Brent Kuhlman

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Seventh Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 10                                                                                     

11 July 2010                                   

St. Luke 10:25-37

A “certain lawyer.”  He deals in the realm of the law.  Rules.  Regulations.  Lives in the world of getting what one deserves.  But not just any lawyer. His expertise is the Ten Commandments and all the commentaries on the Ten Commandments.   Proficient.  Got some serious Ten Commandment skills. It’s his specialty.  Wouldn’t want to go against him in a Sunday School room let alone in the theological courtroom.    

Now the lawyer’s ready to take on the Pastor -- Jesus.  Test Jesus.  Right there on the street.  See if He’s an ally or an opponent.  No doubt shakes the Lord’s hand, pats Him on the back and says:  “Hey Jesus! Great to see you!  Got a minute?  You do?  Wonderful!  Have a question for you.  What must I do…?”  Did you catch that?  “What must I do?”  He’s a doer.  A mover.  A shaker.  Especially when it comes to the most important things in life.  Especially in the eternal life or death question.  When it comes to religion, it’s all about his DOING.  His doing the verbs.  What must I do?  FOR SALVATION?  Yes, that’s right, FOR SALVATION?

“What must I do to INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?  Tell me what to do Jesus.  Give me a real life sermon for once.  What must I do in order to get through the gates of heaven?”   

Is that your question too?  Are you too experts in the law?  Want Jesus to give you the rules on how to get to heaven?  Just have Jesus tell you what to do?  So that you can do the salvation verbs? 

Well, what’s written in the law?  “Love God.  Those are commandments 1-3.  And love your neighbor:  commandments 4-10.  No loopholes.  No exceptions.” 

“Brilliant!” Jesus says.  “You’re exactly right!  So, go ahead, lad, give it a shot! Do what the commandments say – love God and love your neighbor -- and you will live.”  The tester is now being tested.

“All right Jesus.  So who’s my neighbor?”  And did you hear why he asks that question? And why we ask the question?  The lawyer wants to “justify himself.” He wants to justify his imperfect, loveless existence.  He doesn’t love very many people.  Most likely he loves only the people he likes.  Loves only those who love him.  And hates those he doesn’t.  Dislikes and detests those who hurt him.  Who offend him.  Who betray him.  Just like all of us.   

And that’s why Jesus tells the improbable parable of the Good Samaritan.  The priest and Levite go out of their way so that they won’t have to love a neighbor in need.  The Samaritan, only the other hand, goes out of his way to help and rescue the robbed, beaten, and left-for-dead-man when no one else would.  Risks his time, money, reputation, and life.  Gives his all for the sake of this man’s recovery and well-being.  Doesn’t count the cost.  Doesn’t care who it is he’s helping.  Could be his bitter enemy for all he knows.

And then Jesus ends testing the tester with these words:  “Do that!  You want to inherit eternal life?  You want to know who your neighbor is?  Do exactly what the Samaritan did.” 

Newsflash everyone!  Just because Jesus tells you to do something doesn’t mean YOU CAN DO IT!  I repeat.  JUST BECAUSE JESUS COMMANDS YOU TO DO SOMETHING DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN DO IT! 

Don’t you get it?  The lawyer didn’t.  He believed he could use the Ten Commandments, the law, in order to inherit eternal life.  “What must I do?”  That was his burning question.

But he’s got it all wrong.  And if you’re like him so are you.  You can’t do what the law says.  You can’t keep it.  You can’t do it.  No matter how hard you try.  The law’s job is to accuse you.  It tells you that you’re a sinner.  It puts to death all the notions that you can do something to inherit eternal life.  Its job is to humble you.  To crush you.  To kill you.  So that you are nothing.  And that’s why Jesus says:  “Go ahead.  Give it a try.  The law will do just the opposite of what you believe.  It won’t save you!  Because you won’t do what it says!  You don’t even come close!”   

Jesus is the Savior.  Not the Commandments.  The Savior stands right before the lawyer and the lawyer insists on “justifying himself.”  Using the law for eternal life.  “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”

If you too insist on trying to earn eternal life by keeping the commandments, it won’t go well for you.  It will end in disaster.  Hellish ruin.

Jesus would have you trust in Him.  He is the Savior.  He loves God with all His heart, soul, strength, and mind – PERFECTLY!  For you!  He loves the neighbor – PERFECTLY!  For you!  He does what you can never do let alone even want to do. His perfect obedience of the Ten Commandments is yours.  This is the inheritance that He has won for you. 

And it cost Him dearly.  His very life.  His very body and blood given into death on the cross for you that bore all your sin.  His total, complete, and perfect obedience of the law counts for you.   He gives it to you as gift.

Through faith in perfect Jesus God is most pleased with you.  The gift of eternal life is yours.  Bestowed with Jesus’ promise that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.  Delivered even now in His promise of the Lord’s Supper that all your sin is forgiven.  Your future is taken care of in Jesus.  You are saved. 

So now what?  Well, Jesus has good use for you His redeemed and forgiven people. Jesus would use you in the present as His hands, feet, and mouth to love your neighbor as yourself.  He doesn’t need your love.  But your neighbor certainly does.  Wherever you find him.  The family member in your home.  Your friend at school.  Where you work.  Your fellow member of this congregation.  Or perhaps the person who lies beaten, robbed, and left for dead in the ditch.  God puts people all around you who need your love.   

You love these your neighbor, not for the next life.  That’s taken care of in Jesus.  You love them for this life.  Living for them and not for yourself.  And we learn such love from Jesus.

“As he [Jesus] gave himself for us with his body and blood in order to redeem us from all misery, so we too are to give ourselves with might and main for our neighbor.  This is how a Christian acts.  He is conscious of nothing else than that the goods which are his are also give to his neighbor.  He makes no distinction, but helps everyone with body and life, goods and honor, as much as he can.”[1]  The “use” of going to the Lord’s Supper today is “for the glory of God and the good of the neighbor.”[2]  

In the Name of Jesus.