Luke 11:5-10

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5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ~ Luke 11:5-10

Today's text teaches us one principle among many: the primary way to spiritual maturity is through the word of God. It is through the word of God that we gain a better understanding of God as our Father. Our view of God is really the benchmark of our spiritual maturity. Understanding the father heart of God is critical to spiritual maturity because in the end we rest in the reality of our God. A superficial knowledge of God contributes to limited understanding, faith and trust.

The God of the Bible is above all and is beyond all and outside all of that which we know in the realm of the created. He is all powerful and transcendent. And, He has everything under control all the time. In Job 42:2 we read, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.”   

Previous to today's text, we have been considering the Lord Jesus' response to the disciple's request about teaching them to pray. Prayer is the means by which we access God’s infinite wisdom, power, and perspective on life. In fact, coupled with the word of God, prayer is our way of seeing His father's heart for us. We cannot enjoy the goodness of God in this life without participating in His unfolding purpose through our prayers and through our service to Him. This is what we see in the story of today's text.

This parable is told by the Lord Jesus in the context of teaching the disciples to pray. In v.5 we read, "Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread."

After being taught to pray, it is as if the disciples had a question: Shouldn’t we be reluctant or a little ashamed to bother God with our troubles? This is why the Lord Jesus teaches the disciples using a story of a man who has a neighbor and goes to him at midnight which is the worst time for a visit.  

This man has a need and asks, “Lend me three loaves.” These weren't loaves, these were three pieces of flat bread. He requests three pieces of flat bread, which would be a normal meal dipped in olive oil, or a spread with some kind of fruit. This would be sufficient for an evening meal.

But, this was not an emergency. In fact, in v.6 we read, “a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.” In those days, the people traveled at night due to the heat of the day. And, according to this parable, his friend arrived unexpectedly in the night. 

According to v.7, “the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.” This is the response one would expect at such a time at night. 

And then in v.8, the Lord Jesus says, “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.”

The neighbor gets his request because of his "shameless audacity." The emphasis here is on this man's boldness. It isn't so much on persistence, it’s the boldness of asking at such a ridiculous time. It took a lot of gall to do this. 

The point here is of shameless nerve, boldness, things that seem almost ludicrous to us going into the presence of the God of the universe. But the Lord Jesus is teaching us to be invasive, to be bold in our prayers. This friend responded not for friendship, but for irritation.

This parable leads to the incredible promise in v.9-10 which reads, “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” 

Every now and then I get a call from a couple guys asking for something that I have and they need. I do not bat an eye in responding in the positive because these guys are my sons. It is a GREAT joy, as a father, to provide for my sons. I love doing it because I love them so much. It is none the different with God. He loves us so much that a request at an hour which makes the request irritating is no big deal to Him.

In v.9-10, there are three present imperatives. Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. The believer in Christ must be bold, we must be in the habit of asking, seeking, and knocking. We must be aggressive banging on the door of heaven.

But, the key in all of this is the investment of our hearts. God is not playing games with us. No, He wants our hearts to be invested because that which requires much of us is precious to us. The fact is, if a believer is not investing in the kingdom, he will have no heart in the process. The way God gets us to be invested in the kingdom is by investing in us, yet, all the while, He doesn't give us everything without our investment in it. This is where bold prayer enters into the formula.

The generosity of God detailed in v.9-10 is absolutely amazing. What comes out of this is an experience of the goodness of God, a deepening of our intimacy with Him. This guy finally got out of bed and gave the man what he wanted because of his shamelessness. He was somebody who was brash and bold, somebody who had a lot of nerve, like a son to his father. If we want the life that God wants for us, this is the way we must pray, informed by His word.

Luke 11:4c

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And lead us not into temptation. ~ Luke 11:4c

We come to the final part of the disciple's prayer which was the Lord Jesus' response to the disciples request, "Lord, teach us to pray." Through prayer we are simply lining ourselves up with what God has already promised. Today, we are considering the last part of this model prayer, "Lead us not into temptation." 

In James 1:13 we read, "Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one." This request is best translated, "Lord: Be my protector. Don't let me get into a situation that will devastate me, that will ruin me.  Be my rock, my shelter, and my refuge." This is the cry of the heart that knows itself too well.

God doesn't lead us into temptation, He does lead us into trials. The Lord Jesus is telling us, ask Him to do what He's already committed to do and that is to protect us. You see, God doesn't tempt anybody, but for our sanctification and usefulness in the lives of others, we have to be tested. And every time we pass a test triumphantly, we get a little stronger and more useful. God doesn't tempt us, He strengthens our dependency upon Him.  

In a little different sense, the Lord Jesus is saying, "Don't let Satan have his way. Don't let Satan have the final word." God's purpose in allowing trials in our lives is underscored in Job 23:10, "When He's tried me, I'll come forth like gold." The key is who is defining me, God or Satan?

The word "temptation," peirasmos in the Greek, is a neutral word with no moral connotation whatsoever.  It just means a trial, a test, a temptation. It could be translated, "Lead us not into trials that will be overwhelming to us." This is a prayer of protection. 

The word "peirasmos" describes either a process of perfecting trials or debilitating temptations. The key is how to respond to these useful yet unwanted guests. So, when we pray, we ask the Lord to ready us to face the issues that are coming in life for the sake of the gospel.

We know that trials are a part of our spiritual growth. In 1 Peter 5:10, "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." In addition, In James 1:2 we read, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds..." 

We cannot mature in our faith, our heart's ability to see God, apart from suffering. But, Lord, keep these things tests that perfect me and don't let them become temptations that destroy me. 

Another way to look at this request is, "Lord, protect us from running in the direction of sin in our trials." Another way of putting it is: "Give us the necessary strength that we might not find our trials turning into temptations." We pray preemptively against the things that could careen our faith.

Luke 11:3-4b

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3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. ~ Luke 11:3-4

Today's text takes place in the final months of the life of the Lord Jesus. This is the second time He taught His disciples to pray. The first time is recorded in Matthew 6, many months before during His Galilean ministry. 

Today we come to Luke 11:3-4. In v.3 we read, "Give us each day our daily bread." This request is the first part of the prayer that directs itself to our needs. This pattern for prayer is divided into two halves. The first half (v.1-2) concerns God and His glory, the second half concerns man and our needs. God is given the supreme place and only when He is first does everything else fit into its appropriate place.

God is our provider and this patten of prayer is not an effort to manipulate God. He doesn't provide for us because we've appeased Him in the first two requests. We can not manipulate God into providing our needs. This portion of the prayer is the acknowledgement that we are dependent upon God to provide our needs. He has promised to meet our needs, He desires for us the relationship of dependence as a father is toward his son.

In v.4 we read, "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us." The Lord Jesus directs us to ask for forgiveness. God is not a reluctant forgiver. The forgiveness of sin is the greatest need of every soul, since unforgiven sins expose the soul to divine judgment and guarantee eternal punishment. Mankind needs forgiveness more than we need anything else. Christianity is not about fixing our lives, it's not about us getting better in some way. No, it's about forgiveness and the subsequent personal relationship with God that results. 

This request assumes that we need forgiveness. Our rebellion has separated us from God. I once heard a young man say, "Why does God hold me accountable for what Adam did?" He failed to understand that if he had been in Adam's spot he would have done the same. Forgiveness of sin is what we need most for it is our sin that separates us from God.

God does not simply forgive our sin by looking the other way. No sin ever committed will go unpunished. God must punish sin or else sin wins out. In Romans 4:5 we read, "God justifies the ungodly." He did this by sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to be our substitute. He bore our punishment while hanging on the cross. Forgiveness is man's greatest need because unforgiven sin has the most massive implications, certainly in time but vastly more importantly in eternity. 

Confessing our sin is essential, and this is our biggest barrier.  The barrier is to recognize one's sinful condition, to redefine one's self in terms of utter wretchedness. We spend our whole lives trying to build a good self-image. We spend our whole lives trying to convince ourselves and everybody around us that we are basically good people. And all of a sudden to reverse that entire diagnosis and explain to ourselves and to everybody around us and particularly to God Himself that we now have come to a new understanding in which we now see ourselves as wretched, sinful, utterly incapable of any good that honors God, that is a huge transition.

And, finally in v.4 we read, "for we also forgive everyone who sins against us." This is not a condition for God's forgiveness, it is an effect of being forgiven. To forgive someone is to turn the key, open the cell and let the prisoner out. To forgive someone is to write across a debt "nothing owed, paid in full." To forgive someone is to pound the gavel in the court and declare "not guilty."

An unforgiving Christian is a contradiction. We forgive because we have been forgiven. The Apostle Paul said it well in Ephesians 4:32 which reads, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Luke 11:1-2

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1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.’”~ Luke 11:1-2

Having previously emphasized the importance of listening to the Lord intently, in Luke 11, the Lord Jesus emphasizes the necessity of prayer. In Luke's account, he provides us with an abbreviated version of the "disciples prayer." In his gospel, Matthew provides us with more information which Luke chose not to include here. Matthew's input will enable us to understand more. So, we will dip into Matthew 6 here and there. This is not just a prayer to be memorized and prayed occasionally.

In v.1 we notice the Lord Jesus Himself praying. This is the fifth time in Luke's gospel that we see the Lord Jesus in prayer. This is the impetus behind the disciples request of Him to teach them to pray.

I find it quite instructive to note that the only thing the disciples asked the Lord Jesus to teach them to do was here. They did not ask Him to teach them how to witness or how to study the scriptures. No, they asked Him to teach them to pray. With this request, the disciples are illustrating if we get prayer right, all the rest will fall into place. They didn't say, "Lord, teach us how to pray." They were Jewish, they grew up praying their whole lives. They requested Him to teach them to pray.

In v.2 we read, "He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come." 

In Matthew 6:5 the Lord Jesus said, "When you pray you are not to be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogue and on the street corners in order to be seen by men."  In order to appear righteous, holy and virtuous, the religious leaders would stand in very public places inside the synagogue or on the street corners to be seen by people. Prayer is not a means to impress man and not even God. Prayer is a means to experience personal relationship with God. The disciples wanted to know how to relate to and with God.

In Matthew 6:6 the Lord Jesus says, "When you pray, go into your inner room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. Your Father who sees in secret will repay you." We are to pray to God in secret. There should be no false motivations involved. We should rid ourselves of any hypocrisy. The Jews used formulaic prayers, memorized prayers that were recited over and over again in very public places to parade their supposed spirituality.  

In the Old Testament there was a sense in which God was unapproachable. In the tabernacle and in the Temple a veil separated the Holy of Holies from the holy place and then the holy place separated from the area where there were the altars and the place of sacrifice and then the outer courtyard. There were degrees of separation. God was in the inner place where only the high priest could go once a year. This is why we say that in the Old Testament there was a sense of separation from God.

When we look at Old Testament praying, we find adoration, thanksgiving, the recognition of the glory and holiness of God, and the affirmation of one's desire to please and obey God.  In addition, we find confession of sin and the request for cleansing. But, here in Luke 11, the Lord Jesus gives us a framework for praying. This is not a prayer to be recited, it is a model for prayer. It's a guideline for conversation with God.

This pattern for prayer begins in v.2 with, "Father." The Lord Jesus shows us that we are to approach God as our father who should be the one in our lives who makes us feel a measure of security. It is our father's love that prepares us for life best. It is our fathers' love that prepares us for life. This was the divine design from the beginning. It is in and through the Father's love that we come to Him in prayer. 

This sense of security is crucial to our prayer life. We can not sustain a personal relationship with God if we believe He is angry with us or even neutral to us. Prayer is sustained by the confidence that God is our Father and He has our best interest at heart. We must pray with a sense of security in the Father's love for us.

Now, notice, it's not just "Father," but in Matthew 6, it's "Father in heaven." There is the recognition that the Father is in heaven. And heaven has a vantage point that we lack. He sees things we don't see. We have a very narrow, myopic, and limited vantage point of life. He is always working, and we must measure our difficulties by His capacity of dealing with them. And, He is so good that He uses even our irritants to accomplish what is best for us.

In v.2, the Lord Jesus prays: "Hallowed be your name." The word "hallowed" means to sanctify, to treat as holy. When God's name is made holy or complete to us, it sanctifies us. It is this understanding of His holiness which renders completeness in us. When we hallow His name, we treat Him as holy and perfect.

"Hallowed be your name" is a request, not a declaration. We are not saying, "Lord, your name is hallowed!" We are saying, "Lord, cause your name to be hallowed!" That is, cause your word to be believed, cause your displeasure to be feared, cause your commandments to be obeyed, and cause yourself to be glorified. We hallow the name of God when we trust him, revere him, obey him, and glorify him.

The next part of this pattern of prayer and the last that we will consider today is at the end of v.2: "Your kingdom come." In essence we are to pray, "Father, rule in my life. Be my king. Get the victory today over my anxiety about life's necessities." In addition, we are asking God to draw history to a close and establish his kingdom on the earth. 

Luke 10:38-42

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38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” ~ Luke 10:38-42

In today's text, we enter the last six months of the earthly life of the Lord Jesus. He has been on the road for a number of months, since He ended His ministry in Galilee. He's been traveling in Judea and is now going from town to town and village to village proclaiming His gospel.  

In v.38 we read, "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him." In our text, the Lord Jesus enters the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany. Martha and Mary were excited to have the Lord Jesus in their home. They obviously believed in Him. And, in v.39, Mary becomes the central figure in the story. Nothing about Mary's physical features, her temperament or her personality is mentioned. All we know about her is that when the Lord Jesus came to her house, she listened to His words intently, seated at His feet. 

God created us with a spiritual thirst that can only be satisfied by Him and His definition of the way life should be. And, if we are to learn from Him, we must take on the posture of listening. Eight times in the Gospels and eight times in the Book of Revelation we are reminded that it’s not enough just to have ears, it’s necessary to use them. Listening is an art which is engaging God in a personal way. It is the tilting of the ear and the heart. It is the consummation of the soul that is worn out. 

In biblical, days, disciples would sit at the feet of their rabbis. In Acts 22:3, Paul tells us he was educated "at the feet" of the rabbi. There is nothing unusual about this position. What's unusual is that the one seated at the feet of the rabbi is a woman. Rabbis had male disciples, and only men sat at their feet. 

We don't know what the Lord Jesus was teaching that day. Martha, like everyone else except the Lord Jesus, thinks that a woman's place is in the kitchen and not at the feet of the rabbi. The Lord Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen, literally, "the good part," the part of a disciple, and that He will not let anyone take that part away from her. On the other hand, Martha was in the presence of the Prince of Peace, yet she was the picture of stress and anxiety. 

At the beginning of v.40 we read, "But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made." The verb, “distracted” means to be pulled away or to be dragged away. Martha was more concerned about mundane tasks than she was about listening to the word of the Lord. She was dragged away by her house work. She had her priorities completely out of place. Furthermore, it wasn't bad enough that Martha's priorities were messed up, but once our priorities get messed up our attitude does too. So she starts losing the joy of this service. She becomes agitated and frustrated. Then she gets mad. 

According to v.40, Martha came to the Lord Jesus and asked, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me?" 

In v.41-42 we read, "Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." To say her name twice was to invite her closer. Tucked away in this exchange is the point of this passage. Getting so close that we realize that what He is saying is so good that it must overtake me. These words to Martha are corrective, yet sympathetic. It was good to do what Martha did, but not then, not when it was time to listen to God.  And He says this amazing statement, "few things are needed—or indeed only one."  

The Lord Jesus then said, "Mary has chosen what is better."  The Lord Jesus was saying to Martha, "Work without worship produces worry." Another way to put it is, "action without adoration produces aggravation." In Isaiah 40 we read, "Those that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings as eagles, they will run and not be weary, they shall walk and they shall not faint."

In Deuteronomy 8:3 we read, "Man shall not live on bread alone but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Why is it so important to listen. The word of God must be antecedent to every thing else in our lives. And when the opportunity to hear Him is there, we must grasp it. Daily, we must make it a habit to listen intently to Him. Mary has chosen the best. And He said, "I will not take it away from her." That is to say, "I'm not sending her to the kitchen." 

Luke 10:30-37

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30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by 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, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii 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.” ~ Luke 10:30-37

This parable of the Good Samaritan is so well known that it has become an idiom for sacrificial kindness. We call people good Samaritans who help the needy. To call someone a good Samaritan is to grant to them a compliment. But, this is really a story about how we do not inherit eternal life and how we do not love others as we do ourselves. This is a story about how the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of those two questions. The first is in v.25, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Then, the second is in v.29, "Who is my neighbor?"

In v.30, we read, "In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho." The setting of this parable is on the road from Jerusalem down to Jericho. This road was known as the “bloody pass,” it is a journey through a very dangerous place.

 

As we continue to read v.30 we read, "when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead." A group of robbers jumped the man. They didn't just rob him, they stripped him of his clothes, they beat him and left him in critical condition. He was near death. 

In v.31-32 we read, "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." At the right moment a priest and a Levite came upon the man, but they went in the opposite direction. They didn't want to be contaminated by what they thought was a dead body. They had no love for the man.  

Notice the direction: from Jerusalem to Jericho, and not from Jericho to Jerusalem. If the priest and the Levite were going to Jerusalem they would have brought this man's uncleanness into the temple. But since he was going the other direction, he would have some weeks to go through the purification process before they came back."   

Then, in v.32, the Levite did the same as the priest. Levites came from Levi. They were the assistants to the priests. At the top of the sort of religious ladder was the priest, and at the bottom was the Levite. The Levite comes to the place, he saw the severely wounded man and he passed by the other side. These are two illustrations of men who had no heart.

The point: being religious, doing the rituals, doing all the ceremonies, being Jewish, being circumcised, being a part of the whole system, being a priest and a Levite isn't going to get you in the kingdom of God. The test is to love God with all you have and to love your neighbor as yourself.  

According to v.33, a Samaritan came along. It would be assumed that this man was not going to be any help at all to this half dead man because the Samaritans and the Jews despised each other.   At the end of v.33 we read, "when he saw him, he took pity on him." This is what broken people do. People who have been broken by their sinfulness, are given a heart.

The two men had no love, but the outcast did. Remember the Lord Jesus is answering the question, "Who is my neighbor?" The issue of loving is not a matter of one's religion.

The Samaritan's response begins with his compassion. Then in v.34 we read, "He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him." 

After diagnosing the man's condition, he bandaged up his wounds for he was bleeding. Since the man was naked, the Samaritan had to use his own clothes to bandage him and to clothe the beaten man. Then, he poured oil and wine on him. Wine was used as an antiseptic. It was used to sanitize and cleanse whatever might have come in there that could create infection. The oil was used to soothe and to soften the tissue. This was all a part of the healing process.

Then, having negotiated a place to stay, took the man in, put him down to rest, continued to work with him with his bandages, with his wounds, providing food, sleep, comfort, water, cleansing.  

According to v.35, "The next day he took out two denarii 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." He stayed with him all night. He set his whole agenda aside. He gave up his own clothes, his own supplies, his own time. Then he gave his own money. This is amazing for a stranger who was his worst enemy.

In v.36 we read, "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” To which the scribe replied in v.37, "The one who had mercy on him." He wouldn't even say the word "Samaritan." Then at the end of v.37, the Lord Jesus said, "Go and do likewise."

The Lord Jesus has answered two questions: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?' and "Who is my neighbor?" "Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; love your neighbor as yourself." If this is what is required for any of us to get into heaven, I will not get there. Neither will you. None of us love God and others perfectly. The Ten Commandments are good but not as a tool to make us right with God. God didn't give the Ten Commandments to make us right with Him.

The Lord Jesus was driving the scribe's sword right back into this scribes heart to convict him of his inability to earn eternal life on his own and to love as he should. His Jewishness, his scribing, his circumcision, his law-keeping, his sacrificing, was not enough. 

By the way, the way this Samaritan loved is how God loves us. We think we can measure up to the Law but we can't. But, the Lord Jesus can and did. As the Samaritan came to the nearly dead man, the Lord Jesus came to you and me. He who never committed one sin, took on our sin, so that we could become righteous in God's eyes through Him. Righteousness is a gift we receive not a reward we achieve. And, God's love for us was secured by the Lord Jesus. And, when God looks at us, He sees us through the lens of His perfect Son. 

Luke 10:29

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But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ~ Luke 10:29

The key to our text today is the question that appears in v.25, "Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?" This lawyer knew this was the most important question, because he was a scribe. He was an expert in the Mosaic law.  He knew that when Adam sinned, he lost not just physical immortality, but he lost eternal life. That is, he lost full fellowship with God and a perfect world. And, he knew that not only had Adam forfeited eternal life in the Fall, but he had caused the whole of humanity to follow suit.

The Christian life is not about the life that this world offers, it's about the type of life that God offers. Through the abiding Holy Spirit, the believer in Christ has been given the very presence of God to provide us eternal life instead of eternal death, eternal joy instead of eternal pain, and eternal blessing instead of eternal punishment.

This man who approached the Lord Jesus, this expert in the Mosaic Law, believed in eternal life. When he asked the Lord Jesus, "What shall I do?," he revealed he did not understand the means by which we are given the free gift of salvation. He was a lot worse off than he thought, but God’s grace is so much bigger, so much better and brighter than he could have hoped or imagined.

In context, the Pharisees were trying to catch Jesus in some kind of a violation of the law so they could condemn Him to death and execute Him, which they eventually did.  And they were using this scribe to try to trip up the Lord Jesus. 

After the Lord Jesus asked the scribe what was his understanding of the Law, the expert answered, "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." The problem is we can't love God perfectly, nor have we loved our neighbors the way we love ourselves.  

There’s a big difference between the gospel of the Lord Jesus and moralism. Moralism is looking at a passage in the Bible and saying this is simply giving us guidelines about how to live our lives, while preaching the gospel shows us how whatever is being talked about in that text is a picture of the Lord Jesus. 

Here in v.29, we read, "But he wanted to justify himself." This is a big problem. Backed into the corner, he had not come to an end of himself, he had not recognized, yet, that he was unable to be good enough. He knew he didn't love God perfectly, but he was unwilling to admit that he was spiritually bankrupt. He knew, also, he didn't love his neighbor like he loved himself. 

"But he wanted to justify himself" literally in the Greek means desiring to declare himself righteous. And, he was having this conversation with the Lord Jesus publicly. He seriously underestimated God's righteousness. He seriously considered God less holy than He is. He thought God was more tolerant of sin than He was. He believed God would allow his hypocrisy, so he was ignorant of God's righteousness.

In the mind of the expert in the Law of God, God was less holy than He was. In his mind, he was more holy than he was. Along with this scribe, the religious leaders had lowered the the requirements of the Law of God and had elevated themselves. They lowered the standard and raised their own ability to maintain it. And, they thought, they therefore could please God by their own efforts. They should have been driven to their knees, and driven to reject their own self-righteousness.

Many think, the goal of the Law is to get people to heaven through our good behavior, by being more good than bad. This is not biblical thinking. No, the goal of the Law is to crush us. The perfection of the Law is to reveal to us that we cannot be good enough before a holy God. 

The Law of God indicts us. It brings us before the court, renders us absolutely guilty, invites us to cry out to God for mercy. God, the judge of all, provides the mercy because Christ has paid for the sin. This is the gospel. The Lord Jesus is the goal of the law and the Savior of our lives.