Week of 13 Pentecost - C
This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:http://www.commontexts.org/
and:
http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html
The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.
The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:
http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com (Please bookmark this link).
Journalspace.com, my former 'blog host is being reorganized under new ownership. I no longer publish there. I have also lost mypodcast.com, my podcast host. This 'blog is mirrored at:
http://shepboy.multiply.com/
.mp3 Podcasts via Linux Festival text-to-speech and Panopreter Basic text-to-speech are available at:
http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com/dw_bible2/C%20Year/wklx_c.html
Please Note: I will post weekly by Saturday, noon, (God willing), Pacific time (UTC-8:00) for the week of the Church Season which begins on Sunday. Please scroll down for the desired day, or save the week to your desktop/hard drive.
This entry published one day earlier than usual, because of a prior commitment. Entries for 12 Pentecost Friday, and Saturday are in the latest archive links, right sidebar.
Podcast Download: Week of 13 Pentecost - C
Sunday - 13 Pentecost - C
First posted August 22, 2010;Podcast: Sunday - 13 Pentecost - C
Jeremiah 23:23-29 – God's Omnipresence;
Psalm 82 -- God's Judgment on Idolatry;
Hebrews 12:1-13 – Spiritual Discipline;
Luke 12:49-53 – The Coming Judgment;
Jeremiah Paraphrase:
God is both near to us individually, and also present everywhere throughout the universe at all times; there is no place one can hide so that God cannot see him. God has heard the lies of false prophets who lie in his name, saying that they have had a dream. How long will false prophets continue to lie, who lie from their own deceitful hearts and try to make God's people forget God's name by their lies, as their fathers forgot God's name in exchange for Ba'al? Let the false prophets tell their dreams, but let him who has God's Word speak it faithfully. Can straw compare to wheat? God's Word is like fire, and like a hammer which shatters rock.
Psalm Background:
In the ancient Near East, it was believed that the world was ruled by a council of gods. The Psalmist visualized God standing in the midst of that council and pronouncing judgment upon all the others.
Psalm Paraphrase:
In the divine council God has taken his place and holds judgment in the midst of the other gods. He condemns them for judging unjustly and showing partiality to the wicked.
He commands them to give justice to the weak and fatherless, and to uphold the right of the destitute and afflicted. They are to rescue the needy and powerless from the power of the wicked. The gods of the council lack knowledge and understanding. They go about in darkness; and as a result the foundations of earth have been shaken. Because they govern unjustly, they will all perish like any mortal and any human ruler, even though they are sons of God.
Arise, O God, judge the earth; for to thee belong all the nations” (Psalm 82:8)!
Hebrews Paraphrase:
We are surrounded a great cloud of witnesses, those who have succeeded at discipleship and have gone on to God's eternal kingdom, (as exemplified in Hebrews 11). So we need to put away anything that would interfere with our participation, and persevere in the race set before us, recalling the example of Jesus who is the pioneer (“trail-blazer”) and perfecter of (demonstrator of perfect) faith (spiritual maturity). He hated the shame of the cross, but he endured it because he focused on the joy that was promised him through it. And so he is enthroned at the right hand of God.
Let us reflect on the hostility he had to endure from sinners; then we will not grow fainthearted and weary. After all we have not had to resist to the point of shedding our own blood. And let us not forget that, as his children, God exhorts us not ignore the discipline of the Lord, nor become discouraged when punished by him. Everyone he loves, he disciplines, and he chastises all whom he receives (quote from Proverbs 3:11-12).
We must endure for the sake of discipline. He is treating us as his children. After all, good earthly fathers discipline their children. Those who are not disciplined are illegitimate, not true children. All the children of God have participated in discipline. Our earthly fathers disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not more readily submit to our spiritual Father and gain eternal life? Our earthly fathers disciplined us to suit themselves, but our heavenly Father disciplines us for our good, so that we can share in his holiness. All discipline seems unpleasant at the moment, but later on, it produces a harvest of righteousness to those who have allowed themselves to be trained by it.
Luke Paraphrase:
Jesus declared that he had come into the world to cast the fire of judgment upon it, and he wished that the blaze had already been kindled. Jesus knew that he had a “baptism,” a commission from God, to fulfill, and he felt restricted by that obligation until it was accomplished. Jesus had come not to bring peace on earth, but division. There would be division between members within households, and division between the closest personal relationships; for example, Father versus son, mother versus daughter, and mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law.
Commentary:
The meaning and purpose of life in this world is to seek and find God and have fellowship with him (Acts 17:26-27). God has always intended to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey him.
God has designed Creation to allow for the possibility of sin (disobedience of God's Word), so that we will have the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God. But God is not willing to tolerate disobedience and rebellion forever, or at all in his eternal kingdom, so God has placed a time-limit on Creation and on we ourselves.
We are all born physically alive but spiritually unborn. This lifetime is our one and only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” to eternal life. That is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ by the baptism of the Holy Spirit which which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
God's Word contains both great promises and ominous warnings. Those warnings are intended to help us avoid the consequences of disobedience of God's Word. God's discipline is intended to help us grow to spiritual maturity at the Day of Judgment, so that we can live in fellowship with him in his eternal kingdom.
There is a Day of Judgment coming when Christ returns to judge the living (“quickened”) and the dead in both the physical and spiritual senses (1 Peter 4:5; John 5:28-28). Everyone who has ever lived on earth will be accountable for what each has individually done in this lifetime.
Jesus is God's one and only provision for our forgiveness and salvation from eternal condemnation. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will enter eternal life in Heaven. Those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned eternal destruction in Hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
We can't do evil in secret. God knows everything we do. When Christ returns, people will be fainting with fear (Luke 21:26), and will try to hide from judgment, but there will be nowhere to go to escape (Luke 23:30).
On the Day of Judgment it will be too late to change our eternal destinies. No one can be certain to live tomorrow. Today is the Day of Salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Monday - 13 Pentecost - C
First posted August 23, 2010;Podcast: Monday - 13 Pentecost - C
Psalm 117 – Praise the Lord;
“Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples” (Psalm 117:1)! The Lord has great and steadfast love for us, and his faithfulness is for ever. Let us praise the Lord!
Commentary:
The Lord's steadfast love and faithfulness are revealed for all to see at the cross of Jesus Christ. God has designed a Savior, the Messiah (Christ), into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14).
We all need the Savior, because we have all sinned (disobeyed God's Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God's only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17; Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).
Throughout the Old Testament, God has been giving us a preview of the Savior: For example, God deliberately intends for Moses to prefigure Christ. Moses mediated the Old Covenant (Testament) of Law; Jesus mediates the New Covenant of Grace, which is to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus is the New Moses who leads us out of slavery to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this present world order, through the “Sea” of baptism into Jesus, through the “Wilderness” of this lifetime, led by the “Pillar of Fire” (Exodus 13:21-22), the Holy Spirit, through the “River” of physical death, and into the eternal “Promised Land” in Heaven. David, the great human shepherd-king of Israel prefigures Jesus, who is David's descendant, the “Good Shepherd” and eternal King. There are other examples.
Jesus is God's “anointed” eternal prophet, priest and king. Messiah and Christ each mean [God's] “anointed” in Hebrew and Greek, respectively. God had been teaching his people that God's prophets (1 Kings 19:16; 1 Chronicles 16:22), priests (Exodus 29:29; Leviticus 4:3) and kings (1 Sam. 16:13; 2 Sam. 2:4) are to be “anointed” with oil at God's direction.
The Holy Spirit is the “oil of gladness” with whom “born-again” Christians are “anointed” (“baptized”). Only Jesus baptizes with the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
By the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit, born-again Christians experience the great steadfast love and faithfulness of the Lord. As we walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit we come to know, by personal experience, his faithfulness.
Unfortunately, many, including his own people, who knew the Old Testament Scriptures, did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and did not recognize the love and faithfulness of God in him.
God's Word is eternal and eternally true. What God says, happens! The test of God's Word is its fulfillment (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Because it is eternal, God's Word is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met.
God's Word contains both precious promises and ominous warnings. We will either know, believe and claim the promises, or we will receive the consequences that the warnings were intended to help us avoid.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Tuesday - 13 Pentecost - C
First posted August 24, 2010;Podcast: Tuesday - 13 Pentecost - C
Isaiah 66:18-23 – Zion's Future Hope;
Paraphrase:
God knows the thoughts and deeds of every person. He is coming to gather all peoples together, and they will behold his glory. He will reveal a sign (a display of his glory and power) in their midst. The Lord will send those who survive [God's Judgment] to Tarshish (perhaps Carthage, a Phoenician port on the coast of Spain), Put (Libya), and Lud (western Egypt), “who draw the bow” (warfaring nations; Isaiah 66:19b) to Tubal (east of the Black Sea, and Javan (Greece) and distant coastlands that have not heard of God's fame or seen his glory. The survivors will declare God's glory to them. They will bring our brethren (believers) from all the nations, by every form of transportation, to the temple mount in Jerusalem, as an offering to the Lord, just as Israelites brought cereal offerings in clean vessels to the house of the Lord. The Lord will take some of the Gentile believers as priests and Levites (temple servants). In the new heaven and earth that God will create, they will remain before him as will the name and descendants of Israel. Month by month and sabbath by sabbath they will come and worship before the Lord.
Commentary:
God knows the thoughts and deeds of every person, and every person will be accountable to God. There is a Day of Judgment when Christ will return to judge the living and the dead in both physical and spiritual senses (1 Peter 4:5; John 5:28-29). Every person will see Christ's return (Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7).
God will send those people who have believed in (trusted and obeyed) Jesus to testify to all people, even in the most distant lands, and to bring them to the worship of God. Gentiles will be accepted as priests and Levites.
This prophecy began to be fulfilled first by Paul (Saul of Tarsus), the prototype and example of a modern, post-resurrection, born-again (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, as we all can and should be. Paul was the first Christian missionary to preach the Gospel in Europe (Acts 16:11-40). Paul's ministry was to the Gentiles (2 Timothy 1:11), because the Jews rejected his message. I am a fulfillment of that prophecy. The Christian Church is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Gentile priests and Levites.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Wednesday - 13 Pentecost - C
First posted August 25, 2010;Podcast: Wednesday - 13 Pentecost - C
Hebrews 12:18-24 – Mt. Sinai and Mt. Zion Contrasted;
Background:
Mt. Sinai was where Moses met face-to-face with God, and received the Old Covenant (Testament) of Law (the Ten Commandments). Mt. Zion is the temple mount in Jerusalem which prefigures the heavenly temple in the City of God in Heaven.
Text Paraphrase:
Touching Mt. Sinai was forbidden to the people of Israel, at the penalty of death. The Lord descended in fire with the sound of a loud trumpet. God spoke with a voice like thunder. There was thick cloud, thunder and lightening, like a great tempest. God's voice was so terrifying that the people asked that God not speak to them directly (Exodus 19:12-22; 20:18-21; Deuteronomy 4:11-12; 5:22-27). Moses was so terrified that he trembled with fear (Deuteronomy 9:19).
Instead, believers have come to Mount Zion, and to the City of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to many angels in festal gathering, “and to the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to the judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just (righteous in God's judgment) people made perfect (complete; by the blood of Jesus), and to Jesus, the mediator of a New Covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more graciously than the blood of Abel" (Hebrews 12:23-24).
Commentary:
Under the Old Covenant of Law God's people were motivated by fear of punishment. No one could keep all the Law all the time (James 2:10), and the penalty for sin (disobedience of God's Word is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Blood sacrifices had to be made continually for the forgiveness of sin.
Aaron was allowed to go up Mt. Sinai with Moses part of the way (Exodus 19:24; 24:9-11) but only Moses had a face-to-face relationship with God. God's voice and his descent upon Mt. Sinai were so frightening that the people asked that God speak to Moses, who would then relay God's Word to the people.
The Church is the New Jerusalem on earth, a foretaste of the heavenly Mt. Zion, the City of God, the heavenly Jerusalem.
Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant of Grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, which he instituted on the night of his betrayal and arrest at the Last Supper. He shed his blood on the cross, once for all time and people who are willing to receive it by faith, for the forgiveness of all our sins. Abel's blood called out to God for vengeance, but Jesus' blood pleads for our forgiveness.
When we receive the forgiveness Jesus offers, we will want to keep his commandments out of love and gratitude for what he has done for us. Jesus' blood makes it possible for us to have a personal fellowship with Jesus and God the Father through the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus (the Spirit of God; note the doctrine of the Trinity; Romans 8:9). We see the character of Jesus in the New Testament. He isn't scary like the manifestation of God at Mt. Sinai. “Born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians have been filled with the indwelling Holy Spirit. He speaks to us by the still quiet voice of his Holy Spirit in a non-frightening way, and we experience his love and goodness through his Holy Spirit. He will ask us to do things we'd rather not do, but as we respond in faith (obedient trust) we will learn from experience that his will is good, possible for us to do, and in our very best interest (Romans 12:2, RSV).
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Thursday - 13 Pentecost - C
First posted August 26, 2010;Podcast: Thursday - 13 Pentecost - C
Luke 13:22-30 – The End of the Age;
Paraphrase:
Jesus was teaching as he passed through towns and villages on his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him if only a few would be saved. Jesus replied that we should try to enter the narrow door, because many will try and will not be able. When the householder shuts the door, many will stand outside and knock, and he will deny knowing them. They will say that they ate and drank in his presence and he taught in their streets, but he will deny knowing them, will call them doers of iniquity, and will tell them to depart. Then they will weep and grind their teeth when they see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and themselves cast out. People will come from the four corners of earth and sit at the table in God's kingdom. Watch and see: some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.
Commentary:
The door is narrow that leads to eternal life. The worldly try to suggest that there are many ways to spiritual enlightenment, but that is not true. Jesus is the only way, the only truth, the only means to true, eternal life (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).
There are many nominal Christians in Churches today who think they are ministering the Gospel in Jesus' name, who Jesus will deny knowing and will call evildoers (Matthew 7:21-23). Genuine Christians are by definition disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c) who have been “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, ongoing, daily event (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
Sadly some mainline denominations are failing to make disciples of Jesus Christ, and are actually discouraging their members from seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit, by teaching that spiritual rebirth is automatically conferred by water baptism (see False Teachings, sidebar, right, home).
The Jews were the first to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but most rejected it and him. God hasn't given up on the Jews. There are Jews being saved today, and there will be many Jews saved during the Great Tribulation (a seven-year period preceding Christ's return on the Day of Judgment; Mark 13:14-27; Matthew 24:21-30; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 3:10; 7:14). There is divided opinion as to whether the “Rapture” (“catching up;” 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3; Matthew 13:30; 24:31) of the Church will occur before, in the middle, or after the Great Tribulation. I believe the Rapture will be pre- or mid- trib. So some Jews, who were first will be last, and some Gentiles, who were last, will be first.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Friday - 13 Pentecost - C
First posted August 27, 2010;Podcast: Friday - 13 Pentecost - C
Galatians 3:15-22 – The Purpose of Law;
Paraphrase:
The Law was given to Moses to help us recognize our sin, until the coming of the offspring (the Messiah; the descendant of David) to those to whom the promise (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29) had been given (the Jews; God's people; the Church). Jewish tradition taught that the Law was delivered by angels (Deuteronomy 33:2; Acts 7:38, 53 through an intermediary (Moses). The Law was a covenant between God and mankind, through Moses as mediator, but the promise of the Savior (Messiah; Christ) was given directly by God's Word.
Then, is the Law contrary to the promises of God? Definitely not! Righteousness cannot be achieved by fulfilling the Law. God's Word condemned all things to sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Commentary:
The Law was like a “custodian,” a “nanny” (“governess;” 1 Corinthians 4:15), to restrain us until the coming of Christ. The Law teaches us the standard of righetousness that God requires, and demonstrates that we cannot achieve it by our own abilities.
Angel means Spirit (Acts 12:15). God is Spirit (John 4:24).
Moses was the mediator, between God and mankind, of the Old Covenant of Law. Jesus is the “New Moses,” the mediator of the New Covenant of Grace (unmerited favor; free gift) through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. Moses led the people of God out of sin and death in Egypt, through the wilderness, to the Promised Land. Jesus is the “New Moses” who leads us out of sin and death in the “Egypt” of this world, through the spiritual wilderness of this lifetime, to the “Promised Land” of eternal life in God's heavenly kingdom. Jesus is the “New Joshua” (“Jesus” is the Greek form of “Jeshua,” the post-exilic form of “Joshua”) who leads us through the “River” of physical death and into the eternal Promised Land of God's eternal kingdom restored to paradise in Heaven.
Jesus is the instituter (Matthew 26:26-28) and mediator of the New Covenant (Matthew 26:26-28), the “New Passover.” Passover is the sacrificial feast that Israel celebrated when the final plague, the deaths of the first-born of Egypt, happened to accomplish their release. A perfect, unblemished lamb was sacrificed to provide the main course of the feast, and its blood marked the Israelites to be “passed over” by the destroying angel.
Jesus is the perfect “Lamb of God,” (John 1:36) sacrificed on the cross, whose body provides the feast of the “Lord's Supper (Holy Communion; Eucharist), and whose blood marks us to be passed over by condemnation to eternal death.
The promise of a Savior has been fulfilled, without any requirement on our part to accept him. Those who choose to accept him as their personal Savior and Lord receive eternal life. Those who reject him receive eternal condemnation and destruction in Hell; (Matthew 25:31-46, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Saturday - 13 Pentecost - C
First posted August 28, 2010;Podcast: Saturday - 13 Pentecost - C
Luke 10:23-37 – The Good Samaritan;
Jesus told his disciples privately that they were greatly blessed to be seeing and hearing what others, including kings and prophets, longed to see and hear, but weren't able.
A lawyer stood up to test Jesus asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus asked him what the law (the Old Testament scriptures) said. The lawyer answered, saying that one shall love the Lord God with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength, and one's neighbor as oneself. Jesus commended the lawyer for answering correctly, and said that if he did so he would live [eternally].
But the lawyer wanted to justify himself, so he asked who his neighbor was. Jesus replied that a man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho and he was attacked by robbers who stripped and beat him and left him half dead. A priest crossed to the other side of the road to avoid coming into contact with the victim, and a Levite (Temple Assistant) did the same. But a Samaritan* had compassion for the victim and went to him, poured oil and wine (ancient medicines) on his wounds and bandaged them. Then he put the victim on the Samaritan's beast and took him to an inn where he attended to him. The next day he paid the innkeeper two day's wages to take care of the victim and promised to return and repay any other costs incurred. Then Jesus asked the lawyer which of the three proved to be the neighbor of the victim. The lawyer supposed that the Samaritan had been the neighbor of the victim, because he had demonstrated mercy for him. Jesus told the lawyer to do likewise.
Commentary:
God had promised to send a Savior, the Messiah (Christ), from the very beginning of God's Word, in Genesis 3:15, immediately after the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden. Jesus has been designed into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14). God knew that by giving us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God's Word or not we would all choose to do our own will, rather than his (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). Disobedience of God's Word is sin, and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right, home).
For thousands of years the Israelites were looking forward to the coming Messiah, but many died physically without having seen the fulfillment of the promise (Hebrews 11:1-40).
Christians are by definition disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c) who have been “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
In Old Testament times, only a few select individuals had a close personal relationship with the Lord. Now, by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus' disciples (Acts 2:1-13), we can all experience that relationship on a daily basis. We are able to see and hear what prophets and kings longed to experience and weren't able. Do we realize how blessed we are?
The lawyer in this passage was an expert in the law (God's Word). He knew the law, but mere knowledge is not sufficient; one must apply that knowledge in daily actions.
That's the problem in too many nominal Churches today. They are lead by people who know a lot about God, but don't know God personally (Job 42:5-6). It takes born-again disciples to make born-again disciples. If unregenerate (un-born-again) leaders knew how to be born-again they wouldn't be unregenerate! If the Church fails to make born-again disciples, there won't be any born-again candidates for leadership!
The spiritual leaders of the Jewish religion were trying to remain ritually “clean” by avoiding contamination by dead bodies. The lawyer who tested Jesus was also trying to maintain ritual cleanness by his own efforts. In contrast, the Samaritan, who Jews regarded as genetically and spiritually contaminated,* was the one who obeyed God's will.
Everyone is our neighbor; the issue is who we regard as our neighbor.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus' disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
*Samaritans were the result of cross-breeding and spiritual assimilation with the remnant of Israel which had avoided deportation by Assyria because of poverty, weakness or ill health, and had intermarried with aliens brought in by the Assyrians to pacify conquered territories.
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