Pastor's Sermon - July 13th, 2025 - The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Luke 10:25-37
There are many important questions someone may ask in given situations, and the answers matter in those circumstances. Do you know where the brakes are? Did you remember to lock the door? Is this supposed to be smoking? Is this decaf? Which wire do I cut? Is it supposed to sound like that? Did you check the expiration date? Was that our exit? In the right situation, these questions can be very important and the answer given can have heavy implication. When I hop in the car with a sixteen-year-old new driver, I want to know that they know where the brakes are… we just might need them.
An important question is asked of Jesus by a lawyer. “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Our other questions are important in certain situations. But this lawyer’s question is important always. There is no circumstance that one does not need to keep in mind the manner by which we inherit eternal life.
Jesus doesn’t need to give a new answer. Scripture already gave answer to this question. “What is written in the Law?”
Being a lawyer, the man answers correctly. “We are to love God with all our being, and love our neighbor as ourself.” Simple answer. But the lawyer recognizes the impossible nature of the Law. So he adds, “Who is my neighbor?” We have much to thank this lawyer for. He asked not just one very important question, but two.
Who my neighbor is matters. The answer to this question matters. We spoke of it a couple weeks ago. If my neighbor is my mom and dad. Great! I’ll love them, no problem. If my neighbor is my wife and kids. Great! I’ll love them, no problem. If my neighbor is limited to those who do good to me. Great! I’ll love them and do good to them.
But the other side of the same coin is this… the person who cut me off on the road. Not them. The hand gesture and the colorful words I hurled their way indicate plainly that they I do not see them as my neighbor, and I hold no love for them. The person mocking me for my faith, the colorful exchange with them and my invitation for them to spend an eternity in that place down below give strong indication that I do not view them as my neighbor nor do I hold any love for them. In fact, the list of people whom I would say are NOT my neighbor is quite extensive. Those distant from me. Those mean to me. Those from different political parties than me. Those who hold different values from me. Those from different denominations from me. Those who have wronged me in anyway. Those who… well, you get the idea. When taken from my perspective and determined by my heart, the list of ‘neighbors’ whom I must love is pretty limited.
And likely, this is what the lawyer is hoping for. Maybe Jesus would just give him a name or two. But we all know this isn’t how Christ sees thing. To make His point, He tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, a story we’re likely quite familiar with.
A Jew falls victim to robbers. He’s beaten and left for dead. Robbed naked. Thankfully, his good neighbor the Jewish Priest comes along. Surely, this good neighbor, this religious fellow Jew, would do that which is required by Christ of neighbors. Yet, he passes by on the other side of the road, not even lifting one finger in aid.
But it’ll be okay. Because another neighbor, plan as day, comes walking by. A Levite. Another religious neighbor, a fellow Jew. He will help! Except. Like the priest. He doesn’t lift one finger in aid. He passes by on the other side.
Finally, entering the scene comes a Samaritan. The Jews’ great enemy. Samaria! Here is a man that is no neighbor to the Jew. This would be a man most easily labelled an enemy. And yet, rather than passing my on the other side as the Jewish men did, this ‘enemy’ this Samaritan, stops. He aids this man, placing him on his mule, and takes him to the next town. He gets him a place to rest, food, and care. He does what is needed to care for this injured man.
Jesus’ point? Who is showing us what a neighbor is. Sadly, it’s neither of the Jews. The one who is teaching this lawyer how to properly identify one’s neighbor is the Samaritan. And thus you and I are taught as well.
By the very Word of God, our neighbor isn’t a limited list including only those who are related to us by blood or by deep friendly bond. It’s not even limited to the people whom are nice to us or even neutral toward us. This Samaritan went way out of his way for someone whom would be considered his enemy.
And this is what we are called to do. It’s true we’re called to love those who are near and dear to us. This is part of our godly vocation as Christians. But this love is to extend far beyond the reaches of our most inner circle. This love is to extend beyond our self-made borders. It is to extend even to our enemies! Our neighbors are those whom God has placed in this life alongside us. Those kind to us. And those unkind.
The lawyer is immediately able to recognize which character in this parable is the good neighbor. And Christ tells Him to go and show mercy likewise. And I think each of us can recognize that with this broad definition of neighbor and this demand to love and show mercy to that broad sense of neighbor… we’re doomed. We cannot keep such a law. The Law of God is asking for that which we cannot give in our fallen nature. Sin has corrupted us and love does not swiftly flow from our heart toward those around us. Really, we struggle even to love those who are near and dear to us. Sin has a way of causing us to be slow to love and quick to hate. And so if the way to inherit eternal life is to love God (which we fail at) and to love our neighbor, even in this broad sense of the meaning (which we fail at), I think we can recognize that not one of us is fit to inherit eternal life. We are naturally more like the Jewish Priest and the Levite in Christ’s parable, than the Good Samaritan. So, does this parable rightly bar us from eternal life? Is this story a Word of condemnation from our Lord?
Left to ourselves and our own means? This story is condemning. We are doomed. But the great thing is that Christ is telling us a parable in which we see Him. Jesus is the Good Samaritan. He came to a world that would reject Him, it had rejected Him since the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He came to a people that sought to kill Him and hated Him. He came as the man that seemingly had no neighbors. And yet, He was a neighbor to everyone. He was the Good Samaritan to each person beaten down by sin, death, and the Devil- never passing by at a distance, but being close to heal, encourage, forgive, and save. Christ allowed Himself to be beaten. To be robbed. To be murdered. All so that He could lift you up from your low and deathly estate. So that He could provide the balm needed to mend your broken state. And so He extends forgiveness in love to each of us, even though our deeds would label us His enemy. He calls us neighbor. Friend. Brother.
And it is Christ in us who empowers us to show mercy, just as He has shown us mercy. It is His love that exudes from His Church to welcome the foreigner, care for the sojourner, and love even the enemy.
In the love of Christ shown to and through His Church will ultimately culminate in the most wonderful place of rest. The Good Samaritan took the beaten man to an inn for rest and paid the price. Jesus does the same. Only He doesn’t take us to a mere inn. He takes us to our Heavenly Home. And He doesn’t pay with gold or silver. He has paid with His own body and blood. And on the Last Day, Christ shall not leave us for dead, passing by on the far side. He comes again to draw us all unto Himself. To love us. And we will love Him. And dwell with Him forever.
So, to answer this most important question. What one must do to inherit eternal life? The answer to the Church is this: it’s already been done. Christ’s love has done it all. Praise be to God!
In Christ’s Name,
Amen.