Unprecedented Love
“Love God’s Style”
Luke 10:25-37
This morning’s parable puts love at its heart, so I am calling today’s message “Love God’s Style.”
When this title came up, I immediately thought of the old TV series “Love American Style,” and how much America has messed up what true love is. And then there’s the movie “The Love Story,” where the phrase “Love never has to say you’re sorry” comes up, and then I realized that it was made when smoking marijuana was the in-thing, so I just chalked it up to whoever wrote it being high and out of their mind.
Today, the whole idea of what love is has been turned upside down and inside out because what people call love is either lust or a sentimental Hallmark card.
But this is not the purpose of the teaching as Jesus presented it. Instead, He explained how God sees love, along with the parable He taught. And it’s the type of love Jesus has for humanity. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus showed compassion when He saw someone in need.
Therefore, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are to cultivate godly compassion toward those in need, extending beyond meeting physical needs, such as food, shelter, and clothing, to address their emotional and spiritual needs.
When we consider this issue of compassion, the question is: What is the main point of this parable, which is wrapped up in this particular question. “What is our reaction when confronted with people in need?”
Jesus addresses this question directly in the parable we’ll be looking at, “The Good Samaritan.”
Before we enter this parable and examine its various attributes, it may be helpful to consider what prompted Jesus to tell it in the first place. So let’s pick up our reading in Luke 10:25-29.
Read Luke 10:25-29
Now, this is a familiar story to most. At another time, a lawyer of the Pharisees asked Jesus what the Greatest Commandment was, again testing Jesus. Jesus gave the same two commandments: to love the Lord with the whole of our being, that is, heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
But the lawyer in Luke’s account takes a different tack. Instead of asking Jesus which commandment is greatest, he asks how to inherit eternal life, again testing Jesus to see if he can find fault.
So we need to take time to examine this question and how Jesus responded, because it is the same question people have had since the beginning of time: “How can we attain eternal life?” And not just eternal life, but eternal life in the presence of God, because there is also eternal life outside of God‘s presence, which leads to eternal torment and punishment, or what we could call an eternity in hell.
Now, in the typical Jewish style of debate, Jesus answers the question with a question. He asked the lawyer what the Law says, and in doing so he invited the lawyer’s interpretation of the Law, which meant God had already revealed this. And the lawyer responded with what we know as the Great Commandment.
The lawyer said that loving God and our neighbors secures eternal life. In fact, we show God how much we love Him by loving others. Jesus affirmed the lawyer’s response. The word Jesus used is the root of our English word “orthodox,” meaning right, proper, and straight. In other words, the lawyer’s response was correct, but Jesus then threw the lawyer, and all of us, for a loop. What Jesus went on to say was essentially, “Good, now go do exactly that.”
Now, how in heaven’s name are we to love God with all our being, let alone love our neighbor without blowing it somewhere along the way? The answer is that we can’t, which is why Jesus came in the first place: no one can fulfill God’s law without sinning.
The Bible makes this clear, saying, “There is none righteous, no, not one; … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10, 23 NKJV), or of God’s holy and righteous standards for life.
In other words, no one is ever righteous enough on their own to enter heaven, and everyone sins and falls short of God’s standards. This is why Jesus came. Through His sinless, perfect life He lived, and His death on the cross, which paid the penalty for our sins, all who believe In Him can attain eternal life with God, because through His death, He fulfilled the Law. He is the Law’s fulfillment.
This is at the heart of why Jesus came, as He Himself proclaimed, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV)
Now, even though the lawyer knew the answer, he also knew he couldn’t keep the law on his own, so, like any good lawyer, he looked for an escape clause, a loophole, if you will, in the argument. He attacked the second part: to love our neighbors as ourselves. He thought, like most people today, that we could reduce this verse to mean only those we agree with, which, for this lawyer, meant those who were the same as himself, that is, Jews.
His attitude mirrored that of most Jews at the time, namely, “If you aren’t Jewish, then you don’t matter.” How true is that today, especially in the church? And because people place limits on this designation, Jesus tells this story.
Read Luke 10:30-37
The main point of this parable is that God’s heart is for those in need and that God’s style of love will find ways to meet their needs. Love God’s Style is displayed for the world to see in how we meet and treat those in need, those God places in our path.
Now, as powerful as this lesson is, it was probably even more powerful in Jesus’s day, especially as the story unfolded and in his parting words, “Go and do likewise.”
The road where this attack took place was well known to the Jews. It was rocky and dangerous, notorious for such attacks. No one would take that road alone. Often, groups traveled together to reduce the risk of such an attack.
Further, it wouldn’t have surprised listeners at the priest’s and the Levite’s response to seeing this man beaten and presumably dead. Such heartless, cautious non-involvement was the expected norm. And the fact that the clergy came across so negatively probably drew a rise, if not a chuckle, from those who were listening, much like the stories or jokes about lawyers and politicians today.
But what really shocked the audience was the hero of the story. It wasn’t a Jew but rather someone the Jews despised, a Samaritan, the last person in the world such a poor and needy Jew could expect mercy from, let alone would have the right to expect it from.
So the power of the parable lies not only in identifying who our neighbor is, but also in showing how to be a neighbor. Jesus reveals several actions we must take to love our neighbor as ourselves, as well as how to care for those in need whom God places in our path.
(Now, as we look at each of these, I used the word “willingly.” Our attitude is that we must be willing, but that doesn’t mean these actions are expected of us, because the Holy Spirit must accompany and guide each one. I’ll deal with this along the way.)
Although this might sound odd, I believe every believer has been given the ministry of inconvenience: meeting the needs of people who have become inconvenient to us.
In the story, the priest and the Levite are the first to pass by. They were undoubtedly returning home after their duties at the temple, where they offered sacrifices to God. When they see the man lying on the side of the road, they immediately cross to the other side. We are not given the reason for their lack of compassion, but there are two possible explanations.
First, they may have thought the man was dead, which would have greatly complicated their lives. If they had touched the body, the law made it clear that they would be considered unclean and would have to go through an elaborate, lengthy, and costly cleansing period (Numbers 19:11-12, 17-19).
They had already been away from their home for some time, most likely an entire month, so returning to Jerusalem would be inconvenient, to say the least. As a result, these two religious leaders refused to act with compassion toward the one God had placed in their path.
From what I see in this story, Love God’s Style risks three types of inconvenience.
a. The Inconvenience of Contamination
When we reach out to the needy, we risk polluting our sensibilities. Often, it calls for us to cross into another world we are unfamiliar with, but we must be willing to risk having our senses assaulted.
I have been on several missions where I was taken to areas and introduced to things and ways of life that assaulted my senses. I saw living conditions that I had never seen or experienced. I always ate what was set before me, not knowing what I was eating. And there were several times I was in areas where I could actually smell the stench of decay, and I didn’t know where it was coming from.
b. The Inconvenience of Being Outside Comfort Zones
It will take us from the known to the unknown and may require us to do things we have never done or dealt with before.
c. The Inconvenience of An Interrupted Schedule
On one trip down to Mexico, the missionary and I had various things and people to see that day, but when we came to a small house, these young girls needed medical attention, and we spent most of the day traveling to find a doctor who could help them.
Another possible explanation is that these two religious leaders didn’t want to risk their personal safety.
As I mentioned earlier, the road from Jerusalem to Jericho was very dangerous, and seeing this man on the side of the road may have been a ploy, with the man serving as a decoy to lure them into a trap where robbers would be waiting. We’ve all heard those stories about hitchhikers with others waiting just out of sight. So, these two religious leaders may have wanted to steer clear of any possible danger.
This is a fear most of us share: that if we reach out to the needy, we may face inherent dangers, such as being taken advantage of, made a fool of, or hurt.
Love God’s Style reveals several things we must do despite the risk.
a. Risk Reaching Out
We must be willing to reach out to those who are in need, even though it carries the danger of being used, which could result in a loss, and the risk of getting personally involved.
b. Refuse to Avoid Others
It’s easy to cross the road to the other side; it’s easy to turn away from those holding signs asking for help; and it’s easy to ignore those in need and send them elsewhere.
There was both a racial and a religious divide between Jews and Samaritans. For a Samaritan, or for that matter a Jew, to stop and help the other was unheard of.
To the Jew, the word “Samaritan” was a term of contempt. In fact, if you wanted to insult a Jew, you would call them a Samaritan.
The animosity continued to grow. Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. In fact, on their trips between Jerusalem and Galilee, they would take a longer route along the Jordan River just to avoid Samaria.
Seeing this Jew so badly beaten and dying, it seemed like a great opportunity to stick it to him even more. But instead, he ignored the social, racial, and religious differences and reached out to help.
And so, Love God’s Style must be willing to set aside prejudices and overlook social and religious barriers. We need to reach out to everyone, regardless of race, creed, gender, or occupation.
But for me, it’s the height of hypocrisy to say we can’t wait to get to heaven to worship the Lord with all tribes, tongues, kindred, and nations if we’re unwilling to worship with them here on earth.
Love God’s Style sees no color or religious affiliation. Love God’s Style sees human beings who matter to God and were made in His image and likeness. Love God’s Style believes the Lord sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die so that all can be saved.
The Bible says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28 NKJV)
Therefore, Love God’s Style
a. Believes in Unity in Diversity
It ignores all social barriers and seeks to free itself from the chains of prejudice that hold so many captive. Remember, the Samaritans and the Jews were bitter enemies.
b. Accepts and Embraces Differences
In other words, Love God’s Style believes in reaching the lost at all costs. And, even though the Jews and the Samaritans were bitter enemies, one was willing to look beyond hatred and their differences to show God’s love.
In December 1981, a passenger plane crashed into the Potomac River, leaving people both dead and alive in the water. But what captured my attention was a woman so overcome by shock and the icy water that she couldn’t grab the lifeline lowered by a helicopter. Seeing she was about to go under, an observer on the shoreline jumped in and rescued her.
Many others were on that shoreline, but only one was willing to turn his emotions into action.
The two religious leaders saw this man by the side of the road and may even have felt sympathy for him, but they never allowed their feelings to translate into an act of compassion. But not the Samaritan. He took action and immediately administered first aid.
And so, Love God’s Style is a love that
a. Must Do Something
It’s a love that helps meet the needs of those in need. The Apostle James says it’s about being doers of the word, not merely hearers (James 1:22).
b. Must Get Involved
It goes beyond sympathy and pity to being involved in the lives of those in need. It involves cultivating a heart of compassion. It looks for where God is at work and joins in.
The next thing Jesus’s parable tells us is that Love God’s style offers both personal and practical assistance.
In our story, the Samaritan began by administering first aid, using his own clothes and supplies to help. Next, he inconvenienced himself by placing the injured Jew on his donkey and walking the rest of the way. Then he provided financial assistance by paying for his shelter and food while he recuperated at the inn.
And from this, what we see is Love God’s Style
a. Gets Personally Involved
Up close and personal is its motto. While the Samaritan did outsource it. He also rolled up his sleeves and helped.
b. Gives Whatever is Needed
It meets the need and then some. The Samaritan gave the innkeeper enough money to keep the man at the inn, plus extra to ensure all his needs were met.
c.Involves Others
To help meet the needs of this injured Jew, he enlisted the help of the innkeeper to care for the Jew’s injuries.
Some time ago, I heard a powerful testimony. “There was a man who saw a little girl living on the street, cold and shivering in a thin dress, with little hope of a decent meal. He said, “I became angry and said to God: ‘Why did you permit this? Why don’t you do something about it?’ For a while, God said nothing. But that night, God replied, ‘I did do something about it. I made you.’”
Finally, the last aspect found in this parable of the Good Samaritan is that Love God’s Style knows of no coincidences, only God incidents.
A very significant word appears in the story Jesus tells, and we dare not miss it. Jesus said that the Priest “happened” to be traveling down the same road. The word “happen” means by chance or as a coincidence. While the Priest and Levite saw it as a chance encounter, in God’s eyes it was a divine appointment, an opportunity to extend God’s love.
And so, Love God’s Style views Interruptions as Divine Opportunities.
a. Sees Interruptions as Divine Opportunities
For this to take place in our lives, we need to open our eyes and ears to what is going on around us. We need to be conduits of God’s grace and mercy to those in need.
Conclusion
God tests our love for Him, as we are commanded in the Great Commandment to love others. We need to realize this can happen at any time. In school, we would call these “Pop Quizzes.”
So, we must be willing to risk some inconvenience. Make the conscious choice to forgo some personal safety (to move beyond our fears) and ignore all the barriers society places upon us that separate and divide by race, creed, color, gender, and occupation.
Further, Love God’s Style must be willing to open its eyes to see the needs of others, extend a helping hand by offering practical assistance, and recognize that these are not inconveniences or interruptions but divine opportunities to show God’s love, so that we can be conduits of His grace and mercy to this lost and dying world.
