Luke 10:25-37
Parallel Account
No parallel account
Luke’s reason for recording
- Next three stories focus on relationships moving from relationship with fellow man, relationship with Jesus to relationship with God.
- Luke stresses the inherent relationship between how one reacts to people and how one relates to God.
The Lawyer’s question
- The question was not asked in sincerity but to test Jesus.
- The questions reveal…
- The way to heaven is through loving God and others.
- Love involves obedience.
- But, most of us are only concerned with doing the bare minimum.
What does it mean to love?
- Jews see loving God as obeying the Law.
- However, most Jews sought to know the bare minimum that ought to be obeyed.
- Thus, the question “Who is my neighbor?”
What is revealed through the parable.
- Jesus reveals that love is not about doing the bare minimum, but it is about doing all one can.
- Jesus reveals that love is not limited to certain types of people, but it must be extended to everyone.
- Jesus also reveals that the right attitude is not to look for who deserves love but to seek how we can love.
- Jesus reveals the important thing is not who our neighbor is but that we see ourselves as the neighbor.
The Transformation Expectation
- When it comes to loving God we need to quit seeking the bare minimum and understand that loving him requires us to do the maximum.
- God wants us to be the neighbor to everyone whether we think they deserve it or not.