Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- People may superficially think they follow the Ten Commandments
- The rich young ruler feels he has kept all the commandments and is a good person
- Jesus quotes from some of the Ten Commandments
- Jesus shows the rich young ruler that he had not followed these commands
- The Parable of the Good Samaritan
- This is familiar to us - but have we understood it?
- Jesus said that people will not understand parables - it is perhaps the most misunderstood parable
- It is not just doing good to our neighbour
- The lawyer is testing Jesus (10:25)
- Jesus answers his question with another question
- This lawyer is well studied in the Old Testament
- His reply: Deut 6:5, 19:18 - this summarises the whole of the law
- Jesus said he had answered rightly
- The lawyer wanted to justify himself
- They would not love Samaritans or profligate Jews
- They would love those who kept the law
- Matt 5:43-44 - Jesus said to love your enemies
- They had a very narrow understanding of was their neighbour
- The parable
- We are more like the priest or the Levite
- It's purpose is to reveal the love of God
- The lawyer just wanted to justify himself - he did not cast himself on the mercy of Christ
What it does not mean
- It is not just a skit to do good or to behave appropriately
- Remember that this man has come to Jesus with a question
- Jesus is asking if he understands perfect love for God and man
- It was to have a profound impact on this man
- Consider the extravagant love of the Samaritan
- It is not about social justice (though this is right) - it is about evangelism
What does it teach us?
- This story would have been familiar to readers of the day
- The priest
- 1200 priests who would often travel back and forth from Jerusalem to Jericho
- The road was steep and windy - about 20 miles
- The road notorious for robbers - called "the way of blood"
- The priest and levite - saw and looked, but passed by on the other side
- The Samaritan
- The Samaritans were the enemy of the Jews - This would have caused all sorts of feelings within him
- He shows great care for the wounded man
- He shows extravagant love
- What does it teach us?
- We are not meant to allogerise it - example
- It should cause us to reflect on the love of God
- God's love
- God loved us enough to die for us whilst we were still sinners
- He did not love us on the basis of what we were
- He loves us from eternity
- His love goes to extreme lengths
- He sent Jesus Christ into this world
- Jesus Christ laid down His life on the cross
- God is rich in mercy
- He freely forgives
- Jesus paid the price for our sin
- Our response
- We must look to Christ
- Salvation is by faith alone
- Oh that we would come to Him
Closing Remarks
- Christ has fulfilled the law perfectly - that He would die in our place, that we might be forgiven and healed
- As Christ loves us, so must we love others
- Oh that this parable would draw us to Jesus