Figuring Out Benevolence

Introduction

Good morning. If you’ll open your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 5, in 1 Timothy chapter 5, beginning in verse 9. First Timothy chapter 5, beginning in verse 9. Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than 60 years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works. If she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. Now, this type of widow stands in contrast to the one found in verse 11, but refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith.

Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. And so you see the conclusion of this passage comes in verse 16, even.

Now that is opposed to those who have family, those who are younger, those who fit the other qualifications of those who do not qualify as a qualified widow. And so what that proves to us is that the church does have an obligation, nay, even a responsibility, towards helping its members who are in need. And if I were to play a game of church bingo, if I were to organize it, everyone would want terms like grace, love, forgiveness, Lord’s supper, and maybe in this church we’d want to have phrases like lay by and store, or uh guide us, guide guard and direct us. We’d want those phrases because we hear them all the time. And if I put the word benevolence somewhere on your bingo card in a square, what would you hope?

What type of lesson would you hope to hear to get that word to come out? If you needed that word benevolence to get your five in a row and to win bragging rights, what would you need to hear? Well, many of us, if you’re like me at least, would think I need a lesson on church authority. After all, the church is to be involved in what three activities: edification, evangelism, and benevolence. And we expect, okay, church, benevolence. This is something the church can do. This is something the church should be doing with its treasury. But truly, the Bible picture of benevolence is greater than money being spent. In fact, if you look up in a dictionary as I did, benevolence is defined as a desire to do good to others.

Look with me in Luke chapter 10. And as we consider this morning, that idea of what true benevolence is, it does not in any way, shape, or form undermine that which the church has an obligation to uphold, but it really sets forth a strong challenge throughout the New Testament from Jesus’ teachings, even through the epistles of Paul, at how we are to care for others and what lengths we should go to do so. And there is no better perhaps illustration of that than how Jesus approaches the topic here in Luke chapter 10. You may know, of course, I’m going towards the passage about the Good Samaritan. Read with me beginning in verse 25. And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

He said to him, What is written in the law? How do you read it? And 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. And he said to him, You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live. But you see, that wasn’t quite enough, because you see in verse 29, but he desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? Thus setting the stage for the parable that is so well known. Jesus 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.

Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He 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. And 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. And now you see Jesus really kind of turning the screws a little bit to this man who was requesting who is my neighbor in verse thirty six.

Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? He said, the one who showed him mercy. And Jesus said to him, You go and do likewise. And you see, this is a very moving story, and we see how those who are expected did not help. Rather, they passed right along by. We think about the cruelty of the two robbers to beat and strip and leave this man half dead, and we think, that’s awful. You think about the Levi and the priest passing on the other side, and we think, What’s going on there, guys? Why couldn’t you stop to help? And then you see this Samaritan man who stops to help. He doesn’t just stop to help to see what’s going on to kind of check off a box.

Oh, yes, I asked the questions, do you need anything? He helped the man. He not only helped him up, set him on an animal, took him to an innkeeper, where he even promised to take care of him more in the future as the need arose. And you see that if I am going to think about this story and practicing personal benevolence, what I need to see is, where am I in this story? And some of you may think I’m the man left half dead. Okay, well, we’re going to disqualify that position right now. We’re going to put us as either the Levite, the priest, or the Samaritan. Although I will give you bonus points if you think you’re the robber. But if you do, please see me after the lesson.

1. The Scriptures Have the Answers

Consider then, going back to the setup though, in verse 25, consider how Jesus even launched into this story. A lawyer stood up to put him to the test. And the question was simple. What must I do to inherit eternal life? Seems like a valid question. Although in verse 25, we cannot move past the language that says a lawyer stood up to put him to the test. But consider what Jesus’ answer reveals. Jesus doesn’t just say, okay, well, you need to love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Simple, easy, done. If anyone could have given that type of answer, it certainly would have been Jesus. If anyone was qualified to give the answer, it certainly would be Jesus. But note how he asked two questions.

What is written in the law, and how do you read it? I think this makes a strong point. If you’ll allow me to divert just a moment this morning, consider what those two questions reveal. First of all, it reveals the scriptures have the answers. Jesus didn’t have to say, Well, it’s a good thing you asked me, because if you hadn’t, boy, you would have no clue on what you should be doing. Second of all, consider what was this man’s trade. He was a lawyer. What law do you think he specialized in? Do you think he knew? What was Jesus’ questions? What basically, what do you see? You tell me. How do you read it? What does that tell us? Jesus knew not only did scriptures have the way of life, but second of all, it could be found.

It was not too hard. It was not too complex for this man at least to correctly identify what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. And that’s not just a guess, because the fallout of this, when the lawyer gives his answer, Jesus says, What? You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live. And so we see that scriptures have the answer. It’s not up to men to interpret it. There is a standard that we are to answer to. We need to dig into the book. We need to dig into the law of God, even on this side of the cross, and recognize there is an answer for us to find if we are willing to seek it. And, as Jesus told the lawyer, to do it.

It wasn’t enough just to identify the law. He needed to do it as well. But as I had mentioned before, that wasn’t enough for the lawyer, even though he answered the question correctly. This man knew. And yet, look with me at verse 29, and you see the language there. But he desiring to what? Justify himself, said to Jesus, and who is my neighbor? An interesting question. An interesting thought. There would have been many schools of thought at this time, perhaps led by the Pharisees, kind of trying to whittle it down. But what is Jesus’ answer to this question? Does he say, Well, you know what, Mr. Lawyer? I need you to understand. Everyone is your neighbor. He could have answered that way. He could have just said, you know what?

2. They Left the Man Half Dead

Just the Jews, just the Pharisees, just God’s chosen nation, his physical people. Just be a neighbor to them. Consider where the man got his answer from. It was Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 5 regarding loving the Lord your God with all your heart. And the second answer was found in Leviticus chapter 19 and verse 18. Loving your neighbor. The man knew the law correctly. And yet there was something about it that he needed to find. Ironic, a lawyer would be chasing a definition. So there’s this man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He fell among robbers. Certainly, this would have been a dangerous passageway, as history seems to reveal. But consider for a moment this morning with me the characters in this story. You have the victim.

And what he was like is unknown. We don’t know if he was the best person that ever lived, a perfect model of the law. We don’t know if he was a perfect Pharisee, a perfect Sadducee. We have no idea what this man was like. For all we know, he could have been a robber as well. But consider who we did know. In verse 30, we run into these two robbers. And what do we know about them? They did not love their neighbor as themselves. That’s pretty easy to prove. I don’t think the golden rule in Matthew chapter 7 and verse 12 is something that I want cast back to me if I have beaten you and stripped you and left you half for dead. That’s not something I want, and I highly doubt it’s something those two robbers wanted either.

And so we see that what is the problem with these two robbers? They did something cruel. They were selfish. They were mean. They did not love as Jesus expects us to love. And perhaps no part punctuates that more than leaving the victim beaten. But I want you to read with me verse 31 now. You have this man lying half dead, and by a stroke of tremendous fortune. Find what happens in verse 31. Now, by chance, a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, a priest was going down not just any road, that road. The road that that victim would be found on. He was going there. He was going to find an opportunity to love his neighbor as himself. And what do we know that he did?

And he passed by on the other side. Same story with the Levite. And here’s a cold, hard fact of reality. This priest and this Levite, just like the robbers, left the man half dead. Yes, the robbers did it. Yes, the robbers were involved with beating him, stripping him, and leaving him in this awful condition. But you know who also left him in that awful condition? The priest and the Levite. And there should be no excuses because the text is clear in verse 31. A priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. If I’m trying to put myself in one of the shoes of these characters, I have to say, if I really examined it all too often, I’m not just talking about once or twice.

All too often I could easily be accused and successfully tried as being the priest or the Levite in this story. Sure, the priest and the Levite would have known the law. They should have been the first to help. You think about these men, if anyone would stop to help, knowing the law and seeking to uphold it, that would be these two. But what about us? How come is it that we’re not always everywhere serving? Is that not our purpose? Is it not to serve? Do we not have time and time again in the New Testament examples of serving the Lord through serving others, ministering to the needs of the saints? We’ll cover a little bit more of these passages momentarily. But consider how easy is it to leave the victim beaten.

3. Where Is My Compassion?

And you consider any type of number of possibilities went through the priest in the Levite’s head. We can’t know for certain what it is, but perhaps they just didn’t have time. Perhaps they didn’t know. Perhaps they didn’t care. But no matter what the reason or what the excuse, they left the man half dead. Until we see this last man. In verse 33, I want to call your attention to a particular phrase in verse 33. But a Samaritan, certainly a phrase worth examining, but not the one I’m keying in on here, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. Think about looking at someone in need. Who else comes to mind in our New Testament when it comes to seeing someone or somebody’s in need and they had compassion?

Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, had compassion. While the priest and the Levite saw him and had an opportunity to stop what they were doing and help. The Samaritan saw him and had compassion. And the question is begged, where is my compassion? I can tell you where my worry and wishes would be if I was stuck somewhere on the side of the road with no other help besides my two hands, and knowing these wouldn’t be good enough to help my car get running again, I can tell you I would need and want someone to help me. I would wish earnestly that someone showed compassion. And so you consider where is my compassion? Because I want someone to have it towards me, and yet I find myself, I examine my life, and I say, you know what, I don’t find myself stopping on the side of the road very often.

I don’t find myself in hospitals and at people’s homes very often. And why is that? Perhaps it’s because we’re lacking the compassion of not only the Samaritan, but Jesus, who cared for others at a high expense. And that’s the cost of compassion. It’s not only selflessness, it’s a mind that’s willing to sacrifice me. My time, my money, my effort, my life. And you consider this story is so perfectly crafted to where the conclusion is inescapable when Jesus goes back to the lawyer and asks him, which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who was in the road? The lawyer correctly identifies the one who showed him mercy. Even then, the man couldn’t bear it, it seems to say, the Samaritan. Because we know about the relations between the Israelites and the Samaritans.

4. Who Is My Neighbor? Everyone Is My Neighbor

And so this surprise hero was correctly identified by the lawyer, and Jesus says, You go and do likewise. And the conclusion of that story is what? Who is my neighbor? Everyone is my neighbor. If you look at me in Galatians chapter 6, in Galatians chapter 6, I’d ask that you turn there, put your finger in it, and close it for a moment. Galatians chapter 6 and verse 10. Sometimes, give everyone a moment. Sometimes it seems that when we say something like, everyone is my neighbor, that is a gigantic burden to bear, isn’t it? And the answer to that is, yes, it is. But you know what we often do with that? What I do with that is I say, everyone is my neighbor. My brain doesn’t compute how I can be doing that, how I can serve everyone, and you know what I go and do?

I serve nobody. I can’t serve everyone. That’s what I’m supposed to do. I’m out. Let’s try to identify something real quickly. Who is my neighbor? Let’s try to hone in a little bit. Who is your neighbor? I want to start there. Who is your neighbor?

That’s me. If you’re looking up, I am your neighbor. You are my neighbor. Look around. Take a moment, look around. I saw a couple eyes darting. Let’s get some heads moving. These are your neighbors. This is known. This isn’t a mystery. This is easy. These are people we know, people we can talk to, people who we share fellowship with. The bonds, the life of Jesus Christ. And you consider in Galatians chapter 6 and verse 10, what is the admonition there? So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone. And especially to those who are of the household of faith. And so again, we see the idea that we should be doing good to everyone, but especially who? Especially Christians. Brothers and sisters in Christ.

This is the easy part. If we’re to be helping the whole world, and we can’t help each other, what chance do we have? And how do I get to where I serve my brothers and sisters in Christ? How do I get the words of Galatians chapter 6 and verse 10 imprinted on my heart? First of all, like the lawyer, we need to know the law. We need to know what God expects from me. Otherwise, I’ll find myself blissfully unaware, walking down the other side of the road because you know what? It’s not my problem. But it is. It is my problem. When my brother or sister especially is in need, it is my issue to help them. Not just so I look good, but so God is served righteously.

This isn’t an option. This is a challenge. And in 1 John chapter 3, I know we’ve looked at it time and again. You see the idea of brothers who see someone in need and they have this world’s goods. What are they to do? Help them. And that proves what? That the love of God abides in them. And I have to ask does the love of God abide in me? And there’s an easy way to tell. At least on this front. Do I care for others? Am I moved with compassion when I hear the needs of others? Or perhaps to skirt the issue altogether? Do I stick my head down into the sand so that I don’t have to hear a thing? It’s an interesting thought. Perhaps you’re thinking, well, I just don’t know the needs of everyone.

I can tell you a few people who know a lot of the needs in this congregation. It starts with your elders. And it moves forward to several of the deacons, in particular, Brother Rufus and Brother Rob. Somebody here knows something. Somebody here knows there is someone in need. This is not a charity case. This is a family case. This is loving my fellow brother and sister in Christ. Brothers and sisters, where is the love? If we can’t find ourselves helping when someone is in desperate need, how are we going to in any way, shape, or form help those outside of the body? And how should we expect others to help us when we need it? Powerful thoughts. As we talked about earlier, there are some costs of compassion.

5. The Costs of Compassion

If you look back at Luke chapter 10 with me, in Luke chapter 10, you know what the Samaritan does. He doesn’t just see him and have compassion. Having compassion, while great and a necessary first step, didn’t heal the man’s wounds. Compassion and care didn’t make the man get better. The thoughts of compassion and care. What helped him was the Samaritan converted his compassion and care into the use of money. You see that in verse 35. And 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. You know what he didn’t do? He didn’t say, All right, here’s two denarii. This is what I have on me.

Do your best.

No. He trusted that it was his responsibility or his privilege, maybe even, to help this man get better, even at the cost of his funds. You think about that great scene in Matthew chapter 25, and you see the two separated, one on the left and one on the right. And who is it that is lost? What is their claim? Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or naked? When did we see you? We didn’t deny you. And those who are saved asked the same question, actually. When did we feed you? When did we give you drink? When did we clothe you? When you did it to the least of these, you did it to me. We’re missing opportunities, not only to serve each other, but to serve the Lord.

I think any, and every single one of us. You look at me right for this moment and tell me that I’m wrong. If we saw Jesus on the side of the road, we would stop to help him every single time. Why don’t we love our brothers and sisters like that? What did the law hinge on? Loving the Lord, loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Loving your neighbor as yourself. This was everything. Why don’t we love others the way Jesus tells us to when we claim to love Jesus? Another cost of compassion, and this one’s tough is time. In Ephesians chapter 5, we see, of course, the section on not to be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is, making the best use of the time.

Why? Because the days are evil. What is a great use of our time, brothers and sisters? Helping one another, showing benevolence to each other. We are blessed with pretty good numbers at this congregation. We don’t make a big deal about numbers because it’s not. It’s about souls for the Lord, whether we’re at 50 or 250. But when we have as many people as we will in about two hours and ten minutes in this building, I can assure you, somebody has a need somewhere. So, what is my response to that? Well, I don’t have money. You think about 1 John chapter 3, it’s whoever has this world’s good and sees his brother in need and doesn’t help him, that’s the problem. But you know what we have?

And it’s our most precious commodity. We cling to it. We hang on to every last second of it. It is our time. And that is the greatest gift that we could give. Time. You think about any time you’ve struggled at all, what do you most remember? Someone being there for you. You may remember the money, but it’s the fact that someone helped you. Someone was with you at the hospital. Someone was with you when someone had passed away. Someone was with you at your time of need on the side of the road. Time means a lot. And conversely, that means I should be willing to give a lot of it. Because after all, it’s not my time. It’s the Lord’s. Brothers and sisters, we are on the Lord’s time.

Will we redeem it, making the best use of it? Or will we succumb to the days of evil? And yet there’s something even greater that the Samaritan does. In verse 34 of Luke chapter 10, he 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 end and took care of him. Can we talk about that for just a moment? He went to him and bound up his wounds. I gotta tell you, I think blood is gross. And I especially think your blood is gross. And yet this man was willing to bandage up the wounds of this man who was beaten, stripped, and left half dead. He was willing to care for him.

Conclusion

That wasn’t easy. That took time. He was willing to pay for him. That wasn’t easy. That was a sacrifice of funds. But more than that, he stopped and made a difference. He cared to take effort. There was nothing easy about helping this man. It wasn’t convenient. It wasn’t necessarily cheap. The only thing that made it easy would be an under proper understanding that this is a man who needs help. And it’s my turn to show some. Will you go to the Lord in prayer with me? Our dear God and most gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we praise you for your greatness. We’re so moved by how much you have chosen to love us. We’re thankful to you, O Lord, for sending Jesus to Christ to not only die on the cross for our sins, but to live in this world perfectly, to make that sacrifice available to us, that perfect sacrifice.

And through his blood, which we can have the forgiveness of our sins. We’re thankful for him resurrecting from the dead, but we’re thankful for him in his life that he lived on this earth, that we can mimic his pattern, that we can show compassion, that we can learn from his teachings, and that we can know you. Lord, help us to serve to the best of our ability, not just in word or in thought, but truly in deed. Help us to love you with all of our heart, mind, and soul. And oh Lord, even when it’s difficult, even when we’ve failed, help us to love our neighbor as ourself. Help us to take our focus off of me and put our focus on to we. Help us to help one another get to heaven with you eternally.

Forgive us of when we do wrong, O Lord. Guide us through this day. It’s in your Son’s name we do pray. Amen. We are now dismissed to our Bible class period.