- 9 hours ago
- 6 min read
[Luke 10:25-37 – The Parable of the Good Samaritan]
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 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.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 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. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 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. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii[a] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
You Will Be a Neighbor
Imagine, giving up such a great thing for the sake of something so small. The lawyer in our Gospel reading asks Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Nothing is bigger than that. But he is then willing to risk the whole thing just so he can keep not liking the group of people he doesn’t like. The Samaritans.
“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 love your neighbor as yourself.” “Yes”, Jesus says, “Do this, and you will live.” But the man will risk it all rather than call that person or those people his neighbor.
I.
Our Lord Jesus shows us by this parable that “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” doesn’t get it to mean that some people are your neighbors and others aren’t. No, the commandment means “you shall be a neighbor” to each person.
So Jesus ends the parable asking the lawyer, “Which of these three – the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan – proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among robbers?” “The one who showed him mercy.” “You go and do likewise.”
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” means “You shall be a neighbor to them” regardless of who they are. Would you give up eternal life so you don’t have to be a neighbor to that person who wronged you? Or, those people?
This command is at the backbone of the Law of God: “For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” [Romans 13:9]. “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” [Matthew 7:12].
And to love your neighbor as yourself doesn’t mean only to love those who love you back: “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.” [Luke 6:32-33]
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for them…” [Matthew 5:43-44]. Where the world has an “us” vs. a “them”, we have a neighbor.
II.
Our Lord’s parable in today’s Gospel makes the “to whom” clear in the command, “Be a neighbor.” We should also think about the “where”. Where am I to be a neighbor?
You are called to be a neighbor at home. To your husband. To your wife. To your children. They are your first neighbor. When they’re doing what you like and when they’re not doing what you like, love your neighbor as yourself. Be a neighbor to them. Also to mom and dad, and brother and sister.
You are a neighbor at work. To the well liked and to those not well liked. To those with common interests and to the annoying and the odd. You shall be a genuine neighbor and friend to them. When there’s no advantage to you. For their sake.
You are a neighbor on the road, on the sidewalk, in the parking lot, in the store. In your neighborhood (to your neighbors!), in your building.
Being a neighbor as we go about our day means extinguishing that thought within us which says, “It’s not my concern.” Being a neighbor means not just looking straight ahead but seeing my neighbor’s needs or inconveniences as my concern. You are your neighbor’s keeper, not just your brother’s keeper [Genesis 4:9].
What the fellow shopper or the cashier needs out of you – which might just be your friendliness, your acknowledgment that they are there, and that you’re happy they are there – this is your concern, as if it’s a need in your own day that day. Love your neighbor as yourself.
And, finally, you shall also be a neighbor when no one’s around and you’re watching the news at home. “Who is my neighbor?” There’s not a place or a space, not even on a screen, where the Lord let’s us say, “Not them!”
Though you may never meet the people on the screen, spitting venom along with the world at people in the news – though the words will never reach their ears – it does affect your heart for the worse. Aren’t you training your heart to hate your neighbor? Is that pleasing to God?
Every person on the screen – TV or phone – is a real person, created by God, who exists, has a life, and is sitting somewhere right now – at home, at work, at a church…
How you interact affects your heart. And, in truth, contributing to a general negative attitude, or a general positive attitude, about others in your nation does eventually really affect others, for good or for bad.
III.
It really is true, what our Lord said, that if we kept those two great commandments – to love God and our neighbor – we would inherit eternal life. But it is just as true than none of us have kept those two laws.
This is how God’s Law works. If you keep the Law, you will live. But everyone who does not keep all the things written in the Law are under a curse [Galatians 3], condemnation. That is how the Law works, and the lawyer asked about what he must do – which is a Law question. The Law leaves each of us condemned.
The way the Gospel works is this: Jesus Christ has come to redeem, to save, sinners. Jesus, the only man who has kept those two great commandments in their fullness, is also the one who has now, on the cross, suffered that curse – condemnation – for the sins of the world. Your sins and mine.
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” [Galatians 3:13]. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” [Colossians 1:13-14]
Jesus has been the perfect neighbor – He has loved you as Himself. He has given His life for you. By His offering, your sins are forgiven. Your falling-short of those two great commandments is forgiven. Jesus, the very Son of God, has been a neighbor to you.
And now, because of Jesus, “You shall be a neighbor” has become “You will be a neighbor.” Inch by inch, Jesus is lifting you up to this heavenly goal – to be to others what He has been to you – and He will bring His work to completion in you on His day [Philippians 1:6]. Thanks be to God. Amen.
- Jul 6
- 5 min read
[Luke 10:1-6] After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to go. And He said to them… “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.”
Publishers of Peace
I’ve been traveling with a lot of baggage lately. In the past two and half weeks, four thousand miles, house to house. At each house and hotel I’ve entered, the baggage has come in, and out, with me. Lugging baggage in and out is exhausting. It’s a relief to finally put it down. Peace.
Every Sunday, you come into to God’s house with baggage. Lord willing, you leave without it. This is the place to come in with baggage and to be freed from it.
Come in with the baggage of sin. Past and present. Come in, filled with the baggage of the news and politics. Heavy and frustrating to carry around in you. Come in with the baggage of mistreatment and hurtful words, heavy scars and wounds to carry inside.
Come in with the baggage of worry. About your money and finances. Come in with the baggage of fear or confusion about what happens in the world.
Come in with the baggage of guilt. Your mismanagement. The weight of what you have failed to do, what you’ve left undone. And what you’ve done.
The week gone by accumulates baggage each day. Here is the place to bring it in and put it down in God’s home. To have peace because of the good news.
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news, who publish peace and bring good news of salvation.” [Romans 10:15; Isaiah 52:7]
The Divine Service, the Sunday worship service, is a publishing of divine peace. We remember that on Easter evening, when Jesus first greeted His disciples after His resurrection, He showed them His pierced hands and side and said, “Peace be with you” [John 20:19-22].
The Divine Service – which is the Lord’s service for us – is Jesus’ continued Easter proclamation of “Peace be with you”, spoken to you by the Lord through His sent minister. The worship service is a service of declaring, of publishing to the world, God’s peace with guilty sinners and those in need of healing.
“Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men” [Gloria in Excelsis]. “Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” [spoken right before the sermon]. “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” [spoken directly after the sermon].
“The peace of the Lord be with you always” [directly after the consecration of the Lord’s Supper]. “O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us Thy peace” [Agnus Dei, as we come up for Communion]. “…depart in peace” [the blessing after Communion].
“Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word” [Nunc Dimittis]. And the final benediction, “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Those are just the direct references to peace. The whole rest of the service is geared toward peace, from Confession and Absolution, through the readings and the sermon, and every part of the Liturgy.
The service is geared toward peace because the whole service is the communication of the good news that Jesus, the Lamb of God, has died and risen for you. The whole service says, “God has forgiven your sins, your baggage, in the blood of Jesus. Sins of this week. Sins farther back.”
And to the hurting and burdened, the whole service says, “In His wounds you are healed” [Isaiah 53:5]. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… for your soul” [Matthew 11:28ff]. Jesus has carried all your baggage in Himself on the cross. “It is finished” [John 19:30]. You can lay it down.
Without Jesus, you still carry your own baggage and have God’s anger against your sins. With Jesus, He has carried your baggage and God’s anger is put away. You have peace because God, your Creator, is now at peace with you because of Jesus’ self-offering on your behalf:
“In Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them” [2 Corinthians 5:19]. “…through Him to reconcile to Himself all things… making peace by the blood of His cross” [Colossians 1:20].
In this morning’s Gospel, Jesus sent seventy-two disciples, two-by-two, to proclaim this peace to every town He was about to visit. If those in a town or a house believed it, the peace of God would remain with them. If they did not believe the forgiveness and healing of the good news of Jesus, peace would not remain but flee from them.
When you enter this house, know the purpose God intends. Don’t be like a patient who loves their sickness more than the doctor’s cure and therefore spits out the medicine.
Don’t leave here carrying the baggage you came with. It belongs to Jesus now. And don’t give each other new baggage on Sunday morning. You are here for peace.
If we neglect, reject, or lose sight of the purpose God intends – our peace – we may even leave worse than how we came. Our peace flees. Don’t do that.
Instead, let us each come with baggage. Give it to Jesus. And go in peace. That is God’s purpose in the weekly service. To apply to your week what Jesus has done on the cross for your life.
This morning’s Scripture readings and verses in the Divine Service are full of peace. “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river… As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you…” [Isaiah 66:12-13]. “How beautiful are the feet of those who publish peace” [Isaiah 52:7].
And geared toward peace, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness” [Galatians 6:1]. “Say, ‘Peace be to this house!’” [Luke 10:5]. And we prayed in today’s Collect, “Continue to send Your messengers to preserve Your people in true peace.”
The seventy-two had their unique calling, as did the twelve apostles, as do pastors and other servants of Christ. And each one of you, as His baptized children, in your various vocations – in your various callings – at home and in the world, you are called to be publishers of His peace, to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you” [1 Peter 3:15].
Each of us are called to receive the peace of Christ and then to have the courage, and the love, to let others know where our peace comes from. My peace comes from knowing Jesus. His peace is for you too.
Every week, brothers and sisters, come into God’s house with your baggage, leave it at the feet of Jesus’ cross, receive His forgiveness, healing, and peace in the words of this Divine Service. Leave unburdened and tell others the reason for the peace within you. Amen.
- Jun 18
- 6 min read
Your Salvation, the Holy Trinity’s Work
I. We believe in one, unique God.
· The word “God” – G_O_D – can mean a lot of things to a lot of people.
· Some organizations/events purposely use “G_O_D” in a broad, vague way – so each person can fill in their own meaning.
· Such things, I believe, are well meaning – but misguided.
· In reality, God can only be who God really is.
· Beliefs about God that contradict each other can’t both be true.
· We should endeavor seriously to know who the true God is.
- Who do we mean, uniquely and specifically, when we say “God”?
II. The doctrine of the Trinity
· We confess that God is specifically the Triune God – Trinity – Three in One.
· Father, Son, Holy Spirit – 3 distinct persons; 1 undivided God.
- The Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit and the Son are not the Father or each other. 3 distinct persons.
- Yet, there are not three Gods / Lords / Almighties / Eternals – but only 1.
· CoEternal: Never a time when there weren’t all three – from before the beginning.
· Distinct in how they relate to each other:
- Father begets Son. Holy Spirit proceeds from both.
· Distinct in their roles:
- Father, Creator – Son, Redeemer – Holy Spirit, Sanctifier/Comforter/Encourager.
· Distinct, but never divided.
- They share one, undivided divine substance – that of the Father.
· They never work alone, but all three are involved in each of their distinct roles.
- Father creates through the Son.
- Son was sent by Father to be Redeemer.
- Holy Spirit applies and points to the saving work of Christ’s cross.
- 3 persons, 1 God. And 2 natures in Christ.
III. The doctrine of the Incarnation. (Jesus)
· God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, is both fully God and fully man.
- He is God from all eternity from the Father’s divine substance.
- He is man since His conception and birth from the substance of His mother, Mary, a virgin.
· Jesus, the Son of God, God the Son, is 1 person with 2 natures (divine and human).
· Not two people in one body. One person with two distinct but never separated natures.
IV. We believe this from Scripture alone.
· Scripture is clear that there is one One God.
- “The Lord our God the Lord is one” [Deuteronomy 6:4]
- “You shall have no other gods beside Me” [Exodus 20:3]
· Yet, in many passages, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all spoken of as God.
- Divine attributes. Divine names. Are worshiped. Are called God. (See attached)
- Does it matter? Yes.
V. Trinity and Incarnation matter because they’re about our salvation.
· Our eternal salvation is by the coordinated work of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- “For God [the Father] so loved the world, that He gave [Incarnation: Conceived by the Holy Spirit; Cross, Son given for us] His only Son [Jesus], that whoever believes [Faith is work of Holy Spirit] in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
- “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” – 1 Corinthians 12:3
· Our eternal salvation depends on the two natures of Christ
- Had to be human to live and die in our place.
- Had to be God for His self-offering on the cross to have infinite value.
- The Athanasian Creed is all about what we believe in order to be saved.
VI. To do good or to do evil is to believe or disbelieve.
“Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith (belief).”
“Those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire."
· Biblically, to do good or evil is to believe or disbelieve. (Roots of two different trees)
- “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” [John 3:18]
- “Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning His Son.” [1 John 5:10]
- “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” [John 5:24]
· “Just as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness” [Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; Genesis 15:16]
· “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” — “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” [Ephesians 2:8-10]
· What is born in you from faith in Christ is what lives on into eternity.
- “In Christ” you are “a new creation.” “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” [2 Corinthians 5:17]
- Does it matter? Yes.
Which God is the true God matters. The God who really is God is the God who saves. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
_____________________________________________________
Some Verses of Scripture Showing the Trinity
· In the Bible, each person (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit) is called by divine names (“Lord”, “God”, “Spirit of God”, etc…), each does divine things (things only God can do), and each are worshipped (only God is to be worshiped).
John 20:28 - “Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (Said to Jesus)
Titus 2:13 - “the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”
John 1:1,14 - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 - “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”
Romans 8:9 - “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”
John 15:26 - “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”
Matthew 14:33 - “And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’”
Matthew 28:9 - “And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.”
Matthew 4:10 - “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”
1 Corinthians 6:11 - “you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
Philippians 3:3 - “who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus…”
1 Corinthians 12:3 - “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.”
Luke 1:35 - And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”
Deuteronomy 6:4 - “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
· The three persons of the Trinity share ONE saving name. (“name”, not “names”)
Matthew 28:19 - “God therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 4:12 - “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
