We believe… in Mercy and Justice Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:25-37 25 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 neighbour as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

Luke 10:25-37 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” 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.

Luke 10:25-37 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 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 neighbour 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.”

The Lawyer: ‘But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”’

The Lawyer The Priest / Levite ‘when he saw him he passed by on the other side ‘

The Lawyer The Priest / Levite The Samaritan ‘when he saw him, he had compassion’

The Lawyer The Priest / Levite The Samaritan The naked, half dead and helpless guy ‘A man…stripped… half dead’

Implications What Jesus is calling us to is so radical that we need new hearts.

Implications What Jesus is calling us to is so radical that we need new hearts. Mercy for the needy is not an optional extra for keen Christians.

Matthew 25:31-46 31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.   34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

Matthew 25:31-46 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

Matthew 25:31-46 40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'  

Matthew 25:31-46 44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'  45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'  46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Jesus, when he says ”Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me,” is merely expanding on Prov 19:17 (He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord). He is also agreeing with James, John and Isaiah in saying that a sensitive social conscience and a life poured out in deeds of mercy to the needy is the inevitable outcome and sign of true faith. By such deeds God can judge true love from lip service. Tim Keller

Implications What Jesus is calling us to is so radical that we need new hearts. Loving our neighbours is not an optional extra for keen Christians.

Implications What Jesus is calling us to is so radical that we need new hearts. Loving our neighbours is not an optional extra for keen Christians. Renew your heart with the mercy of God, then ‘Go and do likewise’.