Scripture: Matthew 25: 1-13
Goal: exploring mysteries of God’s earthly kingdom
Title: Who is your neighbor?
Issue
God announced a New Covenant after giving up on the Old Covenant’s wrath repeatedly failing to correct mankind’s bad behavior. God’s New Covenant transferred to Jesus... all responsibility for mankind’s teaching, behavior, and judgment. The leading factor for God abandoning the Old Covenant... was mankind continuously living without kindness and compassion toward one another. In the parable of the Good Samaritan... 1st CE Jews despised Samaritans... much like some 21st CE Americans despise either Muslims, Mexicans or Jews.
As we conclude this sermon series on Jesus’ parables... the hated Samaritan in today’s parable builds on the Talents parable, revealing even more about how you, me and everyone should live our 21st CE lives.
So, rather than punishing 1st CE Jews for their continued bad treatment of other Jews, Jesus reaffirms to them, and to us 21st CE disciples... how Jesus expects mankind to treat one another... according to his expanded definition of neighbor.
Scripture
The religious scholar in today’s parable... viewed the wounded man as a topic for discussion; the bandits, as an object to exploit; the priest, as a problem to avoid; and the Levite, as an object of curiosity. Only the Samaritan treated the wounded man as a person to love.
From Jesus’ story, we learn three principles about loving our neighbor.
1. our lack of love is easily justified, as with the priest and Levite.
2. our neighbor is anyone who is in need... of any race, creed, color or social background, including the Jews much-hated Samaritan; and
3. love means acting to meet the person’s need, like taking the injured foreigner to a place of refuge and even paying his care. So, how does this square with current American behavior?[1]
From 1st CE Jerusalem to 21st CE Munsonville... there have always been needy people nearby. And today... Jesus says there is no good reason for refusing to help. When Jesus returns to separate the Wheat from the Tares, and finally judge the motivations deep in each person’s heart, every secret will be revealed.
From last week’s 10 Virgins we learned... anyone not prepared for His return... will be left outside the Great Banquet... which Jesus says... will be so sad for them.
Applying Today’s Scripture
Applying today’s “Good” Samaritan parable, Jesus applies two self-contradictory terms, now known as an oxymoron. Between the Priest, Levite and hated Samaritan... who, Jesus asks, was a “good” neighbor to the battered Jew? Interestingly, the religious scholar unable to even say the word Samaritan... responded, “the one who treated him kindly.”
In this “Good” Samaritan parable, Jesus presents you and me with a real-world question... who among us is a “Good” neighbor toward Guatemalans, Hondurans, and El Salvadorians? Are Guatemalans coming to America... just to get a piece of the American Pie... our pie... like Assyria entered the Northern Kingdom of Israel to take what belonged to the Israelites?
Or could the “fake news” be right... Hondurans are coming to America seeking safety... like Jesus, Mary and Joseph entered Egypt and lived for several years as aliens in a foreign land... to escape King Herod’s kill order. There are many people in America that do not agree with Jesus... that El Salvadorians, Muslims, Mexicans and Jews... are every bit as much their neighbor... as Marline, Sally and Barbara.
Jesus still today tries to teach everyone what matters... how they treat any human being in need. In fact, whether each person is kind and compassionate toward those in need... is the very criteria Jesus claims He will use... when he returns to judge every soul that God entrusted to Jesus in God’s New Covenant. And here’s the judgment... if any soul fails to serve the least of Jesus’ brethren during this earthly life... not feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the prisoners, healing the sick, or providing clean water... well then, Jesus has a toasty destination... for self-centered souls. [Matt 25: 31-46]
And where the rubber meets the road here in Munsonville... what kind of neighbor are we toward marginalized and outcast people, the least of Jesus’ sisters and brothers? In response to Good Samaritan parable, this Chapel adopted a mission to help 100 Nights in Keene. So, how are we doing? One challenge is timing... the 100 nights that need support... occurs when half of our congregation is away for the winter.
If you believe, like I do, that Christ will return for the final judgment of mankind...
how do you want the Lord... to remember you?
Chapel by the Lake,
Rev. Bill Taylor
[1] Life Application Bible
Goal: exploring mysteries of God’s earthly kingdom
Title: Who is your neighbor?
Issue
God announced a New Covenant after giving up on the Old Covenant’s wrath repeatedly failing to correct mankind’s bad behavior. God’s New Covenant transferred to Jesus... all responsibility for mankind’s teaching, behavior, and judgment. The leading factor for God abandoning the Old Covenant... was mankind continuously living without kindness and compassion toward one another. In the parable of the Good Samaritan... 1st CE Jews despised Samaritans... much like some 21st CE Americans despise either Muslims, Mexicans or Jews.
As we conclude this sermon series on Jesus’ parables... the hated Samaritan in today’s parable builds on the Talents parable, revealing even more about how you, me and everyone should live our 21st CE lives.
So, rather than punishing 1st CE Jews for their continued bad treatment of other Jews, Jesus reaffirms to them, and to us 21st CE disciples... how Jesus expects mankind to treat one another... according to his expanded definition of neighbor.
Scripture
The religious scholar in today’s parable... viewed the wounded man as a topic for discussion; the bandits, as an object to exploit; the priest, as a problem to avoid; and the Levite, as an object of curiosity. Only the Samaritan treated the wounded man as a person to love.
From Jesus’ story, we learn three principles about loving our neighbor.
1. our lack of love is easily justified, as with the priest and Levite.
2. our neighbor is anyone who is in need... of any race, creed, color or social background, including the Jews much-hated Samaritan; and
3. love means acting to meet the person’s need, like taking the injured foreigner to a place of refuge and even paying his care. So, how does this square with current American behavior?[1]
From 1st CE Jerusalem to 21st CE Munsonville... there have always been needy people nearby. And today... Jesus says there is no good reason for refusing to help. When Jesus returns to separate the Wheat from the Tares, and finally judge the motivations deep in each person’s heart, every secret will be revealed.
From last week’s 10 Virgins we learned... anyone not prepared for His return... will be left outside the Great Banquet... which Jesus says... will be so sad for them.
Applying Today’s Scripture
Applying today’s “Good” Samaritan parable, Jesus applies two self-contradictory terms, now known as an oxymoron. Between the Priest, Levite and hated Samaritan... who, Jesus asks, was a “good” neighbor to the battered Jew? Interestingly, the religious scholar unable to even say the word Samaritan... responded, “the one who treated him kindly.”
In this “Good” Samaritan parable, Jesus presents you and me with a real-world question... who among us is a “Good” neighbor toward Guatemalans, Hondurans, and El Salvadorians? Are Guatemalans coming to America... just to get a piece of the American Pie... our pie... like Assyria entered the Northern Kingdom of Israel to take what belonged to the Israelites?
Or could the “fake news” be right... Hondurans are coming to America seeking safety... like Jesus, Mary and Joseph entered Egypt and lived for several years as aliens in a foreign land... to escape King Herod’s kill order. There are many people in America that do not agree with Jesus... that El Salvadorians, Muslims, Mexicans and Jews... are every bit as much their neighbor... as Marline, Sally and Barbara.
Jesus still today tries to teach everyone what matters... how they treat any human being in need. In fact, whether each person is kind and compassionate toward those in need... is the very criteria Jesus claims He will use... when he returns to judge every soul that God entrusted to Jesus in God’s New Covenant. And here’s the judgment... if any soul fails to serve the least of Jesus’ brethren during this earthly life... not feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the prisoners, healing the sick, or providing clean water... well then, Jesus has a toasty destination... for self-centered souls. [Matt 25: 31-46]
And where the rubber meets the road here in Munsonville... what kind of neighbor are we toward marginalized and outcast people, the least of Jesus’ sisters and brothers? In response to Good Samaritan parable, this Chapel adopted a mission to help 100 Nights in Keene. So, how are we doing? One challenge is timing... the 100 nights that need support... occurs when half of our congregation is away for the winter.
If you believe, like I do, that Christ will return for the final judgment of mankind...
how do you want the Lord... to remember you?
Chapel by the Lake,
Rev. Bill Taylor
[1] Life Application Bible