Have you ever known
anyone who thinks they are wise, at least...in their own eyes? They are constantly condemning others, and acting justified. They know everything; and are self-glorified. They stand self-righteous, and like to point out everyone's lies. They focus on falsehood, and try to force you to pick a side. They walk in black or white, and don’t ever cross the line. They appear to be an expert, on all that divides; and they demand others to carry the same perspective that they have justified. This is the essence that lies behind human pride. Arrogance is the opposite characteristic of what Jesus calls a good Samaritan. Part 3 of Luke Chapter 10 separates a merciful believer from a self-righteous man. It starts with verse 24 and extends to 42; my prayer is that your curiosity will cause you to stay in tune. This is a story about an expert of the law who stood up to Jesus, to justify himself. He said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said, "Well, what do you think?" Actually, that is not exactly what Jesus said. More precisely, this is how He responded, “What is written in the Law?” “How do you read it?” Jesus was scrubbing the man's heart, to break up the muck that bound him, and kept him apart. As you would think, the expert answered with the perfect words, “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, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you noticed, he did not give one answer, but quickly gave two; because he was smart and he knew that you can not possibly love God, without loving humans. The problem was he thought he only had to love some - the ones who were like him; the ones who strictly followed the laws of God. But Jesus is so good! He understood that beneath pure love is the willingness to forgive. The Lord replied, “You are correct. Do this and you will live." But the man pursued, scripture says "to justify himself," so he asked Jesus, “and who is my neighbor?” Instead of giving a simple answer, Jesus shared a story, like He always does. A short parable - that sounded like this, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite (priest), when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denari and gave them to the innkeeper. "Look after him," he said, "and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have." “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Then Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.” Before I move on to Martha and Mary, let me take a minute to explain the things I learned about this story. The road to Jericho is also known as the Way of Blood. It's a thin, winding and narrow road that works it's way down into dry, desert land. A person who was robbed and beaten would have been in a very vulnerable position. People who traveled were easy targets for bandits; utterly exposed and isolated - and if left alone, they would have been as good as dead. If a wise man, or a priest ran into a person on the road to Jericho, he would have had to step over them, if they were broken and hurt. Can you imagine the callousness of men who talk about truth but to live to condemn? Samaritans were known for robbing this road, especially when they were walking to Jerusalem. So if a Samaritan stopped along the way, to lift up a man and pay for an inn, then act truly speaks to the heart that lies within. Justification is not only seen in heartless men, it's also seen through the spirit of perfectionism. We see this in verses 38-42, when Martha invites Jesus in, and opens her home. She's the Queen of the Kitchen, and the rest of the house too. Hospitality is her thing - she likes to show off all of the things she can do, and all the ways she can focus on you. "She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed-- or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10: 39 - 42 So as I end Luke Chapter 10, I want to thank the Lord for showing me the sinful weeds of Justification and Perfectionism. Yesterday, Holy Spirit showed me how to be like Mary. He told me to focus on Him, and choose mercy. More exactly this is what I heard, True disciples don’t stop to debate; they simply focus on the perfecter of their faith! They walk among the scorpions and snakes, as they walk within the Lord’s sacred space. (Poetic Sermon Luke 10 Part 2)
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