The “Good” Samaritan, The Better Savior Luke 10:25-37

Kingdom Principle: What must we do to be saved? The answer depends on who and what you are trusting for your salvation. If you are trusting in yourself, you must keep the law of God perfectly, without one minor infraction. A feat we are incapable of achieving. This is why Jesus came and died for sinners. In his perfect life and sacrifice he secures eternal life for those who believe. Man’s _________________ Standard to ___________ Eternal Life Luke 10:25–37 (ESV) — 25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The lawyer here is trying to earn his own way into eternal life. The play in language in this text is in the word do. The lawyer asks, “what must I do?” and Jesus responds, “do this”. But in order for the lawyer to attain eternal life, he must lower the bar. The lawyer tries to make love for God and neighbor something that he can attain by doing a number of things and not something that demands utter perfection. Question 7What does the law of God require? Personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience; that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love our neighbor as ourselves. What God forbids should never be done and what God commands should always be done. For most Jews a neighbor was another Jew, not a Samaritan or a Gentile. The Pharisees (John 7:49) and the Essenes did not even include all Jews (1QS 1:9–10). The teaching of the latter stands in sharp contrast with that of Jesus. The Essenes taught that one was to love all the children of light who are part of the community but to hate the children of darkness who stand outside the community The man tries to make eternal life attainable by limiting the kind of people he must love. Jesus makes eternal life unattainable by defining what kind of love the man must demonstrate. Jesus’ ___________________ Standard to ___________ Eternal Life Luke 10:23–24 (ESV) — 23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” The traveller in the story is clearly a Jew, but no stress is put on this; he is called simply a man. The problem with the lawyer, and all of us, is not that we are unwilling to show favoritism, the problem is that we are unwilling to love as we should. Luke 10:37 (ESV) — 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” In order to gain eternal life you must love perfectly in every case and the lawyer, and we all, are incapable of such love. The intent of the story is to convict us of our sin. Mark 15:15-39 (pg 801) Questions to Consider Do you love others as you ought? What does this tell us about our need of a savior? How did Jesus love? Is his love sufficient to gain eternal life? How might be attain the life he gives? How might you express your thankfulness to Jesus for the love he has extended to you, even when you were his enemy? How might you love now that Jesus’ love abides in you?