The Good Samaritan - Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ as all religious people believe all religious people believe I'll do something godly so impressed with what I do this so Jesus doesn't give we call the gospel because some very important. Jesus knows that if you're ever going to be saved by the first step is you have to know you need to know if you don't know you need to be saved. Never received the only way you can do it as I can't do this. I can't make.

I'm not justified. I'm not righteous and I need a safe. That's a someone comes the Christ joining us today on this additional fellowship in the world Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhart now again he shows us God's word meets our work.

Unbelievers know the parable of the parable everybody knows this parable, everyone has an idea. But exactly what it means, and virtually almost everybody's wrong about what it means it's a good Samaritan mean you've heard it, you know it, and more than likely, you probably really don't understand its meaning either of the problem with that is is that we have always sort of misunderstood because we always took it out of context. Now, not as far out of context essay origin origin was that when a great church fathers around AB 200. So he's very close to the time of the New Testament, and here's what origin said this parable is about the man is Adam.

That's the man who was the and the man rocked Jerusalem is paradise. Jericho is the world the robbers are hostile powers and demonic forces the priest is the law. The Levite is the prophet, the Samaritan is Christ the wounds or disobedience.

The animal was the Lord's body. The end is the church in a Samaritans return is the second coming of Christ.

Now that's wrong. Okay, that's just about as real as you can possibly interpret but every organization, especially social justice people Marxist everybody interprets this the sojourners, for example. Here's what they say. Here's the interpretation you only have so many days to embrace someone to tell them how you feel.

47 million in our country on food stamps and their benefits are decreasing. We need to reflect on Jesus story of the good commit Samaritan so according to them Jesus during the good Samaritan is you got to help people of lesson, you do it gets worse.

Social justice advocates a getting to know people on the other side of the road so as to tear down the walls between us is essential. Jim Wallace, who represents the group centers a tremendous problem in understanding good Samaritan. The problem is not just that the man was beaten up and left and another man came and met his needs, but the real question is why did the robbers steal from the man and beat him up, and that's the answer that we need to have in our country. That's what Jesus was teaching and so consequently he said maybe in 100 or 200 years. Even in Sunday school, though say I never even knew people ever want people wherever doing terrible to him because we put that in our past. Now that's not right. Okay, I'm sure 100 years from now people still be getting Rob and getting beat up, so Christians like us. We interpret the good Samaritan.

This will probably be you. But you won't shake your head yes now because you don't see that so and that is that the parable of the good Samaritan is simply about kindness and compassion.

That's what it's about.

It's not that's not what it's about, will apply it that way in certain ways, but that's not the interpretation. So, I invite you to open your Bible salute 10 and verse 25 Luke 10 and verse 25 and this is the context of the parable. It says in a lawyer stood up and put them to the test same teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life. That's going to be the context no notice who stands up, it's a lawyer, not the TV advertising lawyer, not an ambulance chasing lawyer.

In fact, it's not a lawyer at all like you and I think of a lawyer.

He's a lawyer at likely ascribe. He said expert and expert on the law.

He's an expert on the Old Testament. That's what it means to be a lawyer in Jesus day that's his expertise. He spends his whole life studying especially the law of the Old Testament, so he stands up and now look how disingenuous this question is is lawyer stood up to do what to put him to the test. See that's what is this is all about trapping Jesus. This is all about trying to get information that will hurt Jesus cause and get more more people on the leadership of Israel side against Jesus so he stands up the trap. He wants to catch him in the basis of this question, but he reveals something about himself in that verse. If he believes it with all his heart. He stood up putting them to the test and he said teacher, what shall I do to have eternal life.

Now that's his question. He doesn't mean it the way you and I would meeting he means. I know eternal life is based on what I do so will have to do. This is in. By the way, unusual. Remember Nicodemus in John chapter 3, he came to Jesus by night he was going to ask the same question before he could even ask that Jesus said you must be born again.

Nicodemus, what Jesus knew what he was going to ask but Nicodemus, by the way, converted by the end of the gospel by the end of John Nicodemus is a believer member. The rich young ruler in Matthew 18 same thing. He comes the Jesus of what must I do to have eternal life. These what they represent is the ultimate religious person a religious person always has the same perspective. What do I need to do to get eternal life. That's what I want to know, but he still wanted to trap Jesus because he's heard that Jesus talks about eternal life in a different way than the leadership of the Jewish people believe, so he ask it and it's interesting that with Jesus.

Jesus says to him what is written in the law has a review so you here's Jesus answered, was question two questions he asked one Jesus as to what's written in the law of this guys life is the law. This guy knows a line side now.

He said has it read to you. That's kind of interesting, well he answers and he says you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbors as yourself. That's brilliant and it's right.

Remember Jesus did Jesus say that wasn't Jesus asked what's the greatest commandment possible. And he said love the Lord your God with all your might. Sold right and your neighbor as yourself. He said the Holos contained in that this guy one of two things this guy either heard Jesus say that and says it back to where this guy said that's how I summarize the law, just like Jesus did. It's a brilliant answer in a way you see this meant tremendous question. What should I do he combines Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19 there's an implication here so Jesus says to him, and 28 you've answered correctly do this and you live with is that the gospel is that when you and I would do that. You just need to do that and you live now is not the gospel.

You and I would have see what what we want Jesus to say there is Jesus say you have to put your trust in me.

You have to believe in me.

But remember this guy believes he saves himself as all religious people believe all religious people believe I'll do something gotta be so impressed with what I do to save me so Jesus doesn't give what we call the gospel because sometimes very important to Jesus.

Jesus knows that if you are ever going to be saved by him. The first step is you have to know you need to be saved. You have to know that if you don't know you need to be saved.

You'll never be same. Is he the only way you can do that is I can't do this. I can't make it I'm not justified. I'm not righteous and I need a Savior.

That's a seven comes the Christ. This guy does not believe that all he believes himself to be a very righteous man, and that God's going to let me in, and it is no different today. Just give the gospel to any religious person and will give you some version of the same thing. While I know I belong to that church. I know I go at certain times and if I do certain things. I know I'm in.

And Americans whom don't even go to church have their own version of not believing they need to be saved. Their view but also often to use this book, you have to understand I'm not a terrible person. You're not on my terrible I'm not like Hitler. I get up and on God's going to grade us all on the curve and I know him pretty good so made with God.

You can't believe the gospel. Then see if I don't know I need to be saved is no way I can be saved and Jesus wants to speak to that.

That's why he says the you do this and you live now.

It was built right into what we you and I see when he quoted the verse. He said you have to love God with how much every all of and you have to love your neighbor as yourself in a sense what that verse those two verses combine meanness, you have the perfection, it's all now the question does anybody love God moment you can't.

I can't love God perfectly as a sinner. I can't and Jesus tells him Jesus wants him to be able to say you know Laura can't but he's not.

He actually believes he can see, it's like the rich young ruler member G.

He said Jesus and to keep the lawn when he told Jesus a capital I've kept all of it. I'm good to sit good, go sell everything you have, follow me. Well I'm not doing that. You see, that's the same idea that Jesus has here so he says you've answered correctly do this and you live now watch but wishing to justify himself. Notice I was going to this about me justifying me is a smart man is well-educated, so he said, throwing off a little bit here.

He said oh who's my neighbor so that I may be able to get this when who's my neighbor that you understand from his point of view is a Jew though according to Matthew chapter 5 and in Matthew five it actually says that Jesus had you been taught by the rabbis to love your love, your neighbors and hate your enemies is Jesus and that's how you were taught, but I'm telling me you have to love your neighbors and love your enemies and didn't like that at all.

The typical Jewish leadership typical rabbi. They hated almost everybody.

I mean almost everybody they hated Gentiles is hated him. They hated Jews, fellow Jews who one is righteous as they work.

They called him darkened. These are dark and Jews.

I don't like that I don't love those people. The only people I love the people just like me. That's who I love and that's what this guy's thinking like what week who's my neighbor that tell me who's my neighbor now after saying all that now. Jesus gives the parable. Notice the context of the parable is in this conversation with the lawyer who wants to justify himself, so that's when Jesus starts here with the way this works in verse 30. He says and Jesus said a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. That's a 17 mile walk from Jerusalem to Jericho, Jerusalem 3000 feet above sea level. Jericho's 1000 feet below sea level, so it is a long and winding road down the Jericho even today people have taken a bus trip on long that particularly overrode taken a bus trip got it and were terrified about just how terrifying it was.

In other words, this rate drop officers all kinds are turning places there seem there's even a pass in that area still today called the pass of a doom and a doom is the Hebrew word for blood is the passable and I was referred to the book of Joshua. In other words, people get robbed there beat up there all the time and so he says there was a man he says going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, he fell among robbers. They strip them. They beat them and they went away, leaving him half dead. So that was a bad day for in this parable that's a really bad day. In fact, the word freedom is at present tense and it says they strip them and they continued to be.

They beat them going probably passed out. They probably took all his clothing often and I just left them along the side of the road.

This guy is in really deep, deep trouble. Now after having said that, it said, and by chance a priest was going down the road.

That road going from Jerusalem on the Jericho and it says it when he saw him, he passed by on the other side instantaneously. The word anti-issues there. He would've been a sense decisively and quickly got to the other side of the road. Hey, there's a I gotta get over here while that's interesting. He's a priest. So here's this Levitical priest and he's hidden when any parts of now when you read about this. It's kind of funny to me. Why did he do that well is with some the speculation is one he knew if the men were dead and he touched them to be ceremonially unclean. He'll have to go back to Jerusalem and back to the temple and have another priest declared him to be clean again, or another one said. He looked around he thought there to be robbers, Christy. Beer would you think it could be robbers or they could they could harm me. See you give a whole line of speculations now II can give you the absolute truth about this. I can tell you exactly what he thought nothing he doesn't exist. He's, it's an apparel. It's a story.

He then This priest wasn't thinking. I wonder please click there is no thinking there's no priest. This the parable. This is story Jesus is telling he's assaying a priest you have a thought process. The fact was all you need to know is he went to the other side. That's what Jesus is telling us this is a parable.

This isn't this is in a narrative of historical events while and then it goes on and says likewise a Levite also. When he came to the place and saw me passing the other side a Levite is not at son of Aaron. Aaron is the priest, but is a Levite. He works the temple. He has security of the temple. They take care of the temple grounds. They prepare all the temple. Often they do all the assisted work.

He's a very religious man, just like the priest, so if you said the typical Jew who were the top spiritual people you know of. He said well obviously the priests are and so Levite's, they represent the best of us notice what both of them did they both just be to the other side and then everything changes but Samaritan and you know what you and I think nothing.

You know why we romanticize the term is a Samaritan to people in our culture be called good Samaritans Samaritan yeah I meet one of the ministries that we really support Samaritans purse holds people everywhere you know why Chris Americans are so good Samaritans of these really good people there not there, despicable, pourable people, especially to the Jews. It would be like today when he introduced Samaritan it be like today telling a story in Iran and then say in the hero of the story was a good Israelite lot.

You see it's completely.

It's a complete contradiction. Let me give you some background. The Samaritans are part of the 10 northern tribes called Israel after Solomon died in the kingdom was split every Israel was in the north, Judah and Benjamin in the South. Every king of Israel. Every king was evil in the sight of the Lord, every king, they were horrible people. So the Assyrians came Don conquered them and left a small portion of the Jews in the land took all the rest back to Assyria. That's where the called the 10 lost tribes and the Assyrians brought people from another province of the kingdom, and put them in the northern kingdom of Israel. So these became half breeds. They married with all of these pagan Assyrian plants and their and they formed their own religion. A completely different religion such a different religion that they only really honored the first five books of the Bible. A lot of things ago one the Jews hated the Samaritans if you remember know the story of Nehemiah. When I went back into the land after the Babylonian captivity for the two southern tribes when they got back in the land.

It ended up that the Samaritans tried to stop.

They wanted nothing to do with the Samaritans and so that turned into something terrible. Then the Samaritans knew that the Jews hated M&A and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem so they rebuilt their own temple. They built their own temple in my garrison. You see, in Samaria, and had this pagan right worship. There, the Jews hated that so much that in 138 BC they went up and tore the temple because it was such an affront to God that's weighted toward Don Jews didn't speak to Samaritans you never speak to a Samaritan ever. In fact, choose one walk in Samaria when a Jew wanted to go to Galilee which is north of Samaria from the southern Drive, they crossed the Jordan went up the east bank crossed again and went into Galilee. They want to walk in the land. That's why the story in John four of Jesus and the woman at the well is so extraordinary Jews don't ever walk in the summer.

Here's Jesus.

Jews never talk to Samaritans ever is Jesus talking Jewish rabbis never speak to a woman publicly here's Jesus speaking to a Samaritan woman but a Samaritan I meet it be like it if you said like if you said a terrorist or how about a serial killer if I said that Debbie getting them respond when there was a serial killer.

Okay, that's the response you get. We romanticize Americans like this is wonderful. The most wonderful people there not you see there despicable people, not from the Jewish point of view and Jesus at this. I'm sure they got everybody route up, but a Samaritan who was on a journey he came upon and when he saw him, he felt compassion. The pre-song Levite song now this Samaritan sees the priest and Levite what the other side Samaritan feels compassion to pastoral giver on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world.

If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike of the sum of the method one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online event website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio programs as well at Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible.

We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting us monthly with just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is of the sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website BC Nola.org that FPC 10 oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastoral sermon you can browse through our sermon archives to find some surgery are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the messenger looking for.

You can listen online work you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own. And remember, you can do all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is BC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt, undies and heart.

Thank you for listening to fellowship in order