Pastor Randy Blankschaen
7th Sunday After Pentecost 2010 (July 11, 2010)
Luke 10:25-37
Lawyers get a bad rap. Everywhere you look in Pensacola there’s a billboard for a lawyer. The term “ambulance chaser” sums up certain kinds of lawyers – greedy and corrupt. But not all lawyers are bad. They have to have much schooling, be licensed, and they’re trained in logic, reasoning, and rhetoric. They know how to ask questions that get to the point of the matter. We’ve all seen the TV drama where they push and push “Just answer the question” And the case came down to how the lawyer drew the right yes or no answer out of the witness. Or got them to yell “You can’t handle the truth.” J. In the Gospel, there’s a lawyer. Obviously, we shouldn’t be thinking that this is a modern-day “ambulance chaser” for courtroom proceedings. This man was part of the Pharisee party and trained in the law of the Lord; God’s Torah—the written word of God, delivered through Moses. But one comparison that does relate – this lawyer knows how to ask leading questions and he asks them of Jesus.
The lawyer puts Jesus to the test and asks: “Teacher” – Clearly not noting that Jesus is the Son of God, but a mere “teacher.” “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responds, leading this lawyer back to the Word of God – “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” The tables are turned; Jesus asks the question of the lawyer. But it’s an easy question for this law-expert. Love the Lord with everything and love your neighbor as yourself . He answered correctly. If he does it, he lives.
The lawyer knows the list that we heard in our OT reading. He knows that he should be doing all of these things and that it’s only when the law is fulfilled that one has eternal life. But think of the list in the OT reading – Leave some of your earnings for the poor; Don’t steal; Don’t deal falsely; Don’t oppress your neighbor or rob him; Don’t curse or harm the deaf or blind; Don’t do injustice in court; Don’t slander; Don’t talk bad about your neighbor; Don’t hate your brother in your heart; Don’t let anger fester, but speak to your neighbor and forgive one another; Don’t take vengeance or bear a grudge, but love.
But that’s all what we should be doing for our neighbor. So, if that’s how we get eternal life, then no one’s getting it; none of us are doing those things. We’re in the deep degradation of sin. But the lawyer, just like you and me wants to justify himself. He wants to show that he can do what the law requires. Just like you and just like me, we want to justify ourselves. We want to do the right things, check off the right boxes, and think that we’ve fulfilled the law. We look at our own filthy rags as what saves us or earns God’s smiling eye. We want to point to our own supposedly good deeds and say – Yes, look at that. I’m good. I’m doing it. While no Christian would come out and say we don’t need God, some do think that we play some great and important part in all of this and that without us & our actions, we’d be doomed.
The demands are too much, but the lawyer spots a loophole: we’re supposed to do all this for our neighbor. God’s law’s ambiguous! Who’s this “neighbor” after all? It would be a great loophole if we could just serve less rather than all, just serve the neighbor and get out of serving all people with absolutely everything. Yet everyone’s a neighbor! There aren’t some people who are privileged enough to be neighbor and those whom we can ignore! NO!
To teach this and more, Jesus tells about the Good Samaritan. The priest goes down the road on the other side—not risking becoming unclean. The Levite passes on the other side as well. But the Samaritan comes to the helpless man, saw him, and had compassion. He sees this unclean, helpless, beaten, wounded, and dying man and he has compassion. He goes to him. He binds his wounds. He anoints him with oil and dresses the wounds. The Samaritan puts himself at risk by becoming involved. He could be blamed for hurting this man. But compassion, mercy, and love motivate this Samaritan. He even opens his own wallet to provide for him. That’s the way Jesus answers the question “Who is my neighbor?” He answers by asking the lawyer: “Which one was the neighbor?” A Lawyer of the Pharisees wouldn’t welcome the idea of a Samaritan being “the neighbor”; He’d rather have the priest or Levite be the model examples, not the culturally-low Samaritan. But the Samaritan must is the neighbor.
The lawyer’s questions are answered – What must I do to inherit eternal life? And who is my neighbor? Jesus says: “Go and do likewise.” Jesus calls us to serve with the love and mercy of this Samaritan, but such love and mercy and the great requirements of this law will only leave you shocked, deflated, and challenged to do something that you can’t do – fulfill the law. You should go and do likewise, but you haven’t. You should. You’ll fail even though you should try.
You have a fine example in the Samaritan on how to do good and show mercy. You have the greatest example of this love in Jesus Christ. But this sermon can’t end with “Go and do likewise” for you would walk away damned or thinking you justify yourself.
The lawyer might say “I will act to love my neighbor as myself, just tell me who he is, Jesus.” It sounds a lot like what many think Christianity is all about—how to do good works. But Jesus answers as our Savior, not as simple lawgiver or example, “You can’t act because you’re dead in your sins. You’re unholy… forlorn. You need someone to love you, show mercy to you, heal you, pay for you, give you lodging, revive you. I am the one who fulfills the law, who embodies the Law, and who brings God’s mercy to you, sinner, not those who think they can be righteous by their own effort. I am your neighbor in-the-flesh and I will give you the gifts of mercy, healing, and life. I will live in you and you will do works of mercy in my name that aren’t motivated because I told you to do them, but because I have loved you.”
God’s mercy won’t leave you. God’s Word tells you of what He has done for you and it doesn’t play tricks or deceive you. Your salvation is secure and safe. Christ Jesus has purchased your eternal life and acted as the Good Samaritan for you. You don’t need to worry whether you measure up because none of us do. Christ has done it all in your place. As we’re weary on our way and some of us feel that we’re dying on the road, receive faith sustaining and strengthening food in his sacrament. His touch isn’t far off. We’ve heard him in his word and we touch his very body and blood with our sin-parched lips and he gives us the forgiveness we need for failing to serve our neighbor and for thinking we could justify ourselves.
