Wednesday
Evening Bible Study
March 14, 2001
:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying,
Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
lawyer – nomikos –
pertaining to the law, one learned in the law; in the NT an interpreter and
teacher of the Mosaic law
stood up – anistemi
– to cause to rise up, raise up; to rise, stand up; at arise, appear, stand
forth; of those about to enter into conversation or dispute with anyone, or to
undertake some business, or attempt something against others; to rise up
against any one
tempted – ekpeirazo – to prove, test, thoroughly; to
put to proof God’s character and power
inherit – kleronomeo – to
receive a lot, receive by lot; to be an heir, to inherit
:26 He said unto him, What is
written in the law? how readest thou?
readest – anaginosko – to
distinguish between, to recognize, to know accurately, to acknowledge; to read
A wise counselor doesn’t always respond with giving answers. Sometimes if you just ask a question, you
can get the person thinking about the answer himself.
We might respond by sharing John 3:16 –
(John 3:16 KJV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
But Jesus seems to have been aware that this man was an expert in the Law
and so Jesus will respond by using the Law.
Does that sound correct? Should we
use the Law when we witness?
Absolutely. The Law is a great tool
for witnessing.
It will not bring a person to salvation, but it will show them their
shortcomings. The purpose of the Law is
to show us how far short we fall from God’s standards.
(Rom 3:20 KJV) Therefore by the deeds of the law there
shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of
sin.
:27 And he answering said, Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with
all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
love – agapao – of persons;
to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
with – ek – out of, from,
by, away from
all – holos – all, whole,
completely
strength – ischus –
ability, force, strength, might
mind – dianoia – the mind
as a faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring; understanding; mind, i.e.
spirit, way of thinking and feeling
neighbor – plesion – a
neighbour; a friend
The Lawyer is quoting from –
(Deu 6:5 KJV) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with
all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
(Lev 19:18 KJV) Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge
against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself: I am the LORD.
These where known as the “Two Greatest Commandments”.
Jesus said that the entire Law rested on these two commandments. You could break down the entire Law of Moses
and put the commands into two categories:
Loving God, Loving your neighbor.
If you are able to do these two correctly, you will find that you are doing
all the Laws.
:28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt
live.
right – orthos
(“straight”) – rightly
:29 But he, willing to justify
himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
willing – thelo – to will,
have in mind, intend; to be resolved or determined, to purpose; to desire, to
wish; to love; to like to do a thing, be fond of doing; to take delight in,
have pleasure
to justify – dikaioo – to
render righteous or such he ought to be; to show, exhibit, evince, one to be
righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered; to declare,
pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be
Lesson
Don’t make excuses
I kind of get the idea that this man was feeling a little uncomfortable
with Jesus’ response. The lawyer is
hoping that Jesus will help him feel better about loving his neighbor. He wants to feel comfortable that he is
doing enough.
The Jews typically qualified the “neighbor” to exclude Gentiles and
Samaritans. As long as Jesus goes along
with the standard, traditional answer, the lawyer can feel good about himself.
I’m not sure he was thrilled with Jesus’ to this question.
You will find that if you are trying to justify yourself by saying that you
are keeping the Law perfectly, you will find you are wrong.
(Gal 3:11 KJV) But that no man is justified by the law in
the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
:30 And Jesus answering said, A
certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which
stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half
dead.
answering – hupolambano
– to take up in order to raise, follow in speech, in order either to reply to
or controvert or supplement what another has said; carrying the idea of
interrupting (Robertson).
thieves – lestes – a
robber, plunderer, freebooter, brigand; one who steals openly
stripped him – ekduo – to
take off; to strip one of his garments
wounded him – plege – a
blow, stripe, a wound
half dead – hemithanes –
half dead
The road to Jericho was a place known for thieves. It was a steep road, lots of rocks and
hiding places. The Romans had to build
a fort along it to protect people along the “red and bloody way”.
:31 And by chance there came down a
certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
chance – sugkuria –
accident, by chance, “by way of coincidence” (Robertson).
passed by on the other side – antiparerchomai
(“against” + “alongside” + “come”) – to pass by opposite to
priest – of all Jews, this descendant of Aaron would know God’s ways
the best. A priest should be familiar
with God’s laws, how God wanted to be approached. The priests were to be teachers to the Jews of God’s ways. The priest is probably thinking that he is
obeying God’s laws by trying to avoid becoming “unclean” by touching something
“unclean”. Yet by using the laws for
“uncleanness” as an excuse to not help someone, the priest is violating God’s
very heart.
:32 And likewise a Levite, when he
was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
Levite – though the priests were also from the tribe of Levi, the
priests were also descended from Aaron, and only Aaron’s descendants could
become priests. But the rest of the
tribe of Levi also served in the service of the temple, as helpers for the
priests. They would stand guard at the
gates, take care of the grounds, watch over the finances, even help somewhat
with the sacrifices.
Could this kind of thing happen today?
Illustration
Charles Swindoll writes, (Improving Your Serve)
A young woman was brutally attacked as she returned to her apartment late
one night. She screamed and shrieked as
she fought for her life, yelling until she was hoarse -- for thirty minutes --
as she was beaten and abused.
Thirty-eight people watched the half-hour episode in rapt fascination
from their windows. Not one so much as
walked over to the telephone and called the police. She died that night as thirty-eight witnesses stared in silence.
Another's experience was similar.
Riding on a subway, a seventeen- year-old youth was quietly minding his
own business when he was stabbed repeatedly in the stomach by attackers. Eleven
riders watched the stabbing, but none came to assist the young man. Even after the thugs had fled and the train
had pulled out of the station and he lay there in a pool of his own blood, not
one of the eleven came to his side.
Less dramatic, but equally shocking, was the ordeal of a lady in New York
City. While shopping on Fifth Avenue in
busy Manhattan, this lady tripped and broke her leg. Dazed, anguished, and in shock, she called out for help. Not for two minutes. Not for twenty minutes. But for forty
minutes, as shoppers and business executives, students and merchants walked
around her and stepped over her, completely ignoring her cries. After literally
hundreds had passed by, a cab driver finally pulled over, hauled her into his
taxi, and took her to a local hospital.
Illustration
One a warm spring evening in may 1998, Christopher Sercy was playing basketball
with a few friends half a block from Ravenswood Hospital. Three teenage Latino
gang members looking for a black target approached and shot young Sercye in the
abdomen. His frantic friends carried him to within 30 feet of the hospital and
ran inside for help. The emergency room personnel refused to go outside to
assist the dying boy citing a policy that only allows them to help those who
are inside the hospital. The boys called for nearby police to attend their
wounded friend. When the officers arrived on the scene they proceeded to call
for an ambulance, but refused to carry the boy inside. While passersby pled
with the officers to get the boy into the hospital, he lay in a pool of blood
unconscious. When, after several minutes, the ambulance had not yet arrived,
the police gave in and carried Sercye into the emergency room. By then, nothing
could be done to save his life.
As is often true, when we legalistically insist on the letter of the law,
the needs of others are overlooked. By holding to standard operating
procedures, the "royal law of love" was pinned to the mat. Initially,
hospital administration vehemently defended their ER's lack of involvement.
Only after a barrage of community outrage did Ravenswood Hospital reverse its
policy of treating only those inside its doors.
-- Greg Asimakoupoulos. From the files of Leadership.
:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he
journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
journeyed – hodeuo – to
travel, journey
had compassion – splagchnizomai
– to be moved as to one’s bowels, hence to be moved with compassion, have
compassion (for the bowels were thought to be the seat of love and pity)
Samaritan – We ran into the Samaritans back in Luke 9 –
When the Assyrians took the northern kingdom away in 722 BC and repopulated
the land with foreigners, they had problems with all the wild animals. They thought that if they brought back some
of the Jewish priests, they would “appease” the local gods. As a result, some of the Jewish people intermarried
with the foreigners and thus was born the race of “Samaritans”.
The Samaritans rewrote some of the Mosaic Law and changed the names and
places so that Abraham offered Isaac on Mount Gerazim instead of Moriah, and
the feasts were all celebrated in Samaria instead of Jerusalem.
The Jews hated the Samaritans because they were half-breeds and practiced a
polluted religion. Likewise, the
Samaritans also equally hated the Jews as well.
Jesus and His disciples had just had a run-in with some Samaritans –
(Luke 9:51-56 KJV) And it came to pass, when the time was come
that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
{52} And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a
village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. {53} And they did not receive
him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. {54} And when his
disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command
fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? {55} But he
turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are
of. {56} For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save
them. And they went to another village.
You see the disgust that Jesus’ disciples had for Samaritans. Jesus isn’t just aiming the parable of the
Good Samaritan at this lawyer, it was a common Jewish thing to be disgusted
with Samaritans.
I think it’s fascinating how Jesus puts this story together. I might make the person that was beaten up
be the Samaritan, and try to say that we ought to have compassion on those poor
little Samaritans. But Jesus does it
one better. He makes the hero of
the story be the Samaritan. This would
be completely, totally out of line!
Lesson
Challenge your racial prejudice
I think that sometimes we may not even be aware of our own racial
prejudices.
There are some folks where it is very obvious. I am sure the man who wears a white hood to his club is aware of
his racial prejudice.
But sometimes I wonder if we all are quite aware of how easy it is to
become prejudice.
I think the Lord is loving enough towards us that He will at times
challenge us and make us uncomfortable by placing us somewhere where we are
faced with the ugliness inside of us.
Illustration
I saw an old Spencer Tracy movie where he, Spencer Tracy,
played the role of a newspaper writer who put on makeup to make himself look
like a black person. Then he went on a
tour through the South probably sometime in the ‘50’s to experience what prejudice
was like. He was treated like dirt
everywhere he went until he ran into an old black man who invited him to stay
with him at his house. The old man even
shared his bed with the reporter, not knowing that he was a white man. They talked about prejudice and hatred and
the old man was talking about how he was trying to love the white man so he
wouldn’t become as bad as he was. It
was a touching moment. But later when the
black man found out that Spencer was a white man in disguise, he ended up throwing
him out of his house!
I think that at times that I’ve arrived, and can’t think of any prejudices
that I have. I feel kind of proud that
our church has people from just about every kind of background and race you can
think of. And then the Lord will allow
me to get up close to someone that I feel uncomfortable with. I think this is the Lord’s compassion in
helping me face my own ugliness inside and making me change.
Paul wrote,
(Col 3:11 KJV) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew,
circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ
is all, and in all.
:34 And went to him, and bound up
his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought
him to an inn, and took care of him.
bound up – katadeo – to
bind up
wounds – trauma – a
wound
pouring in – epicheo
(“upon” + “to pour”) – to pour upon
oil – elaion – olive oil
wine – oinos – wine
This was simply standard household first aid. The oil soothes the wound, the wine is acts as an antiseptic.
Hippocrates prescribed for ulcers: "Bind with soft wool, and sprinkle
with wine and oil."
set – epibibazo – to cause
to mount; to place upon
beast – ktenos – a beast;
esp. a beast of burden; used for four legged animals as opposed to fishes and
birds
an inn – pandocheion – an
inn, a public house for the reception of strangers
There are ruins of two inns about halfway between Bethany and Jericho.
took care – epimeleomai –
to take care of a person or thing
:35 And on the morrow when he
departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him,
Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will
repay thee.
pence – denarion –
“containing ten”; A Roman silver coin in NT time. It took its name from it
being equal to ten "asses", a number after 217 B.C. increased to
sixteen (about 3.898 grams or . 1375 oz.). It was the principal silver coin of
the Roman empire. From the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, it would
seem that a denarius was then the ordinary pay for a day’s wages. (#Mt 20:2-13)
Two days’ wages. Pretty nice of the
guy!
spendest more – prosdapanao
– to spend besides
repay – apodidomi –; to
deliver, to give away for one’s own profit what is one’s own, to sell; to pay
off, discharge what is due; to give back, restore; to requite, recompense in a
good or a bad sense
:36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that
fell among the thieves?
thinkest – dokeo – to be
of opinion, think, suppose; to seem, to be accounted, reputed
:37 And he said, He that showed
mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
showed – poieo – to make; to do
mercy – eleos – mercy:
kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a
desire to help them
Lesson
Be a good Samaritan.
Illustration
Our friends are the people whom we choose; usually friends are the same
sort of people as ourselves. My neighbor is the man whom I do not choose; he is
the man whom God gives to me. He is the man who happens to live in the house
next to mine; he is the man who happens to sit opposite to me in the train; he
is the clerk who works at the desk next to mine. I have no right to say that he
is no concern of mine, because, if I am a Christian, I know that he is the man
whom God has given to me.
-- Stephen C. Neill
Illustration
Charles R. Swindoll (Hope Again (Waco: Word, 1996), p. 90.) writes,
I was told a wonderful story about Coach [Tom] Landry that
illustrates the level of his Christian love for others. Years ago, the late Ohio
State coach, Woody Hayes, was fired for striking an opposing player on the
sidelines during a football game. The
press had a field day with the firing and really tarred and feathered the
former Buckeye coach. Few people in
America could have felt lower than he at that time; he not only lost control in
a game and did a foolish thing, but he also lost his job and much of the
respect others had for him.
At the end of that season, a large, prestigious banquet
was held for professional athletes. Tom
Landry, of course, was invited. Guess
whom he took with him as his guest:
Woody Hayes, the man everyone was being encouraged to hate and
criticize.
Illustration
If I could give you information of my life it would be to show how a woman
of very ordinary ability has been led by God in strange and unaccustomed paths
to do in His service what He has done in her.
And if I could tell you all, you would see how God has done all, and I
nothing. I have worked hard, very hard,
that is all; and I have never refused God anything.
-- Florence Nightengale, quoted in My Heart Sings.
Christianity Today, Vol. 33, no. 5.
Illustration
In the words of T.C. Horton, co-founder of Biola College, "You can
measure what you would do for the Lord by what you do."
-- Charles R.
Swindoll, The Christian Life (Vision House, 1994), p. 28.