MORNING DEW: 05/01/2019
THEME: THE GOOD SAMARITAN (PART ONE)
TEXT: LUKE 10:25-37
- Just then an expert in the Law stood up to test Jesus. He asked, Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
- Jesus answered him, What is written in the Law? What do you read there?
- He answered, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And you must love your neighbor as yourself.
- Jesus told him, You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.
- But the man wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, And who is my neighbor?
- After careful consideration, Jesus replied, A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of bandits. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.
- By chance, a priest was traveling along that road. When he saw the man, he went by on the other side.
- Similarly, a descendant of Levi came to that place. When he saw the man, he also went by on the other side.
- But as he was traveling along, a Samaritan came across the man. When the Samaritan saw him, he was moved with compassion.
- He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
- The next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take good care of him. If you spend more than that, I’ll repay you when I come back.
- Of these three men, who do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the bandits?”
- He said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do what he did.”
AN EXPERT IN THE LAW TESTED THE LAW GIVER, JESUS CHRIST
This expert, I know prepared very well and then came to Jesus to test Him. He wanted to test the Word Himself. He didn’t know Jesus’ identity. I said so because if he had known he wouldn’t dare test Jesus.
“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life”?
Jesus then threw the question back to him. He answered the question based on the Law. Jesus had no problem on that because He came to fulfill the Law. But the expert wanted to know who his neighbour was. Jesus narrated a story which was based on the Law.
In the story, a priest came to the scene where the attacked man was lying, this priest should have helped the man because priests were working for the people and were the custodian of the Law, and the Law says; “love your neighbour as yourself”. The priest disobeyed the Law and left the man there.
Jesus was telling the man that, if you claim you obey the Law, then help people who need your help.
Like what most of us do. Many people come our way helplessness. But we are so busy with our Bibles, pretending to preach the Gospel.
We pretend to be working for the people and leaving the main thing undone – helping the needy, orphans, widows, etc. It is pity.
There are people in the church who need our help, they come to church wearing tattered clothes. They come to church with empty stomachs. They come to church barefooted. Then we laugh at them. And the worrying thing is that we give such people insulting phrases, thus “you have not gotten home yet”? Meaning he has not changed his dress.
What an insult? If you won’t help the person shut your mouth.
On the judgment day Jesus will not judge us based on the money we had in our bank accounts, or the numerous clothing we were changing each day, or the kinds of food we were eating. Rather, He will judge us based on what we used those monies for, how we spent it.
Did we spend it alone or we spent it with people? Did we treat people with it? Did we feed people with it? Who helped us wore our clothing? Who did we feed with our food?
Continue carrying your Bible everywhere like the priest in the story without helping people, and you will know your level on the judgment day.
Don’t just live beloved, live for people.
MEMORY VERSE
“I was a stranger, and you didn’t welcome me. I was naked, and you didn’t clothe me. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.” (Matthew 25:43)
Prayer: Give me a heart, Lord, to extend to people who need me, in Jesus’ Name!
Amen!
Rev. John Wundengba
020 9 422 159