Who IS My Neighbor?

Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37

This parable arrests 2 issues in the human heart:
1) Spiritual Pride
2) Racism

V 29 - Luke 16:14-15 Now the Pharisees…were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. And He said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts…

V31-32 – No less than 12,000 priests & Levites lived in Jericho
Deuteronomy 21:1-9
- Official religiousness often kills common humanity.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
- In the priest and Levite the lawyer saw the picture of his own life, for he saw in them those who knew the law, but did not practice it.
- There may have been many excuses for this neglect of the wounded man: danger, hate, dread of defilement, expense, but Jesus does not consider any of them worth mentioning

V 33 – Samaritan – Despised Race –
½ Jewish, ½ Gentile, ½ idolatrous, ½ orthodox

Proverbs 11:17 The merciful man does himself good, but the cruel man does himself harm.
Matthew 25:31-46 (To the least of these)
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

What is mercy?
eleos, el'-eh-os - compassion (human or divine, especially active)
American Heritage Dictionary
1. Compassionate treatment, especially of those under one's power; clemency.
2. A disposition to be kind and forgiving:

DON’T Just Add Jesus

The Parable of the New Cloth/New Wine
Luke 5:36-39 /Mark 2:21-22 / Matthew 9:16-17

Context: v 31b-32
It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

Ruin the new
Instead of fixing the ‘tear’ attempting to ‘add’ religion will only make the tear worse.
Old and new won’t match
Don’t patch religion onto your old life

Product will be lost
Container will be ruined
Don’t pour Jesus into your old life

Examples of people who tried to add Jesus to their old life:
- Simon the sorcerer
o Acts 8:9-23
- Judas
o John 12:1-6
- Unbelievers
o Titus 1:15b-16

Jesus in Hebrews

1 God’s final revelation
a. Hebrews 1:2a
2 Heir of all things
a. Hebrews 1:2b
3 Creator of the world
a. Hebrews 1:2c
4 Radiance of God’s glory
a. Hebrews 1:3a
5 The exact imprint of God’s nature
a. Hebrews 1:3b
6 Upholds the universe by the word of His power
a. Hebrews 1:3c
7 Made purification for sins
a. Hebrews 1:3d
8 Sits at the right hand of the Majesty
a. Hebrews 1:3e
9 God enthroned forever with the scepter of uprightness
a. Hebrews 1:8
10 Worshipped by angels
a. Hebrews 1:6b
11 His rule will have no end
12 His joy is above all other things in the universe
13 He took on human flesh
14 Crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering
a. Hebrews 2:9
15 Author (founder, originator) of our salvation
16 Made perfect in obedience by suffering
17 Destroyed the one who has power of death (the devil)
18 Delivered us from the bondage of fear
19 A merciful and faithful high priest
20 Made propitiation for sins
21 Sympathetic because of His own trials
22 Sinless
23 Offered loud cries and tears with reverent fear, and was heard!
24 Became the source of eternal salvation
25 Holds his priesthood by virtue of an indestructible life
26 Intercedes on our behalf to the Father
27 Will appear again to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him
28 The same…yesterday…today…and forever!