How is Love Expressed in Everyday Living?
Luke 10:25-37
Intro:
1. Lord Jesus said to us, 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, Love your neighbor as yourself. - Lk 10:27
a. This was a quotation from Deuteronomy 6:4-5.
b. The “Shema” (The Lord our God, the Lord is one. - Deut 6:4) was repeated by memory by Jews twice every day.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself was a quote from Lev 19:18.
3. These laws became the essence of the whole Law of Moses. Love is the key to keeping the Law!
4. If this is the case, how can you express love in everyday life?
I. v29-32 & 37b - Love Demands Involvement
A. Love (ἀγαπάω) = a willingness to give of yourself to satisfy someone else’s need.
1. Love is the feet of faith. Love is faith expressed!
2. Jam 2:18 - But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
B. How can love be commanded? Isn’t love just spontaneous? Love is an act of your will! Notice the circumstances:
1. The location.
a. The road passes through mountains between Jerusalem & Jericho.
b. The road goes from 2500’ above sea level to 700’ below sea level in just 13 miles!
c. The only signs of civilization was Bethany (2 miles from Jerusalem) & the inn 1/2 way to Jericho.
d. Josephus (a Jewish historian of that day) said the road was rocky & desolate.
e. Jerome (4th century AD) said it was patrolled by Bedouin robbers & called “The Bloody Way”.
2. The victim was a Jew who had been beaten, stripped, robbed & left for dead.
3. The Priest.
a. Priests were divided into 24 groups serving in the Temple twice a year for a week.
b. He may have been on his way home to Jericho after serving his duty.
c. Priests were mediators for others. It wasn’t important to him to live the law personally.
4. The Levite.
a. He was a temple deacon, possibly on his way to Jericho on a religious mission.
b. He taught the law by rote, so the law to him was simply words to memorize.
C. Neither chose to get involved! How about you?
1. ILL: The young woman raped by a gang while bystanders just stood & watched.
2. ILL: Driving past a motorist broken down beside the road.
3. What are the possible excuses for not helping?
a. It’s too dangerous.
b. Involvement might cost me money.
c. It might take too much time. I’m in a hurry!
d. For the Priest & Levite - if he were dead & I touched him, I would become ceremonially unclean! (Num 19:11-13)
4. This lawyer would identify with these people because to him the law was something to study, not something to practice!
II. v33, 36-37a - Love is Not Selective
A. This lawyer considered the common Jew a 2nd class citizen & a Samaritan no more than a dog.
B. v36 - The question: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
1. Neighbor (πλησίον) = (lit) “one who is near”.
2. Prov 3:29 - one who is sincere.
3. Prov 27:10 - one who is helpful.
4. In Luke 15 a neighbor is someone who rejoices with you.
a. v6 - The shepherd called in friends & neighbors to rejoice over the found sheep.
b. v9 - The woman called in friends & neighbors to rejoice over the found coin.
5. The Samaritans were only half Jews; they accepted only part of the OT; were traditional enemies of the Jews & were the object of jokes & prejudice.
C. The Lord’s applications of love in the Sermon on the Mount:
1. Enemies. (Matt 5:43-47)
2. Romans - those who would make you carry a burden. (Matt 5:41)
3. The wealthy - who would sue you even for your clothes. (Matt 5:40)
D. Worthiness is not a condition for love.
1. ILL: The Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32)
2. ILL: The Laborers who only worked for one hour!
III. v34-35 - Love Does Not Count the Cost
A. Rules set limits - Love satisfies needs!
1. The Samaritan went beyond what the law would demand.
2. He poured oil & wine on the wounds, he bound the wounds, he put the victim on his donkey, he brought the victim to the inn, he took care of the victim, he left money for the victim’s care & he even promised to pay even more money.
B. Rom 13:10 says that love is the fulfilling of the Law. How?
1. Love goes beyond the rules. He who obeys rules wants to save himself - he who loves is trying to serve God.
2. Love goes between the rules. The Law had 613 rules - 365 negative & 248 positive. Love covers our behavior in all relationships & all situations. It’s universal!
3. Love goes under the rules. Love is concerned with motives as well as deeds.
The reason these two laws summed up the whole will of God was because the way that you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength & mind is by loving your neighbor as yourself! So prove that you really love God. Go out & satisfy a neighbor’s need!
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