Old Testament Reading: Psalm 32

“A MASKIL OF DAVID. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 11:5-13

“And he said to them, ‘Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:5–13, 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 do love this portion of Luke’s Gospel. Here in Luke 10:25-11:13, we learn a lot about the Christian life. According to the Great Commission, the church is to be about the task of making disciples of all nations through the preaching of the gospel. Those who turn from their sins to trust in Christ are to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And these baptized disciples are to be taught to observe all that Christ has commanded. 

And what has Christ commanded? What is the law of Christ that his followers are to be taught to observe? Answer: Disciples of Jesus are to keep God’s ever-abiding and unchanging moral law and the positive laws that Christ has added under the New Covenant – laws about the worship of God, and laws about the government of his church. The moral law, as you know, is summarized within the Ten Commandments. And the Ten Commandments are further summarized by 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). Disciples of Jesus are to keep God’s law, not to be saved, but because they are saved. We are to obey God’s law, not to earn God’s love and favor, but because he has freely and graciously bestowed his love and favor upon us. Christians are to keep God’s law, not in thier own strength but with the strngth that God provides. God has regenrated his people and he gives them his Holy Spirit to make them willing and able to keep his commandments. 

Luke brought these two great commandments to the forefront of his gospel through the story of Jesus’ interaction with the lawyer as recorded in Luke 10:25-29. After this, we find the Parable of the Good Samaritan, which helps us to understand what it means to keep the second great commandment, to love neighbor as self. And after this, we find a story about the sisters, Mary and Martha, followed by Jesus’ teaching about prayer. As I have said in previous sermons, I believe that the story about Mary and Martha and Jesus’ teaching about prayer is meant to teach us something about what it means to love God and to stir us to do so from the heart. 

What did we learn about loving God with all the heart, soul, strength, and mind from the story about the sisters? Those who love God truly will love Jesus Christ. Those who love God will sit at the feet of Jesus to receive his teaching. The lawyer stood to put Jesus to the test (Luke 10:25). But Mary sat at Jesus’ feet to listen to his teaching. Furthermore, those who love God will serve Jesus and his disciples as Martha did. But in that story about the sisters, we are taught that sitting at Jesus’ feet to receive his Word takes precedence over devoting ourselves to service. Both Mary and Martha are to be commended. The Christian is to imitate Mary in her sitting and Martha in her serving. But sitting at the feet of Jesus to receive his teaching is the good portion that must not be neglected. Our service of Christ must flow from our communion with him. Considered in terms of the two great commandments, the command to love God is first and greater than the command to love neighbor. Neither should be neglected but the order must be maintained.

And what have we learned about loving God with all the heart, soul, strength, and mind from Jesus’ teaching about prayer? We have learned that those who love God will commune with him in prayer. More than this, Christ has taught us how to pray. He said, “When you pray, say, ‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:2–4, ESV). This prayer, which is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer, is to function as a pattern or guide for us. Here the Lord directs us concerning the things we should pray for and in what order. Brothers and sisters, the Christian life is to be a prayerful life. And if we wish to pray well, we must not neglect this prayer that Christ has given to us as a pattern or guide.

Notice, that after Jesus presented his disciples with this pattern for prayer, he taught them more about the practice of prayer. Here in Luke 11:5-13, Jesus instructs us concerning the perspective we are to have while praying. Teach us to pray, was the request. First, Christ presented a model or pattern to follow. But here in the passage that is open before us today, Christ teaches us about the perspective we should have in prayer. What should we think and feel about God as we approach him in prayer? Does he hear us? Does he care for us? Is he eager to help us? These are the kinds of questions that Jesus answers here in this passage. 

Stated differently, I do believe that the main objective of this passage is to teach us to draw near to “draw near to God, with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, [who is] able and ready to help us…” (see Baptist Catechism 107). In a way, I see this teaching of Jesus, as found in Luke 11:5-13, as an explanation of what it means to pray to God as Father. If it is true for those in Christ Jesus that God is our Father in heaven, how then should we pray? What kind of mindset or perspective should we bring to prayer? Should we think of God as being distant? Should we think of him as disinterested? Should we feel as if we are a nuisance to him? Should we think that if we are to get what we want from God we must pester him with our prayers as if to twist his arm? No, when Christ taught us to pray to God as our Father in heaven, it was an invitation to “draw near to God, with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, [who is] able and ready to help us…” This is implied by the name “Father” (Luke 11:2). Here in the passage open before us, Jesus explicitly teaches this.  

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When You Pray, Draw Near To God, As Children To A Father, Who Is Able And Ready To Help Us

I have drawn three points from this text. The first is this: When you pray, you must draw near to God, as children to a Father, who is able and ready to help us. 

Good fathers love to give good gifts to their children. Good fathers are accessible to their children. Good fathers are delighted when their children approach them for assistance. Good fathers will give good gifts to their children according to their ability. And your heavenly Father is a good Father.  He is ready and willing to give good gifts to his adopted children. And he is able. I wonder, is this your perspective? When you pray, do you see God like this? Do you know him to be your good Father in heaven, who is ready and able to give good gifts to you, his beloved child?

Jesus teaches us to pray with this perspective by presenting us with a couple of illustrations. 

The Story Of The Impudent Friend

First, in verses 5-8 we find a story about a man in need approaching a friend for assistance. Jesus asked his disciples, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’…” (Luke 11:5–6, ESV). 

Can you picture the scenario? A man has a friend arrive at his home unexpectedly. This friend of his has been on a long journey and he is hungry. The right thing for this man to do is to receive this friend of his into his home to feed him and show him hospitality. By the way, we should not forget the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the story about Martha serving Jesus and his disciples as they journeyed. The importance of showing kindness and hospitality to those in need in obedience to the second great commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself, has just been stressed in Luke’s gospel. And so, this man’s need was real. His friend had come to him. It was necessary to show him hospitality. And he did not have daily bread to share. And so he went to another “friend” to ask for help. 

In verse 7 we find the response of the “friend” who was awakened at midnight. He answered from within the house, “Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything?” 

Notice a few things about this story. One, the reluctant friend was sleeping. He was tired. He was warm in bed. Selfishly, he did not want to be disturbed. Two, as was common in those days, his family in bed with him. To get up to fetch his friend some bread would disturb the whole household. Certainly, it is understandable that he was somewhat annoyed with the request. Three, nevertheless, I think most people would respond to this story by saying, some friend this is! With friends like this, who needs enemies? And that, I think,  is the point. Though it is true that we humans grow tired and sleepy and can sometimes be selfish and self-serving, most would happily jump out of bed even at midnight to meet the legitimate need of a friend. If we are shocked by the selfish and begrudging response of this friend – stated differently, if we would expect more kindness and generosity from a friend – how much more should we expect kindness and generosity from our Father in heaven?

The story does not end here, though. Jesus goes on to say in verse 8, “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs” (Luke 11:8, ESV). The word impudence means shamelessness. The idea here is that the man shamelessly knocked and knocked, asked and asked until his selfish and begrudging friend finally got out of bed to meet his need. 

Friends, the point of this story is not that God is like this “friend”, as if he were annoyed by the prayers of his people, begrudging, and withholding, and that if we wish to get anything out of him then we must pester him with our prayers until he finally gives in. No! The meaning is the opposite. God is not like this friend. He does not sleep or slumber. He does not grow tired or weary. He is not selfish but is most generous and kind. He is not begrudging but is most benevolent. He does not withhold but freely gives good gifts to his beloved children. If we are willing to persist with impudence in asking a selfish friend to meet some need of ours, how much more should we persist in prayer with our Father in heaven?

This is the point that Christ makes in verse 9, saying, “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:9–10, ESV). Notice the repetition. It is there for emphasis. And notice how open our access is to the Father and how generous he is said to be. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” 

This story that Jesus tells about the two friends and their midnight encounter teaches us to be persistent in prayer. And this is not the only place in Scripture where we are taught to be persistent in prayer. Christians are to “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2, ESV). We are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV). We “ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1, ESV). Yes, we are to be persistent in prayer. And this story about the impudent friend encourages us to do this very thing. But more than this, I do believe that this story is meant to affect our perspective of God in prayer.  God is not like this sleepy and selfish friend! No, he is our Father in heaven. He never sleeps or slumbers. He is ready and able to give good gifts to his children and to help us in our need.   

Good Fathers Give Good Gifts

This brings us to the second illustration. In verse 11 Jesus asks, “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11–13, ESV).

I trust you can see why I said this entire passage is about the perspective we are to have of our Father in heaven. Most earthly fathers, sinful as we are, are eager to give good gifts to their children. If a child asks his earthly father for something good and reasonable like a morsel of bread, a fish, or an egg, he will gladly and freely give that good thing. No earthly father would give something dangerous or damaging instead. This is even true of very wicked men. Even they, though they might be very cruel to others, will show kindness to their own children.  “How much more”, Jesus says, will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” 

“How much more…” That is the phrase that binds these two stories together. If a sinful and selfish man will rise up to give bread to his impudent friend in the middle of the night, how much more will your heavenly Father freely give to those who ask, seek, and knock at his door? And if sinful, earthly fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will the heavenly Father give good gifts to his children when they ask?

Application

Brothers and sisters, what is the perspective that you have of God when you come to him in prayer? What do you think of him? I do hope that you pray according to the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer. I hope you pray that God be glorified, that his kingdom come, and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I hope you pray for daily bread, for the forgiveness of sins, and to be kept from, or given victory over, temptation. But your thoughts concerning God must be right and true. When you call him Father, you are to think of him as loving, accessible, and kind. You must know that he is ready and able to help you. He is eager to give good gifts to you as you come to him in prayer. If your thoughts concerning God are amiss – if you think of him as distant, cold, or begrudging – worse yet, if you think of him as cruel – as one who would give a scorpion instead of an egg, or a snake instead of a fish – it is time for you to repent of these wrongheaded notions of God and to replace them with the truth as revealed in God’s Holy Word.       

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When You Pray To God The Father, Be Sure That You Are Asking For Good Things

My first point drawn from the text is, that when you pray, you must draw near to God, as children to a Father, who is able and ready to help us. My second point is, that when you pray, you must be sure to ask God the Father for good things. 

Never should a Christian ask God for evil or sinful things. That is so obvious it hardly needs to be said. 

And neither should Christians ask God for good things so that they might spend it on their passions. James warns against this. First, he says, “You do not have, because you do not ask.” And then he adds, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:2–3, ESV). It is good to have work and the wisdom, health, and strength to do it. It is good to have money, food, clothing, and shelter. There are many things in this life that are good gifts from God. But to ask God for these good gifts so that we might spend it on our passions is to ask amiss. 

What does it mean to ask for good things from God, then? Well, those who are godly will pray from the heart according to the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. Not only will they pray for the variety of things that Christ has taught us to pray for, but they will also pray for them in the order in which they are given to us by our Lord. The priorities of the Lord’s Prayer will match the priorities of their hearts. 

Those who are worldly will sometimes pray, but when they pray they will often pray only for bread. And rarely will it be daily bread that they pray for, but an abundance of bread. And when they pray for an abundance of bread, it will not be to share it with those in need, but to feast upon it themselves being driven by gluttonous passion. 

When the goldy pray, they will not pray first for daily bread. Their first and highest to concern will ber to give thanks and praise to God. After this, they will express their concern for the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom. After this, they will ask the Lord to make them ready and willing to obey his revealed will, as the elect angels do in heaven, and for contentment and humility to submit to God hidden will for them, as Christ did in the garden, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42, ESV). And only after praying that God be glorified, that his kingdom come, and his will be done, will the godly be concerned with bread. And it is to be daily bread that we are concerned about. Give us, O God, what we need to live so that we might worship and serve you in thankfulness all the days you have ordained for us. Can you see the difference between praying for daily bread so that you might spend it on your passions and praying for daily bread so that we might be sustained in the worship and service of God?  

Dear brothers and sisters, God does invite us to pray for daily bread. He invites us to bring our cares and concerns to him. It is right that we pray for things like work, health, food, shelter, and clothing for ourselves and those we love. It is right that we pray for peace and prosperity in the land. These are good things to pray for. But followers of Jesus Christ must know that these things are not the best things. The very best things have to do with the glory of God, the furtherance of  Christ’s eternal kingdom, obedience to his revealed will, and the accomplishment of his hidden will, that is to say, his eternal decree. 

To illustrate I’ll ask, when you pray, what do you spend more time praying for? Health concerns or growth in holiness? And when you pray for healing, do you also pray that God would be glorified through the suffering and that men and women would be sanctified in the trial? 

I do believe that one of the secrets of a powerful prayer life is to first align our heart with the heart of God. What is God doing in the world? What is he most concerned with? What promises has he made? What is the mission he has given to us? These are the things we ought to concern ourselves with in prayer. 

I could pile up many passages of Scripture to prove the point.   

Matthew 6:31-33 comes to mind. There Christ says, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31–33, ESV)

There are many passages of Scripture that invite followers of Christ to pray boldly knowing that they will receive what they ask for. Carnal, worldly men think this is a blank check – an invitation to approach God as if he were a genie in a bottle. The thing they overlook is that it is the disciples of Jesus who are invited to pray with such boldness. And what is assumed in all of these passages? The assumption is that disciples of Jesus will have hearts, minds, and wills surrendered to God and Christ. 

In Matthew 21:22 Jesus speaks to his followers, saying, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” 

In Mark 11:24, Jesus speaks to his disciples, saying, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

In John 14:13 we hear our Lord say, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” 

In John 15:7 he says, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” 

In John 15:16 Christ speaks to his followers, saying, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

1 John 3:22 says, “and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.” 

In prayer, we do not bend God’s will to bring it into conformity with ours. To the contrary, when we pray, we must first surrender our will to his! Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, we say. And then, having surrendered to God and having conformed our desires to his, we offer up our heartfelt desires to him. 

Baptist Catechim Q. 105 asks, What is Prayer? Answer: Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God, by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, believing, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies. Are we free to bring our desires to God in prayer? Yes, of course. But we are to do so being led by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is to help us pray for things agreeable to God’s revealed will. And we are we are to pray in the name of Jesus, that is to say, by his power and under his authority. Friends, those who truly love God and have Christ as Lord will bring their desires to God and prayer and it should be no surprise that their desires, plans, and purposes will align with God’s desires, plans, and purposes. 

Perhaps another way to say this is that the Christian is to pray for good things, but a Christian’s understanding of what is truly good will be different from that of one who is worldly. The worldly person will only be concerned with the things of this world – health, wealth, prosperity, and pleasure. But the true Christian will see other things as being of supreme value and importance. When the Christian is exhorted to pray for good things, their mind will, by God’s grace, naturally go to things having to do with the glory of God, the furtherance of his eternal kingdom, the salvation of sinners, and the sanctification of saints.      

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When You Pray, Know That God Always Gives Good Gifts To His Children

My third and final point is, that when you pray, you must know that God always gives good gifts to his children. 

Again, to see this you must adopt God’s perspective concerning what is good. The carnal man will only think of earthly goods. The godly, spiritual man will think first of the heavenly and eternal goods that are ours in Christ Jesus, and of earthly goods second.   

This point is brought out powerfully at the very end of our passage. Verse 13 says, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13, ESV). Instead of saying “good gifts” Christ says “the Holy Spirit”. What is the meaning of this? By inserting the phrase “the Holy Spirit” in the place of the phrase “good gifts” Christ directs our attention to the greatest gift of all – the Holy Spirit and all of the benefits he bestows. 

John Calvin comments on this, saying, “Instead of good things (ἀγαθὰ) in the last clause, Luke says the Holy Spirit. This does not exclude other benefits, but points out what we ought chiefly to ask: for we ought never to forget the exhortation, Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all other things shall be added to you, (Matth. 6:33.) It is the duty of the children of God, when they engage in prayer, to strip themselves of earthly affections, and to rise to meditation on the spiritual life. In this way, they will set little value on food and clothing, as compared to the earnest and pledge of their adoption, (Rom. 8:15; Eph. 1:14:) and when God has given so valuable a treasure, he will not refuse smaller favours” (John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, vol. 1, 354).

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Conclusion

I have said this passage is about the perspective or view that we have of God when we approach him in prayer, and so it is.  We must view him as our heavenly Father who is ready and able to give good gifts to his children and to help us in our need. It seems to me that one of the greatest challenges is when we bring good and reasonable requests to God and they seem to go unanswered. It is in moments like these that God’s people are tempted to think that God is absent, distant, disinterested, or unable to help us. In reality, God’s plans might simply be differnt than yours. Or maybe his plans agree with yours, but his timing is different. Whatever the case may be, by faith, we confess that God’s plans are always perfect, holy, wise, and good. And so we must rest in him. We must trust that our heavenly Father will give good gifts to his children in this life and in the life to come.   

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 141

“A PSALM OF DAVID. O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you! Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with men who work iniquity, and let me not eat of their delicacies! Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds. When their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant. As when one plows and breaks up the earth, so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol. But my eyes are toward you, O GOD, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless! Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers! Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely.” (Psalm 141, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 11:1-4

“Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ And he said to them, ‘When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation’” (Luke 11:1–4, 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 would like to begin this sermon by reminding you of the two great commandments stated in Luke 10:27. These two commandments summarize the whole of God’s law. What are they? “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).

And I wonder if you can remember from the previous sermon how strongly I feel that the Parable of the Good Samaritan (as told in Luke 10:30-37) is to be linked to the second great commandment and the story about Mary and Martha (as told in Luke 10:38-42) is to be linked to the first great commandment. These stories – one, a parable, and the other historical – reveal what the great commandments require. What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? The parable of Good Samaritan obviously provides an answer. And what does it mean to love God with all of the heart, soul, strength, and mind? Well, the story about Mary and Marth has something to teach us about that.  I’ve reminded you of these things in the introduction to this sermon because I think this teaching about prayer is to be linked to the first great commandment too. 

The true Christian will strive to love God with all the heart, soul, strength, and mind. But the question is, what will this involve? What will it look like in practice? Will it involve service? Yes, no doubt. Will it involve obedience to God in the whole of life? Yes, certainly. But I do believe that the story about Mary at the feet of Jesus and this teaching about prayer that we will be considering today push us to see that love for God does not begin with service but with communion. Those who love God will commune with him. Those who love God will relate to him through Christ Jesus. Those who love God will be eager to hear and receive his Word. Those who love God will also speak to him through prayer. 

I should remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of what the first and greatest commandment actually says: “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 (Luke 10:27, ESV). The greatest commandment is not, you shall dutifully obey your God. Neither does it say, you shall faithfully serve your God. No, God’s law is summed up with the word love. Yes, God is to be obeyed. God is to be served. But he is to be obeyed and served in love. The words, with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, intensify the point. The thing that God desires from his people is not dutiful, heartless service and obedience, but love.   

And so I ask you, dear friends, do you love God? Do you long to know him, to hear his Word, and to speak with him in prayer? Do you long to commune with God? Do you obey him and serve him because you love him? Or is your obedience heartless and merely dutiful?  

It was in the previous sermon that we considered the story of Mary and Martha and stressed the importance and supreme goodness of receiving God’s Word by sitting at the feet of Jesus, as Mary did. Today, we will turn our attention to prayer. Those who love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind will love to hear God’s Word and they will also love to speak to God in prayer. 

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A Few Observations About Jesus And His Disciples Concerning Prayer

One, Jesus was a man of prayer. “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place…” (Luke 11:1, ESV), the text says. 

Two, the disciples of Jesus were men of prayer. “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1, ESV). Does this now sow that they were men of prayer who wished to pray better?

Three, Jesus assumed his disciples would pray. “And he said to them, ‘When you pray, say…” (Luke 11:2, ESV). It was not if you pray, but when. 

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The Lord’s Prayer, A Model Prayer

Let us now consider the Lord’s Prayer as recorded in Luke’s gospel. Jesus spoke to his disciples saying, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’” (Luke 11:2–4, ESV)

Clearly, the Lord’s prayer is a model prayer. It provides followers of Christ with a pattern to follow. It is like an outline for prayer. It is a purposefully ordered list of subjects to be prayed for. 

Consider what the Lord’s Prayer is not.  

One, it is not a prayer that Jesus himself prayed. Never did Christ pray for the forgiveness of his sins, for he had none. The name we have given to this prayer can be misleading. We call it the Lord’s Prayer not because Jesus prayed this prayer himself, but because he gave it to his disciples as a model prayer. 

Two, the Lord’s Prayer is not meant to be merely recited. Now granted, there is nothing wrong with reciting the Lord’s Prayer. We will do this very thing together later in our worship. And it may be that you sometimes simply recited the Lord’s Prayer. Perhaps you will find yourself in a difficult situation where you need to pray but you do not know what to pray. You would do well to recite the Lord’s Prayer. Lastly, the Lord’s Prayer may be recited by children or others new to the faith as they begin to learn to pray. These are legitimate uses of the Lord’s Prayer. But the Lord’s Prayer was given not to be recited word for word, but to function as a guide. Each petition is to be expanded upon. Each phrase is an invitation to linger a while and to pray about a certain subject. 

Three, the Lord’s Prayer is not the only prayer we are ever to pray. By this I mean, the follower of Jesus is not obligated to pray through each petition of the Lord’s Prayer every time he or she prays. Sometimes we simply need to cry out to God about some concern. It is not wrong to get to the point in situations like these. And perhaps you have noticed that not every prayer offered up in corporate worship strictly follows the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer. Different prayers are offered up according to different themes at different themes in the worship service, and this is good and right. But ordinarily, when we pray in private, we ought to pray according to the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. And the various prayers that are offered up in corporate worship ought to follow the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer when considered in total.

Perhaps you noticed that the Lord’s Prayer recorded in Luke’s Gospel is slightly different from the one recorded in Matthew’s Gospel. I think this supports the idea that Jesus intended this prayer, not to be recited from memory, but to function as a model. The Lord’s Prayer in Luke’s Gospel is a bit shorter. 

There are four main differences: One, in Matthew, we are taught to pray to “Our Father in heaven”. In Luke, we are simply taught to say “Father”. Of course, it is assumed that when we pray, we are praying, not to angels or men, but to God. So “Father” is clearly a reference to “our Father in heaven.” Two, Matthew says, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Luke only says, “Your kingdom come.” The phrase, “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” is not found. So you can see that the version of the Lord’s Prayer found in Luke is shorter. But the substance is really the same. When we pray to God saying, “your kingdom come”, our desire is to see the will of our King accomplished on earth as in heaven. “Your will be done” is implied in the phrase “your kingdom come.” What is implied in Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer is made explicit in Matthew’s version. Three, Matthew says, “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”, whereas Luke says, “forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.” The differences are minor. The meaning is the same.  Four, Matthew says, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”, whereas Luke only says, “And lead us not into temptation.” Again, Luke’s version is shorter but the meaning is the same. 

One question we should ask is, why are there different versions of the Lord’s Prayer? It must be that Christ taught people to pray on different occasions and when he taught them to pray he did not always use the exact same words. The prayer found in Luke is briefer than the prayer found in Matthew but the substance and pattern of the prayers are the same.

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The Lord’s Prayer, Its Petitions

Let us now consider the Lord’s Prayer as it is given to us by Luke.

Father 

“And he said to [his disciples], ‘When you pray, say: Father…” Do not overlook the significance of this name. It was not unheard of prior to the arrival of Christ to refer to God as Father but neither was it common. When Christ taught his disciples to pray, Father, he brought this name or title for God to the forefront and gave it prominence. Jesus prayed to God as Father. For example, in John 17:1 we read, “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him” (John 17:1–2, ESV). 

Jesus is the eternal Son of the Father and he taught his people – those united to him by faith – to pray to God as Father because in him we are adopted sons and daughters. God is not our Father by nature on account of sin. But if we are united to Christ by faith, God is our Father by way of redemption and adoption. When you pray to God as Father, it should prompt you to remember that God is your creator and sustainor. More than this, it should remind you that God is your redeemer. He has shown grace to you. He has sent a Savior, Christ the Lord. He has removed the guilt of your sin, washed you clean, and clothed you with Christ’s righteousness. He has set you free from the domain of darkness and has transferred you into the kingdom of his beloved Son. More than this, he has reconciled you to himself and has adopted you into his eternal family. This is what Paul had in mind when he wrote these words: “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15, ESV). 

When you pray to God as Father, these truths should come to your mind. These truths must also warm your heart. If you are in Christ Jesus, friends, it is because God has set his love upon you. He has been merciful and gracious to you. He has reconciled you to himself. And so we are invited to come boldly before the throne of grace. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, ESV). 

Think of all that one word, “Father”, communicates. Do not utter that word carelessly or thoughtlessly. When we address God as “Father” it should deeply affect our minds and our hearts leading us to approach God with reverential fear, yes, but also with warmth and affection. Imagine a king’s chamber and a great king seated on his throne.  The way that a lowly servant approaches the king and the way that the king’s child approaches him will be very different. I’m afraid that many Christians approach the throne of grace like lowly servants. They have forgotten that they have been adopted as sons and daughters. No doubt, this hinders them from approaching the throne of grace with the boldness that is ours in Christ Jesus.

Baptist Catechism 107 asks, What doth the preface of the Lord’s Prayer teach us? Answer: “The preface of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, ‘Our Father, which art in heaven,’ teacheth us to draw near to God, with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.”

Hallowed Be Your Name

The first petition of the Lord’s Prayer is “hallowed be your name.” This is the first petition for good reason. When we approach God in prayer, it is right for us to begin by blessing his holy name. It is right that we give praise to him for his nature and perfections. It is right that we give thanks and praise to him for the kindness that he has shown to us. It is right that we pray his name would be hallowed – glorified, exulted, and praised – by others too. The first petition, “hallowed be your name”, should prompt is to give thank and praise to God ourselves, and to pray that others would give thanks and praise to him too. We should pray for things like this: Lord, move my wife and children to give praise to you. Bless my brothers and sisters in Christ to live for your glory. Bless us as we assemble this Lord’s Day that you would be exulted within our congregation. Be exalted in other churches too. Be exulted to the ends of the earth, etc. 

Baptist Catechism 108 asks,  What do we pray for in the first petition? Answer: In the first petition, which is “Hallowed be thy name,” we pray that God would enable us and others to glorify Him in all that whereby He makes Himself known, and that He would dispose all things to His own glory. 

Your Kingdom Come

The second petition of the Lord’s Prayer is “Your kingdom come.” This is the second petition for good reason. After praying that God be glorified, we are to pray that his kingdom advance and prosper. How does God’s kingdom advance on earth? Through the preaching the Word of God as the Spirit works. And what does it look like for God’s kingdom to advance? Sinners turn from their sins and to Christ. These are to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These are to be taught to observe all that Christ has commanded. This includes participation in the Lord’s Supper. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be administered by the church, particularly Pastors or elders. So then, the expansion and building up of God’s kingdom on earth is made visible when Christ’s church expands, grows, and flourishes.    

What then should you pray for under the petition, “your kingdom come”? Many things. Pray that the gospel be proclaimed to the non-believing world. Pray tat workers be sent out into the harvest, for the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Pray that men and women, boys and girls, come to repentance and faith. Pray that they be baptized and join the church according to the commands of Holy Scripture. Pray that the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is administered faithfully to these and that the truth of the word of God is faithfully preached so that the church of Christ is built up strong and true. Pray for your pastors and elders. Pray for you deacons. Pray for your fellow church members. Pray for the unity and health of the church. Pray for other churches. Pray for church planters. 

As I have said, Matthew’s account of the Lord’s prayer follows the petition, “Your kingdom come” with a third petition, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. The wills of kings are to be obeyed in their kingdoms. We are to pray that God’s hidden will be accomplished and that we will surrender to it with contentment. Furthermore, we are to pray that we, as his redeemed people, would obey God’s revealed will. In Matthew’s version of the Lord’s Prayer the petition, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is stated. In Luke, it is implied in the petition, “you kingdom come.”

Baptist Catechism 109 asks, What do we pray for in the second petition? Answer: In the second petition, which is “Thy kingdom come,” we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed, and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it and kept in it, and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened. 

Baptist Catechism 110 asks. What do we pray for in the third petition? Answer: In the third petition, which is, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven,” we pray that God by His grace would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to His will in all things, as the angels do in heaven. (Matt. 6:10; Ps. 103:20,21; Ps. 25:4,5; Ps. 119:26)

Give Us Each Day Our Daily Bread

The third petition of the Lord’s Prayer in Luke, and the fourth in Matthew, is “Give us each day our daily bread.” Here we are prompted to pray for earth provisions. That we are instructed to pray for earthly provisions shows us that is concerned to provide us with the things needed for life on earth. We may pray to God for good, honest work and the health, skill, and wisdom to do it. We may pray to God for peace and prosperity in our state and nation so that life would flourish here. I believe it is under this petition that we should pray “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:2, ESV). Most basically, we are to pray that God would provide us with adequate resources – money, food, clothing, and shelter – under the petition, “Give us each day our daily bread.” And do not forget that we are to pray, not only for ourselves but others too. We should intercede on behalf of others under every petition including this one. 

Baptist Catechism 111 asks, What do we pray for in the fourth petition? Answer: In the fourth petition, which is, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we pray that of God’s free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy His blessing with them.

Forgive Us Our Sins As We Forgive

The fourth petition of the Lord’s Prayer in Luke, and the fifth in Matthew is, “and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.” Here we are prompted to confess our sisn to God. Of course, it is not just confession that is required but true repentance. To confess your sins to God is to admit them. To repent is to admit your sins and to turn from them resolved to walk in new obedience. Do not merely confess your sins, brothers and sisters. Turn from them and to Christ. Turn from them and walk in obedience to God’s law.  

It is under this petition that we are also prompted to forgive others as we have been forgiven. Whenever I consider this petition of the Lord’s prayer I am reminded of the parable of the unforgiving servant that is told in Matthew 18:21 and following. There in that parable, Christ warns his disciples of the sin of unforgiveness. Those forgiven much are expected to forgive much.  The Lord’s Prayer helps us with this. 

Question 112 of the Baptist Catechism asks, What do we pray for in the fifth petition? Answer: In the fifth petition, which is, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” we pray that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are rather encouraged to ask because by His grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others. 

Forgive Us Our Sins As We Forgive

The fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer in Luke, and the sixth in Matthew is, “And lead us not into temptation.” Matthew’s version adds, “but deliver us from evil.”

Baptist Catechism 113 asks, What do we pray for in the sixth petition? Answer: In the sixth petition, which is, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” we pray that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.

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Conclusion

Dear brothers and sisters, it is my opinion that the story about Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus to listen to his teaching and this teaching from Jesus regarding prayer is presented by Luke at this place in his gospel to teach us something about what it means to love God with all of the heart, soul, strength, and mind. Will loving God involve serving God and others? Yes. But true love for God will involve more than dutiful obedience. Those who love God truly and from the heart will love Christ and his Word. Those who love truly and from the heart will love to commune with God through Christ in prayer.  

Do you love God’s word, friends? Do you feast upon it? And to you pray? Do you come to God the Father, through Christ the Son, and by the Spirit to pray?

You know, if you come to a pastor and ask for help with some spiritual ailment – depression, anxiety, anger, bitterness, resentment, discontent, or some other thing — it is likely that your pastor will at some point ask you, having you been meditating upon the Word of God and have you been praying? Why do you think pastors frequently ask this question? Do pastors not know that life is complicated and that there might be other factors to consider? Yes, good pastors will be aware of other factors. But the truth remains that our spiritual health does flow from our communion with God. Generally speaking (and there are exceptions) when we are keeping our minds and hearts by filling them with the word of God and through prayer, spiritual health typically follows. 

Prayer, dear brothers and sisters, is one of the primary ways that we keep our souls pure before God. Does God accomplish things in the world through the prayers of his people? Yes, of course. God carries out his eternal and unchanging decree through means, and one of those means is prayer. Just as God works through our evangelism and our good deeds, so too God works through the prayers of his people which he has prepared beforehand (see Ephesians 2:8-10). But one of the most important things that happens in prayer is that our hearts and minds are changed 

It is hard to imagine someone praying through the Lord’s Prayer daily in a thoughtful, thorough, sincere, and faithful way living with a soul overrun by covetousness, misplaced priorities, fear, anxiety, pride, anger, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, or any other sin. Notice, I did not say that those who pray faithfully and fervently will not be tempted by these things. And neither did I say that they will not struggle with these things. But I did say, it is hard to imagine their soul bing overrun by these things. Prayer, dear brother and sisters, is means that God uses to accomplish his purposes in the world. And prayer is a means of grace for us. It is one of te primary things that God uses to save his people and to sanctify them further.        

We must be faithful in prayer. Some of you may now be coming to the realization that you are more like Martha than Mary. Martha loved the Lord, I do not doubt it. But she was too busy. She was distracted and anxious about many things. May the Lord help us to be first like Mary and then like Martha. May our love for God be shown, firstly, by sitting at the feet of Jesus to receive his word and to pray to our Father in heaven through him. Secondly, may we rise up from receiving the word and from prayer to serve God, Christ, and others as Martha did.  

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.