. Three, the person of Jesus is the person of the eternal Son of God, and he cannot sin. Four, his human nature was anointed by the Holy Spirit beyond measure to strengthen and uphold him. This is why our catechism answers the question “Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?” By saying, “No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily break them in thought, word, or deed.” The word mere is inserted to make room for Jesus. He is a true man, but he is no mere man. He is the one man who was virgin born. He is the person of the eternal Son of God incarnate. 

Jesus Christ replied to the lawyer, saying, “you have answered correctly, [keep God’s law] and live” because this was the very path that he would walk. He kept God’s law purely, perfectly, and perpetually, and thus inherited eternal life. In fact, Christ did more than this. He did not only earn eternal life for himself by his personal obedience. He earned eternal life for others too. This he did by laying down his life as a substitute for sinners. He lived a sinless life. He did have to pay the price of death, therefore. There was no reason for the wrath of God to fall on him. And yet he died. The wrath of God was poured out upon him. But this was to atone for the sins of those given to him by the Father in eternity.  

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Conclusion

The humble, lowly, and uneducated disciples of Jesus could see this. They knew that they were sinners. They knew they could not justify themselves. They knew they needed a Savior to deliver them. They knew that to come to the Father they must go through the Son. They were the “little children” to whom the Father graciously revealed these things. But this lawyer was the epitome of the “wise and understanding” from whom these truths were hidden. 

Friends, which path will you choose? Will you, like this lawyer, seek to justify yourself before God by your own good works and obedience to God’s law? Or will you humbly acknowledge your need, turn from your sin, and trust in the one who has kept God’s perfectly, has atoned for the sins of many, and has inherited eternal life, not only for himself, before all who are united to him by faith? I pray that God would give you the wisdom to see your great need and to follow after Jesus.  

Old Testament Reading: 1 Chronicles 22:6–10

“Then he called for Solomon his son and charged him to build a house for the LORD, the God of Israel. David said to Solomon, ‘My son, I had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the LORD my God. But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars. You shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood before me on the earth. Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever” (1 Chronicles 22:6–10, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Luke 10:23-24

“Then turning to the disciples he said privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Luke 10:23–24, 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

Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I am not opposed to the idea of breaking from a sermon series to preach a special, topical, sermon on what is traditionally called Easter or Ressurection Sunday, but rarely do I. The reason is that I often find the text before us to be perfectly well suited for the theme of Ressurection Sunday. There is a sense in which the whole Bible is about Jesus and the redemption he has accomplished for us by his obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection. We do not need to run only to those passages in the Gospels that speak directly of Christ being raised from the dead on the third day to contemplate Christ’s resurrection and its significance. And so it is with Luke 10:23-24. This passage provides us with a wonderful opportunity to reflect upon Jesus Christ and the great work of redemption that he has accomplished..

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Christ Spoke To His Disciples In Private

In Luke 10:23 we are told that Jesus turned to his disciples and spoke privately to them. This shows us that the things Jesus said and prayed as recorded in the previous passage were said and prayed openly and publicly for all to hear. It was in public that Christ commanded his disciples to “not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20, ESV). It was in public that Christ prayed aloud to the Father, saying, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV). While we agree that the doctrines of unconditional election and effectual calling are to be handled with care, we cannot go along with those who think these doctrines are to be hidden away from God’s people and from the world. No, Christ spoke openly about these truths. It was only after speaking openly about the fact that the names of his disciples were written in heaven and that they were his disciples because it was the will of the Father to reveal the truth about Jesus Christ to them (though they were humble and lowly), that he then turned to his disciples and spoke to them in private. 

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The Disciples Were Blessed To See What They Saw In A Physical And Spiritual Sense

And what did he say to them in private? “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!” In this moment, Jesus pressed his disciples to contemplate just how blessed they were. I picture Jesus looking intently into the eyes of his disciples when he spoke these words. Blessed are your eyes to see what you see. 

I think there is a double meaning here. There must be. 

First, these disciples were blessed to see what they saw (and to hear what they heard) in a physical sense. 

They saw with their own eyes the Son of God incarnate. And they heard with their own ears, the voice of the eternal Word of God made flesh. Not many were given this privilege. How many people saw Jesus of Nazareth, the eternal Son of God incarnate, with their eyes, and heard his voice with their ears? Thousands? Tens of thousands maybe? Not many when compared with the total number of people who have ever lived. These disciples of Jesus saw him and heard him. They were uniquely blessed to have walked so closely with him. 

Not only did these disciples see Jesus, but they also saw the miraculous deeds he performed. With their own eyes, they watched him calm the wind and the waves. With their own eyes, they watched him cast out demons and heal the sick. With their own eyes, they saw him raise the dead. A few of these disciples saw him transfigured on the mountain. All but one of them would see him raised from the dead.  

And these disciples did not only see Jesus, they heard him. With their own ears, they heard him claim to be the Son of God, the Son of Man, the long-awaited Messiah, the Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s eternal kingdom. With their own ears, they heard him say, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. With their own ears, they heard Jesus’ blessed teaching.

It was crucial that these disciples of Jesus saw what they saw, and heard what they heard, for they would serve as witnesses. They would be called to testify, as John did, saying, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, ESV). 

These disciples of Jesus were truly blessed to have seen what they saw with their physical eyes and to have heard what they heard with their physical ears, but they were especially blessed to see and to hear Jesus with eyes and ears of faith. Of the tens of thousands who laid their eyes on the Son of God incarnate or who were blessed to hear his gospel and his teachings, how many truly recognized who he was and received his word as true? Hundreds? Maybe thousands?

All but one of these disciples of Jesus were doubly blessed. They saw Jesus, the eternal Son of God incarnate, with their physical eyes, and by God’s grace, they perceived him to be the eternal Son of God incarnate – the Messiah – the great Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s everlasting kingdom –  with eyes of faith. It was this spiritual perception that Jesus rejoiced in when he prayed to the Father, as recorded in Luke 10:21, saying, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV).

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The Disciples Were Blessed To See What They Saw Redemptive Historically

When Jesus spoke to his disciples privately, saying, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!” (Luke 10:23, ESV), there was a double meaning. They were blessed to see and to hear Jesus in a physical sense, and they were especially blessed to see and hear him in a spiritual sense, with eyes and ears of faith. But in verse 24 the emphasis shifts to the physical and historical. In verse 24 we hear Christ say, “For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:24, ESV).

I love this saying of Jesus. It reveals a lot.

One, it reveals that many saw Jesus with eyes of faith before he was ever born, and they longed for his arrival. How did they see Jesus before his birth? They did not see him in his flesh, for he was not yet incarnate, but they could see him, spiritually speaking, as they received the Word of God concerning him by faith. Many had received and believed the promises of God that a Savior would come, a Deliverer who would crush the head of the Serpent who deceived Eve, and through her, Adam. Many had received and believed the promises of God concerning the arrival of the Messiah, the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King, of God’s eternal kingdom. Those with spiritual eyes to see also saw Jesus prefigured in many ways. For example, the faithful of old understood that when Abraham took Issac up on the mountain to sacrifice him, knowing that the Lord would provide a substitute, that was a picture of Christ and the substitutionary atonement he would one day make. The faithful of old understood that the blood of the Passover lamb that was spread upon the doorposts of the Hebrews to shield them from the angel of death that was sent to judge Egypt was a picture of Christ. God’s elect could see that Moses and the Exodus that was accomplished through him was a picture and preview of one greater than Moses and an Exodus greater than the one worked through him. I could go on to talk about all of the different ways that Jesus the Messiah was prefigured or foreshadowed in the Tabernacle, its sacrifices, and its priesthood. We could also look at Joshua and the conquest of Canaan. We could consider King David and his kingdom, among other things. The point is that God’s people could see Jesus before he was born. They did not know him by that name. They did not know what exactly he would be or what he would do. But by faith, they could see him. By faith, they knew he would come. And they longed for him. This is what Jesus meant when he spoke to his disciples, saying, “For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:24, ESV). It was because they could see and hear Christ by faith that they desired to see Christ in the flesh and to hear the good news of the kingdom that he would bring.

Two, this saying of Jesus reminds us that, although many were longing for the arrival of the Messiah,  great men especially desired to see him. Hear again the word that Christ spoke to his lowly disciples: “For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:24, ESV). By faith, great men longed to see Jesus and to hear the good news that he would bring. And this shows us how great Jesus and the work that he has done truly is. King David was a great man, revered by the people. But King David revered King Jesus (see Psalm 110). King David longed for the day when the Messiah would be born from him to establish the everlasting kingdom that was promised to him (see 2 Samuel 7). The people revered the prophets  – men like Moses and Elijah. These were great men. But Moses and Elijah revered Jesus. These great men of old were used by the Lord as mouthpieces through whom the word of the Lord was delivered to the people, but they longed for the arrival of the Great Prophet, the eternal Word of God made flesh. Moses spoke of him when he said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen…” (Deuteronomy 18:15, ESV). Moses longed to see him and hear him. This was true of all the prophets of old. And do not forget how interested the prophets Moses and Elijah were in Jesus when they appeared with him on the Mount of Transfiguration. As great as these men were, and as powerfully as they were used by God, they pale in comparison to the glory of Christ. When these prophets were alive on earth, they desired to see and hear the things that these lowly disciples of Jesus were seeing and hearing. 

The New Testament has a lot to say about this. 1 Peter 1:10-12 is especially beautiful: “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look” (1 Peter 1:10–12, ESV). That passage says it all, doesn’t it? The prophets of old saw Christ and the salvation he would accomplish by faith, but they could not see him as clearly as we do. They searched the Scriptures and inquired to know who the Christ would be, when he would come, what exactly he would do to accomplish our salvation (notice they knew he would suffer), and how he would enter into glory. They saw Christ clearly enough to trust in him and to be saved by him, but they longed for his arrival. They would have given anything to see the  Messiah with their own eyes and to hear his words with their own ears, but the time was not yet. 

The faithful and true prophets and kings of old lived with a sense of anticipation and longing for the Messiah, but when the Messiah came into the world, it was the will of the Lord that the truth about him be hidden “from the wise and understanding and revealed… to little children…” (Luke 10:21–22, ESV). These disciples of Jesus were humble and lowly. They were like little children when compared to the prophets and kings. Many of them were fishermen. None of them were of noble birth. By God’s grace, they were granted the privilege of seeing and hearing the things that the faithful prophets and kings of old longed for.

Three, when Jesus spoke to his disciples privately, saying, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:23–24, ESV), he was continuing to open the eyes of his disciples to the reality that they were living at the crossroads of human history. They were blessed to be given a front-row seat to observe the accomplishment of the redemption and the establishment of the kingdom that God had promised long before.

*****

What These Disciples Of Jesus Witnessed Was The Fullment Of The Scriptures

I’ve devoted an entire sermon to these two verses because I see them as crucial to the story that is told in Luke’s gospel. We have not taken a step back from Luke’s gospel in a while to remember the big story being told here, but I think we should do so now. 

We should remember that Luke stated his purpose for writing this gospel in the beginning. He wrote this orderly account of the life of Christ so that we would “have certainty concerning the things [we] have been taught” (Luke 1:4, ESV). His object is to convince us that Jesus is the Messiah, that he has accomplished redemption, and established God’s everlasting kingdom. And how has Luke gone about this task? How has attempted to convince us and make us certain that Jesus is the Christ and that we have salvation through faith in him? Well, he has told us about the things that Jesus said and the things that Jesus did. As it pertains to the words of Christ, we find in Luke’s gospel a record of Jesus’ teachings and his claims concerning himself. He claimed to be the Messiah, the Son and Man, and the Son of God. He claimed to be the King of God’s eternal kingdom.  And as it pertains to the works of Christ, Luke has reported the many miraculous things that Jesus did. He calmed the wind and the waves, cast out demons, healed the sick, made the lame walk, and the blind to see. He even raised the dead. Soon we will come to the account of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection from the dead. Indeed, Luke’s report of the words of Christ coupled with his report of the works of Christ is convincing on its own. Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the great Prophet, Priest, and King of God’s kingdom, and he demonstrated that his words were true by the mighty works and wonders that he performed (see Acts 2:22). But there is something even more profound about Luke’s approach. He does not merely present us with brute facts concerning the words and works of Christ. No, as he reports on the words and works of Christ he also shows them to be in fulfillment of the promises, prophesies, types, and shadows contained within the Old Testament Scriptures. 

Luke hinted at this approach in the first verse of his gospel when he mentioned that others had “compiled a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us” (Luke 1:1, ESV), and that he intended to do the same. The word “accomplished” is interesting. It can be translated as “fulfilled”. Jesus of Nazareth did not merely do and say things, he accomplished and fulfilled things. What did he accomplish and fulfill? He accomplished God’s mission for him which was decreed in eternity. And what did he fulfill? He fulfilled all of the prophecies and promises, types and shadows, that were given by God to his people from Adam’s day onward. 

In Luke’s gospel, we do find a historical record of the words and works of Jesus, but it is so much more than that. From beginning to end, the facts about what Jesus said and did are presented to us in such a way that they are shown to be a fulfillment of things revealed by God previously. Luke accomplishes this in many ways. Sometimes things are stated very directly. For example, in Luke 1:54-55 we are told that Mary, the mother of Jesus, concluded her song of praise in response to all that was revealed to her by saying, “[God] has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever” (Luke 1:54–55, ESV). Mary knew that this child that was to be born to her was in fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham long before. Sometimes the connections between the promises of God and their fulfillment in Christ are more subtly delivered, as Luke alludes to passages in the Old Testament, or presents us with themes from the Old Testament, or tells stories in such a way that they are reminiscent of stories and figures from the Old Testament. We could spend a very long time walking through Luke’s gospel making note of all of the ways that Luke connects Jesus Christ, his person, his words, and his works to the story of redemption that is told in the Bible from Genesis 1:1 onward. Throughout Luke’s gospel, we find quotations, allusions, and echoes from the Old Testament, and all of them find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. 

I’ve attempted to show you this throughout our study of Luke’s Gospel, but I draw your attention to it now because here in Luke 10:23-24 we find an account of Jesus pressing his disciples with the truth that he came to fulfill promises previously made. Again, I picture Jesus looking intently into the eyes of his disciples, when he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:23–24, ESV). In other words, Christ was here in this moment pressing his disciples with the idea that he came to fulfill all of the expectations, hopes, and desires of God’s faithful ones from generations past. Where did those expectations, hopes, and desires come from? They came from God’s word! God gave his word to Adam and Eve that a son would one day be born who would crush Satan (see Genesis 3:15). God gave his word to Abraham that this son who (was first promised to Adam and Eve) would descend from him to bless people from every tongue, tribe, and nation and to reclaim the earth. God gave his word to Judah, that this king of God’s eternal kingdom (that was promised to Adam and Abraham) would descend specifically from him (see Genesis 49:8-10). And God gave his word to King David that this son (promised to Adam, Abraham, and Judah) would be born from him. The Lord promised David, saying, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–13, ESV). A careful consideration of the Old Testament Scriptures will help us to understand why the expectations of God’s people were raised very high. They were looking forward to the arrival of this son that was promised to Adam, Abraham, Judah, and David. They were longing to see him and to hear the good news that he had been “raised up”, in fulfillment of the promises made to King David, and that God’s eternal kingdom and the temple had begun. The expectations of God’s elect were raised very high, and Luke wants us to know that Jesus Christ is the one who meets all of those expectations. He is the son of Adam, Abraham, Judah, and David whom the Lord has “raised up” to “establish [God’s] kingdom” and to build “a house for [God’s] name”, and that God will “establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (see 2 Samuel 7:12–13).

As Luke tells us about Jesus of Nazareth, his person, and work, and shows him to be the fulfillment of prophecies and promises previously given, he tells us another story too, and that is the story of the disciples of Jesus coming to grips with all of this progressively.

When the disciples of Jesus decided to follow him, all but one of them did so sincerely. And yet we can see in Luke’s gospel that their understanding of Jesus’ true identity and the significance of his person and work developed over time. To illustrate, though most of them followed Jesus sincerely from the start believing him to be the Messiah, when he calmed the wind and waves by the power of his word, “they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” (Luke 8:25, ESV). Clearly, they knew that Jesus was the Messiah, but they had not fully grasped his true identity. It was in Luke 9:20 that Jesus pressed his disciples with the question, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered on behalf of the group, and he answered correctly, saying, “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:20, ESV). But it was after this that more was revealed to Peter, James, and John concerning the true identity of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (see Luke 9:28-36). And here in our text for today, Jesus seems to press them further. Its as if he said, I hope you men know how very blessed you are to see what you see and to hear what you hear. Prophets and kings longed for this, and you have it. And this story about the disciples of Jesus progressively coming to grips with the true identity of Jesus continues to the very end of Luke’s gospel. Did the disciples of Jesus know that he was the Messiah and follow after him sincerely from the start? Yes, they did, except for one. But did they comprehend the true identity of Jesus and the full significance of the work he would do from the start? No. Their knowledge of him increased with time. They saw Jesus truly from the start, but the eyes of their hearts were enlightened progressively as they walked with him. And when were their eyes opened fully? It was not until they saw him raised from the dead and in his glorified state.

As you probably know, Luke’s gospel concludes with an account of this. Although Christ warned his disciples over and over again that he was going to Jerusalem to suffer and die, they could not see it. It’s as if they did not have a category for the sufferings of Christ in their minds. And so, although Jesus was very direct about his eventual sufferings and death, they could not grasp it. therefore, when Jesus died, his disciples were perplexed and despondent. Their eyes were opened to the true identity of Christ and the work that he came to accomplish only after he suffered, died, and was raised from the dead. 

It was after Jesus was raised that he met with those two disciples on the road to Emmaus. It is interesting, Luke tells us that when Jesus drew near to them, at first “their eyes were kept from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16, ESV). But he spoke with them. He ministered the word of God to them, saying, “‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:25–27, ESV). It is in Luke 24:29 that we read, “they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:29–32, ESV). Luke then tells us that something very similar happened in Jerusalem as Jesus appeared to more of his disciples who were assembled there. 

When were the eyes of the disciples fully opened to comprehend the true identity of Jesus and the full significance of the work that he came to accomplish? Only after he suffered, died, was buried, and was raised in glory on the third day. It was only then that they were able to see clearly how God would deliver his people from sin and death through Jesus the Messiah, and this was revealed to them, remember, through the ministry of the word of God and in the breaking of bread. 

 *****

Conclusion

When Jesus turned to his disciples and spoke to them privately, saying, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:23–24, ESV), he wished to further awaken them to the fact that they were doubly blessed. Not only could they see Christ with eyes of faith like the elect of God who lived before them did, but they were blessed to see him in the flesh with their very own eyes and to listen to his words with their very own ears. By that point in time they had seen and heard marvelous things, but they would witness greater things even still, for these men would behold the risen Christ in his glory.

You and I are not doubly blessed in the way these original disciples of Jesus were, for did not witness the incarnation or Christ raised from the dead, but we are very blessed indeed, for we live after the accomplishment of our redemption, under the Covenant of Grace ratified in Christ’s blood, and in the inaugurated and eternal kingdom of God, of which Christ the son of Adam, Abraham, Judah, and David is King. And we have the word of the eyewitness to enable us to see Christ clearly and to comprehend the significance of his life, death, burial, and resurrection.

I trust that most of you here today have already turned from your sins and have placed your faith in Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins and to receive the gift of life eternal. If you have not, I pray that the Lord would draw you to himself by his word and Spirit. For those who have faith in Christ, I pray that your knowledge of him would increase as we gather Lord’s Day after Lord’s Day to consider the word of God and to break bread.

 The prayer of the Apostle Paul found in Ephesians 1:15-23 is a fitting conclusion to this sermon. 

“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:15–23, ESV)