The Truth About Loving Others

Introduction

Good morning. Do you want to open in your Bibles to Luke chapter 10? Luke chapter 10. As you’re turning there, there was a story of an elderly Christian woman, perhaps one that Ken talked about on the school list, had papyrus and candle oil. Go listen to the 9 o’clock sermon for that one. She lived next to an affirmed atheist, and many days she would stand like Daniel out in a way in which the neighbors could hear her pray. The problem was that she didn’t have much. She only lived off of her social security check and had just enough for the essentials. And one month a check came two weeks late, and the elderly woman was sitting on her porch and she said, Lord, I know you will provide, even though right now I have no food.

I trust in you. Her atheist neighbor heard that and said, This is my chance to prove to her that there is no God. I’m going to go to the store and take care of her need. So he went to the grocery store. He brought her some food. And then when she looked on the doorstep, she went, the Lord provided. And he said, No, I got this for you. And she said, Wow, I knew the Lord would provide. I just didn’t think he’d make the devil pay for it. There’s something about trusting in God for providing that is very easy to say and difficult to do. On the one hand, it’s simple to say that you need to rely on God and to say that God will provide.

But there’s two circumstances in which it’s very difficult to live out. One of those is when you are without, trusting that he will provide. The second is the one that we’re going to examine this morning. If we say out loud and know that God will provide. But we also know that when it comes to physical things, when it comes to providing food and all of our basic needs, that it’s not God who just drops it down from heaven onto our doorstep like an Amazon prime package, but rather that he has a plan in place in which we love one another. The church supports its members, that we as individual Christians take care of those who are in need. It’s difficult when we know God provides, when I’m the one who needs to give the service.

The truth about loving others is love is easy in concept, just the same. But practicing it is incredibly difficult. If you look with me at Luke chapter 10 and verse 25 beginning, you’ll note that Jesus tells the parable as we know it of the good Samaritan. I’m sure you’re familiar with it, but read with me beginning, especially the beginning context. In verse 25, a lawyer stood up and put him to the test, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him, What is written in the law? How do you read it? 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 Jesus said to him, You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live. But he, verse 29, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, and who is my neighbor? Perhaps we know the context and perhaps not as familiar with that, but notice that this begins with the question what shall I do to inherit eternal life? We know that, just as the man said, we have to, verse 27, love the Lord with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our strength and might. And we know, yes, that we also have to love our neighbor. But if we know that God provides for everyone, if we know that loving our neighbor is essential, if I’m honest with myself, why do I realize that I struggle with that so greatly?

I can say the Lord will provide. I might even pray that. I might truly believe that for myself, but do I serve as my part in God’s plan in taking care of others? If God’s plan is in fact to feed the poor, to clothe the naked, and visit those without family. And if I’m not doing that, what does that say about my trust and part in God’s plan? You see, this lawyer was justifying himself in verse 29, or essentially trying to, and it’s upon that question when he says, Well, who is my neighbor then? That he’s trying to limit the scope of showing love to others. Wouldn’t it be great if we only had to show love to the people that we love? That would probably be, by the way, a party of one, right?

People we only agree with all the time. I can’t even get myself on the same page. I’ll let that sink in for a moment. But in verse twenty in verse twenty nine, when he says, Who is my neighbor? Of course Jesus our Lord is not fooled. He doesn’t say, You know what? You’re right. You just help out your fellow Jews. Or you know what, you just help out those who are right around you. Beginning in verse 30, Jesus says, Now a man was going 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. 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, You go and do likewise. I want us to think about two fundamental truths this morning as we think about loving others. One is the necessity of it, and two is the fact that if we believe God provides, and that God provides through his people that I need to do my job, my role in serving my king, my creator, my maker. But when Jesus gives this parable of the Great Samaritan, there are of course some initial observations that leap off the page. One of those is the context is answering, who is my neighbor? And of course, what is the answer to this question? Everybody is my neighbor. In fact, in verse 36, Jesus says, Who proved to be this man’s neighbor? And what did the lawyer know?

And begrudgingly have to admit. The one who showed him mercy. The Samaritan. We’re going to talk about that in just a moment. But notice first in verses 30, 31, and 32, that two Jewish leaders refused to stop and help. And when we look at this, look at the first verse at beginning in 30 and 31, when you see the Levite coming by, and what does he see? Somebody left half dead. The text says very clearly, he saw him, and then what? Went on his way.

That in logic it’s airtight, and we know it to be true, but in fundamental practice it’s very difficult. Jesus was a man of what? Compassion, love, and holiness. Part of holiness is loving my neighbor. If we are to be like Christ, Christians, followers of Jesus, and Jesus was the best symbol of all time of loving those who needed it most, taking care of the poor, being with those who are left half dead, helping the helpless. Then, as Christians, shouldn’t we be the best this world has to offer as well? That means that my life, our lives is not just caught up with saying prayers on a regular basis, although that’s crucial and important. It’s not just showing up for worship times, although that’s crucial and important.

We have to be people that when they look at us, they see our Lord. And our Lord was the champion of the meek and the lowly. We must be too. You see, these two great people in verse 31, a priest and verse 32, a Levite, they passed by this man. They saw him. The text says in both verses, they saw him. But then they passed by on the other side. It was in the next verse, verse 33, that that dreaded Samaritan walked by. The Samaritan, of course, you know without me saying, had a great problem with the Jews, that they viewed them as lesser to be kind. And it was the Samaritan, not the priest, not the Levite, not those who were trained in the old law, not those who were trained in Leviticus chapter 19, knowing that they need to love their neighbor.

But rather, the Samaritan walked by, and notice in verse 33, he saw him, and he had compassion. Why does Jesus take care of those who were in need? Because he has love. He shows compassion. Why didn’t the priest and the Levite stop? Clearly, unlike the Samaritan, they did not show compassion. They might have been very loving and had a bad day, but we know in this instance, they failed the neighbor test. Am I the Samaritan? Or am I the priest and the Levite, who know a lot about God’s word, who know what we should do, and probably focusing on doing good things, perhaps even on this very road. But unlike my Christ, I don’t show love. I don’t step up when I see a need and feel that need, knowing that God will provide.

1. Everybody Is My Neighbor

Consider a few applications this morning in the parable of the Good Samaritan. First and foremost, to answer the question in verses 36 and 37, Jesus said, Who was the neighbor? And the lawyer says, I know who it was. It was the one who showed compassion. It was that yikes, that Samaritan. Why? Verse 37. It was the one who showed him mercy. Can we point something out about this road? When we go back to verse 30, Jesus says a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers who stripped him and departed, leaving him half dead. What I didn’t point out was that this road was notorious for being dangerous. And you know that the Samaritan who came upon him didn’t say, you know what?

Maybe it’s his fault. He shouldn’t have been alone on this road. You know, he’s half beaten and left for dead, but if he had come with other people, this wouldn’t have happened to him. You know, Jesus was focused on who is a neighbor, and in verse 37, even the lawyer who was desiring to justify himself, had to stop and say, the one who showed mercy, the one who showed compassion, the one who cared, like our Christ cares, is the one who was his neighbor. And Jesus then tells him, Of course, you go and do likewise. And this is echoed in the New Testament all throughout, but just to look at two examples, look in Galatians chapter 6. In Galatians chapter 6. We’ll make two important points from this passage.

So turn there with me. In Galatians 6 and verse 10. If you haven’t gotten the gist, I’m hoping you’ll turn with me to Galatians chapter 6 and verse 10. You’ll see there, so then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. You see in verse 10, the similarity with the parable of the Good Samaritan? In verse 10, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone. Who in the story of Luke chapter 10 in the parable of the Good Samaritan had opportunity? Well, the priest did. Why? He passed by and he saw him. What about the Levite? Yes, he passed by and he saw him. But the Samaritan also did, and he did what?

He had opportunity, and he to fulfill Paul’s words in chapter 6 and verse 10, did good to everyone. He didn’t stop and say, hey, who is this fellow? Is this somebody who falls under my neighborly jurisdiction? Is this somebody who I know what he’s going to do with my help? Is he going to appreciate it? Is he going to use it the way I think is best? Not at all. He saw a need. He filled a need because he had compassion, like Jesus. In verse 10, though, consider the final part of the verse do good to everyone, especially to what group of people? Those who are of the household of faith. This becomes interesting because in the parable of the Good Samaritan, what is the conclusion?

Everybody is my neighbor. Anybody that I can help, I should help. Just like Jesus. Just like the apostles would end up doing. But as we think about verse 10, then how do we understand, especially to those of the household of faith? Again, it goes back to the beginning of our lesson this morning. When we say God will provide, what do we mean by that? Do we mean that we’re going to open our door and find the food necessarily necessarily sitting right there? Well, no. How does God provide for his people? Think in your mind a few different ways. One of them is he uses the church. What is one use of the church’s funds? Benevolence, taking care of those who are in need, taking care of those who are struggling.

Is that fulfilling Galatians chapter 6 and verse 10? Absolutely. Is that fulfilling Luke chapter 10? Absolutely it is. Who are we to help? Everybody. But we are to especially be looking where? Around us. From time to time, Ken can speak to this having preached longer than I have. And that’s not an age joke, that’s just true. That church buildings for a long period of time are a haven for people to come and ask for money. Or to be more straightforward to beg. I have no doubt in my mind that many, or an incredibly high percentage, at least of what I have experienced in five years and what was probably higher before the internet came. Most of the calls are probably somewhat of what we might deem as scams.

But you know what the problem with trying to understand what is a scam and what is not is? Yes, we need to be wise with what we have. Yes, Galatians chapter 6 and verse 10 sets a precedent that we are to especially help one group of people. But that when somebody comes and asks for help, wherever it may be, we need to stop focusing on controlling their lives and helping fill a need. Jesus knew the hearts of everyone. Do you think that everyone who came to Jesus was of the utmost pure heart? Of course not. In fact, Jesus was often lamented for doing what? Dining with, spending his time with sinners and tax collectors. It doesn’t matter what you see or what we are expected. It matters that somebody is there who needs help.

And that if we’re Christians, we have an obligation to do what? To be the Good Samaritan. To have compassion. Because everybody is my neighbor. I think what we’ve lost in this truth about loving my neighbor is the everyone is my neighbor concept. Because you know who we’ve said is not our neighbor? People who don’t use money the way I think they should. People who don’t dress the way I think they should. People who don’t live the way I think they should. Who is my neighbor? Those I can help. As we have opportunity, let us do good unto everyone. And 1 John chapter 3, consider those words as well. 1 John chapter 3, perhaps calling to mind especially the word here, brethren. But in 1 John chapter 3 and verse 16, by this we know love that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

But if anyone has this world’s goods, sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth. Verse 18 is what we know is true. Christians need to help people, right? But verse 17, if we have this world’s goods, and we see a brother in need and do nothing, can we say the love of God is in us? Not at all. What is our model? Verse 16, Jesus. How did he love? To what extent did he love us? That he laid down his life that we might live. If we have this world’s good, and by the way, it doesn’t say if you have a lot of this world’s goods.

2. Love Will Not Be Convenient

It doesn’t say if you have the top one percent of this world’s goods. It says in verse 17, if anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need, what are we to do? Open our heart, let the love of God abide in us, and reach out and help. Everybody is my neighbor. Anything I can do, I must do, because that is what God has demonstrated. That is what Jesus has already done for me. Consider secondly, and if you’ll turn with me to Matthew chapter 25, love will not be convenient. There’s nothing in the parable of the good Samaritan that suggests this was a really convenient day for the Samaritan. You notice he was traveling that road, which, by the way, wasn’t just dangerous to the man who was beaten and left half dead.

Who would it also be dangerous for? The priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan. But he stopped. He went over to him. Why? Because he had compassion. And then he realized that it wasn’t just a one-time fix. It wasn’t a one-time thing. Matthew chapter 25 and verse 41, we’re seeing the second of two groupings, where on the right there were these who took care of the brothers of Christ. But notice this group in Matthew 25, verse 41, that he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger and you did not welcome me.

Naked and he did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. Then they will also answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty? Or a stranger or naked or sick and in prison and did not minister to you? Then he will answer them saying, Truly I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. These will go away into eternal punishment. But the righteous into eternal life. I want us to think really critically for a moment. When somebody comes to the doorstep, when we see somebody at the gas station, when we see anybody who is in need, yes, we have to be discerning. Yes, we have to be wise about how we are stewards of what God has blessed us with.

But can I tell you that when we look at verses 31 through 30 through 40, and we see the list of people who helped out those who were in need and they go into eternal life? And then we look at this other group of people who did not help and they go into the eternal hell? Which group do I want to be a part of? If I’m going to hedge my bet, if I’m going to try to decide if I’m going to help somebody, and I’ve read Matthew chapter 25, what is the inescapable conclusion as a Christian? I should help others. If we have to err on the side of giving or not, can we not see what side the scriptures clearly come down on? Yes, earlier in Matthew chapter 25, there’s a great lesson in stewardship, the parable of the talents.

There’s the one who had five talents, two talents and one. God knows what he’s given us. And God expects a return on what he’s allowed us to be stewards over. But which group am I in? Am I in the group that goes into eternal life? Because I look for opportunities, and as soon as I see them, I have compassion and take care. Or do I say that that’s not my neighbor? Because they don’t look like, act like, or talk like me. Who is my neighbor? Love won’t be convenient. If you look in Luke chapter 6, you’ll see this principle laid out by Jesus Himself. In Luke chapter 6, in verse 27. But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also. From the one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods, do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is to you?

Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. But love your enemies. Do good and lend. Expect nothing in return. Why? Your reward will be great. And you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Jesus says, love even who? Your enemy. There is nothing fun, easy, or simple about that. In fact, convenience in love is not even part of the same word set. Love is not some romantic feeling. It’s not even just about getting this great warm gushing within you when you see somebody who needs help. Love says there is a need I can fill because I care for their soul. The same way Jesus cares for our souls.

3. Love Goes Above and Beyond

We need to have mercy, verse 30. Why? As your Father is merciful. We have to show love, 1 John chapter 3. How? As Jesus has laid down his life for us. The pattern is set. Are we Christians who follow Christ? Because if so, we’ll be merciful. We’ll be compassionate. And we’ll be loving even when it’s incredibly inconvenient. And to speak about convenience and to make our final point this morning, love goes above and beyond. Go back to Luke chapter 10 with me. Go back to the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10. Why don’t you see how convenient or not this was? Beginning in verse 33, of course, you have the Samaritan who walks up. He has compassion on this man left half beaten for death.

He went up to him in verse 34 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. And the next day he took out two denaria and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of him whenever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back. Can we note a couple things about this help? One of them is how many days did this last for? At a minimum, two. This was not a one time. He didn’t see him bleeding and say, okay, my job as a neighbor is to stop the bleeding, then I can kind of keep going. No. In verse 34, what does he do?

He binds up his wounds, pours on him oil and wine, and then he takes them to an end. The next day we see him coming to the innkeeper and giving up his own financial means to take care of any need that can happen. Any need that might follow. There’s an attitude that’s different in somebody who loves to this degree and somebody who loves just because we’re supposed to. What kind of heart do I have? Do I have a heart that loves begrudgingly? Or a heart that is cheerful, compassionate and merciful? Like my God is compassionate and merciful. Before we look at John chapter 13, there’s a story of four young college students. They were at a Bible school of some kind, and as they were meeting in their home for a Bible study, an elderly man knocked on the door, and his eyes were kind of marbled over, and he was completely unkept.

And he was selling these gross vegetables, and by the way, all vegetables are gross. And so the boy said, What can we do for you? And he said, Well, I’m selling these vegetables, and then he noticed they were singing. And he said, Do you love God? Because I love God. And that made them feel like they should help this man. And so they bought some of those vegetables, even though they rightfully just threw them right away. And as they were, as they would go each Saturday, this man would come back, his eyes still glazed over in that way, he’s still all of his facial hair unkept, his clothes ragged and torn. And one day he came to them and he said, I have great news. God is good.

And they all looked at each other kind of knowingly and smiled, and he said, Somebody dropped off a bunch of shoes, clothes, and food for me at my door. And they all looked at each other and kind of smiled at their good deed and said, That’s great, God is good. And the man said, God is good. Do you know why? And they said, Yes, because you were taken care of. He said, No, God is good because I already found home for all the new shoes, all the clothes, and I gave away all the food to those who needed it. And the boys realized right then and there, love is not helping just the easy. And that this man wasn’t unkept because of some poor lifestyle choices, but because he constantly gave everything he had to others who had even less.

Which camp are we in? If Christ is at the front of helping those who are in need, and I’m at the back of the line, how can I say I’m a Christian? If Jesus was compassionate, merciful, and loving, if I show none of those characteristics, what is waiting for me in the day of judgment. If you look at me in John chapter 13, the epitome of Jesus is humility and willingness to serve, come out in this story. In John chapter 13, the lesson will be yours this morning after we read John chapter 13. Beginning in verse 3 of John chapter 13. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hand, so that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper.

He laid aside his outer garments and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter who said to him, Lord, do you wash my feet? Jesus said, What I am doing you do not understand, but afterward you will understand. Peter said, You will never wash my feet. And Jesus said, If I do not wash you, you have no share with me. So Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. And Jesus said to him, The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean.

And you are clean, but not every one of you. And verse 12, when he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I had given you an example that you should also do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Conclusion

Jesus taught them a lesson in humility. They can just see Peter as Jesus is wanting to wash his feet, and Peter goes, No, Lord, far be it from you. You are my teacher. You are the Christ. How are you going to be the one who washes my feet? And Jesus says, Look, you can’t be with me unless you let this happen. And you notice the tone shift immediately. You better wash all of me, then, Lord. But then what does Jesus conclude with? If I, your teacher, if I, your leader, lead you and set this example of service, of washing feet, what ought you to do as my followers? Wash one another’s feet as well. The question is simple this morning. When it comes to loving our neighbor, the neighbor limit knows no bounds.

And when it comes to showing love, it will be inconvenient. It will require, like Jesus, going above and beyond. But it’s part of God’s plan. If I’m going to sit back and say, God will provide for those who are in need, then the answer is simple. I need to take my place in following my Christ, following my Lord, and doing his will. And in so doing, God will continue to provide for his people. What a blessing to serve a God who cares for his people. Amen. This is a powerful example from a powerful Lord and the most powerful God who created us all and gives us life each and every day. What a blessing to take a small part in helping others. If you’re here this morning, recognize that more importantly than providing food and clothing and any shelter is the fact that Jesus provided by his lost life, the fact that we can have our sins forgiven.

He provided a way into salvation if we’ll simply believe in him, confess that he is Lord, which means we will follow in his teachings. Repent of our selfishness and wrongdoing, and be baptized, having our sins forever washed away. What an amazing blessing that we can be one with an amazing God. If you are here this morning, you’ve never become a Christian, recognize the call is here for you right now and this morning. And if you are a Christian and you’ve lived out selfishness as well, recognize God is forgiving, God is merciful. We’ll pray with you, we’ll pray for you. If we can help you in any way, come forward now as we stand and sing.