January 6 Limitless Love

Luke 10:30-37 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
 
THIS is Jesus’ answer to an “expert in the law” who asked him two questions. 1) “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25) 2) “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29) As the Bible says he asked these questions to test Jesus and to “justify himself”, Mr. Expert (as I’ll call him here and tomorrow) was seeking to define God’s commands to his own purposes. He wanted to feel that it was okay, that he was justified to live in God’s law in his own way.
   To lift Mr. Expert out of himself and into the Father, Jesus told a story of a Samaritan. He is a man the Jews would view as culturally unacceptable; yet, it is this unloved  man who acts into God’s love laws. This is one of Jesus’ teaching techniques. He often used people whom the culture viewed as “ungodly” or as “sinners” to awaken Israel to God’s grace. Often it requires radical perspective to open our eyes to the truth.
   And so, Jesus describes how the Samaritan’s actions were an outpouring of, “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.” (Luke 10:27)
   Do you wonder, “Does God know I love him? Do my neighbors know I care for them?” May you are uncomfortable or embarrassed to say to God in prayer, “I love you, Lord.” Perhaps you are unsure how to love him more or even at all.
   Listen closely, then, to Jesus’ words here. Sit down with your Bible to examine the Samaritan’s love. Observe how he stops his agenda to enter into God’s purpose. See the Samaritan tenderly offer his money and time to care for a stranger. Model his attitude to sacrifice his possessions for the injured man’s good. See the Samaritan’s “mercy upon him”.
   Mr. Expert began his conversation to affirm his own view of God’s law. Jesus ended the lesson with a new love view for the man to consider:  “Go and do likewise.” is a direct command to Mr. Expert to love God and to love others as he love himself – which, apparently was very much. It is a direct command to you, too.
   More on how you do God’s love: 1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 
   Don’t you just love the Lord’s “love laws” for your life?
 
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your patient, kind, love for me. I pray I do your love as you have done for me. Amen.