WHAT IS GOING ON AT THIS POINT IN JESUS’ MINISTRY?

JESUS IS SENDING OUT DISCIPLES

Luke 10:1-2 1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

• Jesus is not just responding to questions—now He is taking on tough conversations!
• Jesus has set His face towards Jerusalem. (See Luke 9:51)
• Jesus is getting closer and closer to the cross.

THIS BRINGS US TO THIS INTERACTION BETWEEN JESUS AND LAWYER:

Luke 10:25-37 25And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

PRIEST: DIDN’T WANT TO GET HIS HANDS DIRTY.

•  The Priest should have been the most likely to stop and help! The priest would have known the law by memory and would have known that it is a direct command to help those in need!

HE WOULD HAVE KNOWN…

Leviticus 19:18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

• He was probably on his way to the temple, which meant that he had already gone through the cleansing rituals. Touching the wounded man (especially if he would have been dead) would have made him unclean.

PERSONAL REFLECTION: I will love the people who God puts in my path unless it interferes with

LEVITE: TOO AFRAID TO STOP AND HELP.

•  Levites were very important in the keeping of the temple. They were “helpers to the priest.” They had to keep the temple clean and prepared.

HE WOULD HAVE KNOWN…

• • Robberies on the Jericho Road were common.
  • He was at far more risk than the priest (the priest would have traveled with an entourage).
  • At the same time, the Levite would have also known the law and that God calls for us to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
• The Levite was too afraid to stop and help!

PERSONAL REFLECTION: My biggest fear when it comes to loving people that I don’t necessarily like is .

SAMARITAN: BREAKS THE ________________.

•  Samaritans were considered scum by the Jews… there was no such thing as a “good” Samaritan.
  • The Samaritans would throw the bones of deceased humans into the temple, which from a Jew’s perspective would make the entire temple unclean.
  • There was a Jewish proverb that said “A piece of bread given by a Samaritan is more unclean than swine’s flesh.”
  • The Jew’s called a group of Samaritan’s a “herd.”

SO WHY DOES JESUS USE THE SAMARITAN IN THIS PARABLE?

1 Corinthians 1:27-30 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

HAVE YOU EVER FELT…

– Powerless

– Weak

– Foolish

– Low

– Despised

– Hated

– Worthless

Do you understand that you may be in the best place for God to use you?

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US TODAY?

1. We must identify our “Jericho Road.”

• • God doesn’t ask us to go around and solve all the problems in the world, but He does call us to respond to the needs that are right in front of us!

2. Respond!

• • When we see a need, take action! Even when it isn’t convenient, or even when it is scary!

3. Ask God for opportunity.

• • This can be terrifying because when we pray for opportunities to be used by God, we can be sure that He is going to deliver!