Conversations with Jesus. Luke 6 (and 10). Pastor Jim Erwin
September 22, 2019
Conversations with Jesus – Luke 6
This morning we are going to examine everyone’s favorite topic which is enemies. Now
hopefully you don’t have too many enemies in life. Hopefully when you hear that word enemies
a long list of people doesn’t immediately spring to mind! But I came across a hilarious article
this week online that listed things you would never wish on your worst enemy. Of course that’s a
phrase we use a lot-something bad happens or we experience something painful or miserable-and
we say-I would never wish this on my worst enemy. So what comes to mind? What things would
you never wish on your worst enemy? Some of these things were very personal- and creative:
Things I would never wish on my worst enemy:
Insomnia, Tooth pain, Ingrown toenails
Early morning construction outside your bedroom window, Pouring expired milk into your coffee or cereal
Sitting through a timeshare meeting for a free cruise, Stepping on a Lego barefoot
Dropping your phone down a sewer grate (and then retrieving it)
Eating a bomb disguised as a pie
Bedbugs, Poison Ivy rash, Mosquito bites on sunburned skin
Wearing shoes with wet socks, Weak tortilla chips with extra thick guacamole
Working with someone from Louisiana, My 15 year old Himalayan cat (worst cat ever), My mother
There’s a good list of things you would never wish on your worst enemy! But let me flip the
tables and add a couple other things we would never wish on our worst enemies. What about
kindness or generosity? Would you wish those things on your enemies? Probably not! What
about goodness or compassion? Do you hope good things happen to your enemies? What about
love? When you think of someone who’s an enemy do you hope they experience love in their
life? And at an even more convicting level-do you hope they experience love from you? Would
you ever dream of reaching out to your enemy? That’s what Jesus is going to address.
Turn in your Bibles to Luke 6. As we’re continuing our series on Conversations with Jesus-He
moves out attention to this realm of enemies; how we ought to deal with the people we’d most
like to avoid or distance ourselves from. Look at what He says in Luke 6:27-31. Now that’s some
seriously heavy teaching! Jesus is commanding us to do the very opposite of what we’d normally
do. Look back at v. 27-28. Is that your first reaction? Let me do good to this person who’s
treating me badly! Let me show honor and kindness, even love to this person who I can’t stand
and drives me crazy! Is that how you respond? Probably not. Most likely if they’ve said
something rude or insulting to you, you want to be rude and insulting right back. Give them a
piece of your mind, let them have what’s coming to them! Oh I’ll show you-no one treats me like
that and gets away with it! And yet this is exactly when Jesus wants to change our response, to
reorient our thinking-so we don’t say-this is my enemy I can’t wait to get him back. But instead
to realize that this is a perfect opportunity to show love in a situation where love is rarely found.
Jesus wants to connect us with a love that transcends mere emotions and feelings, a love that
isn’t based on what others have done to you or how they’ve treated you, but a love based on the
will-that you’ve already determined in your mind to reach out to your enemies instead of hate
them. As He says in v. 31-meaning to love your neighbor as yourself-but this is the caveat that
Jesus is implying-no matter who it is. And that’s the key point to what He’s saying. The majority
of us are willing to show love and reach out when it’s for the right people; people we like or
people we have a heart for. But the true test of love, the true test of our character, is displayed
when it’s the wrong people, when it’s the people who annoy us or drive us crazy, when it’s our “enemies”. Will we love then? Pt1:Loving our enemies requires: unnatural words, deeds and
actions. That statement really challenged me this week-because what Jesus is talking about here
doesn’t come naturally. This isn’t how we’re wired. Oh I can’t stand that guy-let me help him out
and bless him. To do that requires an intentional decision to follow Jesus’ command-and that
doesn’t come naturally. It’s not our default mode. So it’s easy to conclude it’s impossible. Yet
this is exactly what we see later in Luke-someone who displays unnatural words, deeds and
actions.
Flip ahead to Luke 10. We’re going to eventually come back to 6 but this idea of loving your
enemy is vividly described in chapter 10. Now as you’re turning there-you might find this hard
to believe-but Luke 10 describes a conversation that Jesus has with a lawyer who wants to argue!
Look at 10:25a. Are you surprised by this? A lawyer wants to argue with Jesus! This lawyer is
attempting to make his case with the Son of God as if he can somehow win the argument and
gain spiritual blessing. Now I can just hear the lawyer jokes! In fact-if you’ll permit me one-joke. But this particular lawyer is wanting to make the case for why he should go to heaven when he
dies-v. 25. Now we’ve already been told that he asked the question with wrong motives, putting
Jesus to the test-but that doesn’t mean it’s a wrong question-it’s actually a great question, the
most important question anybody can ever ask. How can I possess eternal life? but notice the
way the lawyer has phrased it-What shall I do? If there’s something I should do more of in life,
or something I should do less of–let me know. What are the conditions, what’s my requirement?
He’s thinking of it in terms of self as he’s wanting to prove his own worth. And it’s a question
we’ve all thought about and asked at some point-What do I have to do to get into heaven? So this
answer is something we really need to hear-and yet Jesus answers it by asking a question of His
own-v.26. The Law-as Jesus is speaking of it-refers to the OT. That’s what they called the first
five books of the OT-the Torah, meaning the Law. So He’s asking the lawyer-What does the
Bible say? How do you understand it-clearly you’re someone who reads lots of law books-what
does God’s law tell you to do? And the lawyer responds very accurately like a good lawyer by
quoting God’s law-v. 27a-that’s from Deut 6-and then v. 27b-that’s from Lev 19. These two
commands ultimately summed up everything the Law said. If you think about the Ten
Commandments they’re structured in such a way that the first 4 address love for God, and the
last 6 address love for people. So Jesus responds-v.28. Love God with all your heart, love people
as yourself and you’ll have eternal life. It’s not complicated-but it’s not exactly easy either.
At this point in the conversation it should be evident to the lawyer, as it is to anyone who thinks
about these commands for more than 2 seconds, that they haven’t done them. Plenty of people
love God-but no one loves God with all their heart, all their soul and all their mind. And likewise
plenty of people are kind, but no one truly loves his neighbor as himself. The law is talking about
a perfect love-and that’s not possible for imperfect people like us. The lawyer should have said, I
know the commandments, and I haven’t done them! I can’t. No one can-so what should I do? If
anybody should have realized this inconsistency it would be a lawyer-who after reading God’s
Law would conclude that men and women fail and don’t actually keep it. That should be the
conversation the lawyer is having with Jesus-how can we as sinful humans obtain eternal life
when we’ve clearly broken God’s law? Then Jesus could have explained the gospel and what
grace is all about, but sadly that isn’t the conversation they have-so instead of the lawyer
admitting his need, it says in v. 29. This lawyer isn’t saying-I haven’t obeyed the law-instead
he’s thinking to himself-I’m pretty close on this one. If I can just pin Jesus down on who’s my
neighbor and who I’ve been kind to-then I might be in. The lawyer doesn’t want to be honest
about himself or be humble before Jesus, he wants to argue and debate with Jesus. He’s
expecting a discussion of legal terms and loopholes and statutes of limitation which he hopes
will allow him to write off certain people as non-neighbors, to classify them as unloveable
enemies, and therefore claim that he’s kept all the commands. He thinks if there’s enough wiggle
room to argue about the little details on who he ought to love and who not to love, then he’ll be
okay in God’s sight. And you and I do this all the time too. We try to justify our behavior before
God-especially when it comes to loving other people. I don’t need to love this person, Lord,
because you know what they’ve done-and clearly that person has wronged me so it’s okay to
hold a grudge and not love them. Finding loopholes and arguing about who we don’t have to
love is something we do all the time to make ourselves feel better. But Jesus doesn’t debate it
like that. Instead of engaging the lawyer in a conversation of legalism, He tells him a story-and
it’s not about who is or isn’t a neighbor but instead a story about being a neighbor- big
difference!
No doubt you’ve heard the story before-v. 30a-and this was a 17 mile journey on a road that was
notoriously dangerous-which is exactly what happens here-v.30b. What a horribly vivid
description. Here’s a half-clothed, bloodied man lying along the road-moaning and groaning.
He’s got serious injuries and will die if no one helps him-but Jesus says-v.31a. Perfect-who
better to first come along than a priest. This injured man couldn’t be more fortunate. This is a
pastor, a minister-a wise and godly man who could give assistance and get him to safety. The
injured man should be elated at his good fortune. So needing to conserve his little strength, I
imagine the man didn’t call for help or say anything but instead laid there waiting for this
compassionate priest to stop. But think of his surprise when he sees the priest crossing the roadand not coming towards him but walking away-v.31. So the verse says the priest saw him. It
wasn’t like he was distracted. He saw this bloodied, injured, half-dead man, his eyes took in the
sight and yet he didn’t do anything. So Pt2:A “Good” Person: saw the need and did nothing. Incredible! I’m sure the injured man cried out for help as he watched the priest walk away. Hey,
help me! But the priest didn’t stop, he didn’t turn around, he didn’t reconsider-he just kept going
on his way-totally ignoring the sight and sounds of a dying man. And we’re left feeling disgusted
with this priest. You call yourself religious! What sort of double standard is this? But that’s the
point-could that, would that-be you or me? Would we as “good” people just pass on by when we
see needs? If we saw someone was robbed or hit by a car lying on the road, or even just a
smaller, simpler need? What would we do? It makes you think-and do some serious soulsearching.
But Jesus continues the story and says-v.32a. And a Levite was an educated, upper-class person
who would assist the priests in the work of the temple-like an elder or deacon. Again, clearly
somebody who’s religious and godly-therefore kind and compassionate. This time I imagine the
injured man groaned and cried out right away-Please, help me. I’m dying here. And yet the same
scenario-v.32b. Just like the priest, this Levite observed the need. His eyes saw this man and his
helpless situation and yet he refused to do anything about it. Like the priest, he distanced himself
from it; he walked to the other side of the road in order to ignore it and block this dying man
from his sight. He was more interested in continuing his journey than offering compassion.
Again, I’m sure the injured man would have pleaded for help, The last guy just walked by-won’t
you please stop and help me? Yet Pt3:Another “Good” Person: saw the need and still did
nothing. It’s crazy-unthinkable that people could be that mean or so cold to the needs around
them. It makes us say, What’s wrong with these men? Doesn’t their religion mean anything to
them? Hasn’t it transformed them? And of course we don’t know their personalities, Jesus
doesn’t describe them. They may have been filled with great Bible knowledge and intelligence;
they may have had a good standing or reputation in the community-we don’t know. The only
thing we do know is that they were short on follow through, stingy with love, unaffected by the
needs right in front of them. If they were a tree, their only fruit would have been rotten apples.
These two guys who should have stopped, who society would have looked to as an example, just
didn’t care-they couldn’t be bothered-they had “religious” things to do. Maybe they had to get to
Jericho and lead Bible study-so they couldn’t be distracted-they had to stay focused to get there
and do ministry-all the while missing the real ministry right in front of them.
I don’t know about you-but this is a sobering story and I don’t like it. It’s too convicting, too
relevant. I don’t want to think about these religious guys and their cold hearts, lest I have to think
about mine. And yet here’s the biggest surprise of all-a third guy comes along. Now the audience
of Jesus’ day would be expecting a Jewish layman. The weekly temple services were run by the
priests, Levites, and laymen. Jesus has already mentioned the first two-so it’s natural to assume
the layman will now come along. And this is the regular, good old church go-er-and maybe he’ll
be compassionate one and take the time to stop and help this injured man. But that never
happens-the expected church go-er never walks by in this story. Instead, someone very
unexpected comes down the road. Much to the shock and amazement of Jesus’ hearers, He saysv.33a. And the Samaritans were a hated group. Talk about someone to avoid- they were called “half-breeds” by the Jews. Back 700 years ago, the Assyrians conquered the northern half of
Israel and took the majority of the people away into captivity. Now they weren’t able to take
everybody so the Jews that remained behind-in what was the region of Samaria intermarried with
the Assyrians-thereby producing a half-Jewish, half-Assyrian race called the Samaritans. And
this was unthinkable, it violated the Law, it abandoned their heritage. The pure-blooded Jews
wanted nothing to do with these half-breeds. So when the Jews eventually returned from
captivity back to their land and began rebuilding the temple, the Samaritans withdrew from
worshipping in Jerusalem and established their own place of worship at Mount Gerizim. That
infuriated the Jews even more and created an even greater rift between them-one that continued
on through Jesus’ day. Remember how shocked the disciples were when Jesus talked with a
Samaritan woman at the well. So the very mention of Samaritans was an outrage. Jews wouldn’t
let Samaritans touch them, much less minister to them. These were the people they weren’t
obligated to love, but Jesus has cast this hated enemy as the true neighbor of the story. Just think for a moment-who are the enemies and outcasts in our society? Who are the people
you don’t want coming near you? I’m not talking about criminals who ought to be in jail-but
who are the groups, the nationalities, the cultures, the sub-cultures that you avoid? The people
that you turn your nose up to and immediately write off? Maybe it’s people of a different
background, or people with less education or those in a different socio-economic group than you,
maybe it’s people who are into different activities or hobbies and you’ve stereotyped them. But a
story like this says our thinking needs to change; that our heart needs to begin embracing people
we normally reject. Jesus is saying it doesn’t matter who you are, or where you’re from, or what
your label is, even if you call yourself religious, especially if you call yourself religious-what
matters is your heart. That you can say everything correctly, you can quote the Bible, you can
look “good” on the outside and be held by society in high esteem-but none of it matters if your
heart isn’t changed. As the book of James says-Faith without works is dead. What counts is faith
in action, that your hands, your mouth, your life is changed on the outside-because Jesus has
changed your heart on the inside-and that’s what this Samaritan so powerfully displays. Look at
the verse-v.33. Just like the first two, the Samaritan also saw the injured, bloodied man in all his
pain and helplessness but the difference is his response-compassion. And that’s Pt4:The Hated “Enemy”: saw the need and chose to act out of compassion and love. He wasn’t too busy or
distracted. His heart wasn’t indifferent or uncaring. He didn’t say, This is a dangerous road, that
injured guy should have known better and been prepared. He’ll learn his lesson for the next time. The Samaritan didn’t rationalize the situation away; he saw the need and his heart was
immediately filled with a compassion that resulted in action.
Now I could nearly stop there because I’m already challenged enough-does my heart fill with
compassion the moment I see a need? Am I stirred to reach out in love or do I think, Someone
else will take care of the problem. Someone else will meet the need. That’s way too easy to say- but look at what this Samaritan did-v. 34-35. This is incredible compassion! And if you
remember from v. 33, it clearly said that the Samaritan was traveling on a journey. He wasn’t just
walking up and down the road purposely looking for homeless or helpless people, he was going
somewhere-he had plans and yet he allowed his destination and his agenda to wait, to be put on
hold, because there was a need. And for the Samaritan it wasn’t a need to fret about-Oh no, I’m
running behind-and now I have to help this guy. I’m going to be so late. Instead it was an
opportunity to display the love of God-no matter the cost or time. Look at all that happens
because of his love-from seeing this injured man, to a heart that hurt for the man, to hands that
helped heal the man and pay for his recovery. His head, hands, heart were all involved in
showing love. And yet when that was absent look how quickly it ended for the two “good”
religious guys-they also saw the injured man-and passed by without a second glance. It was over
in moments and they were gone.
So Jesus wisely concludes the conversation with a question-v.36. I don’t think the lawyer
struggled to find the right answer, what he did struggle with was saying the word “Samaritan”- v.37. The Jews had such a wall of disgust for the Samaritans it was uncomfortable to even say
their name. So while in the back of the lawyer’s mind he’s thinking, I just hate those Samaritans!
Jesus is saying, Go and be like this Samaritan. Not the answer the lawyer was looking for! His
whole case has just fallen apart in his hands. What he thought was a watertight no-lose question,
Who’s my neighbor? turned out to be this incredibly convicting story about being a neighbor. And the lawyer walks away caught in the web of his own argument, outsmarted by Jesus, and
now challenged to live it. Notice that Jesus never directly answered his question. Jesus wasn’t
interested in debating legalism and determining who qualified as a neighbor. His challenge for
the lawyer-and for you and me-is to actually be a neighbor and show love-no matter who it is.
So there’s 3 big applications from this conversation with Jesus. AP#1) Love doesn’t find the
minimum to do, love does whatever is necessary. We live in such an independent, self-satisfying
society that this application is totally foreign. I think America in 2019 can easily relate to the two
religious guys doing their own thing. I’m busy, I’m on a tight schedule, I’ve got lots to do-don’t
interrupt me. And we just pass by-leaving lots of needs unmet, hurting people still hurting. Now
we might throw some money at a charitable cause now and then because that’s easy, but to also
give of our time; to sacrificially serve? What the Samaritan did is so foreign to us. He showed
love at great personal inconvenience to himself. He gave of his time, his money, his effort. He
didn’t just do the minimum-Hey, here’s a few bandages and a couple of bucks, a cab should be
coming by any time-hospital is just down the road. Instead he was personally involved,
sacrificing out of his own life and time and money. Groeschel, 98-99. I believe that was the
Samaritan’s motive. That he didn’t view helping someone as a huge inconvenience, and nor
should we because if God is sovereign, if He’s in control of all things, then the needs you come
upon aren’t randomly put there, something to deal with as quickly as possible in order to get
back to your plans, rather God has put the need before you as part of His plan that you might
grow and be blessed as you’re blessing others. Showing love shouldn’t be an interruption in your
life, it should be your intention.
And that leads to AP#2) Love doesn’t try to get out of loving others, it just loves. I don’t think
the lawyer’s question-Who’s my neighbor-is unfamiliar to us today. We often ask it or think it
because we don’t want to love certain people. I’ll love the people who are nice to me, basically
my friends. I’ll love the people who look good and make me look good, the people who society
says are lovable or acceptable. But the people on the fringe; people who are different from me,
people who stretch me-I’m not going to love them. Yet love transcends all those things-it moves
past the boundaries of where we’re comfortable. And nowhere does it hit the hardest than with
the people we don’t like. Maybe you try to talk yourself out of loving people who’ve hurt you or
offended you. You think to yourself, They violated their right to be treated kindly, so until they
straighten out or tell me they’re sorry, until they come around and see things my way and start
acting nice to me, I’m not loving them. But this is where we need to go back to-Luke 6:32-33. Talk about turning up the conviction meter a little! But this is the exact point of the Good
Samaritan story. On the surface there was no way a Jew and a Samaritan would get along, or help
the other out-it was unthinkable; especially the lengths he went to help him and he didn’t demand
to be paid back-but actually said I’ll come and pay more to the innkeeper on his behalf. So Jesus
has turned this concept on its head by saying to love those who don’t love us back. It’s so
counterintuitive, so unnatural as we’ve said. Because you love the people who love you-that’s
what we do-and Jesus is saying even sinners do that. If you think you’re really doing something
great and being a super loving person because you love your friends-Jesus is saying you don’t
have a leg up with that-v. 32. You’re not doing anything better than the “bad guys”. I once heard
this passage referred to as the “Pirate passage” which I’ll never forget. The idea is that a group of
pirates on a ship aren’t the good guys-they’re whole goal is to attack and plunder the other ships
on the sea for their own greedy gain. Captain Jack Sparrow or Blackbeard the pirate aren’t noble
men-they’re thieving pirates trying to steal treasure-but they get along with each other and help
each other and cooperate and do good to each other in order to do their pirating. And that’s what
Jesus is saying here. Just like a bunch of pirates, the world loves those who love them back, the
world does good to those who do good to them. You’re not any different from the world when
you do that. No one takes notice when you love your friends-that’s what everybody does. And
isn’t that how we often evaluate ourselves and give a little pat on the back-I’m a really loving
person-just ask my friends-I’d do anything for them. But Jesus would say-I don’t need to ask
your friends-let me ask your enemies if you’re a loving person because that’s the true mark of
love. What sets you apart as a follower of Christ is when you love those who don’t love you
back. What shows the world who you are is when you love your enemies-v. 35a. So who is that for you? Who do you need to love that would normally be unthinkable to love,
Who do you instantly write off as not deserving of your love? But this is when love becomes a
reality in your life-when you do love those who don’t deserve it; when you love those who anger
you or offend you or drive you crazy. And we do it-not because we’re noble people of great
character-but because that’s what God has already done for us-v. 35-36. And that brings us right
to the heart of the gospel. The command is to love precisely because God has chosen to love you.
These verses in Luke 6 are aimed directly at you and me. Ungrateful and evil is what we were as
lost sinners-what does it say in Rom 5:6. There’s a God who’s willing to love His enemies. God
was willing to love us, to have His Son die for us and forgive us when were ungodly-meaning
opposed to Him, against Him. He didn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up or become godly. He
loved us at our worst when we needed it most. That’s the good news of the gospel, that’s the
truth that saves us-and that that’s the truth that transforms us.
So AP#3) Love reaches out when people are at their worst, because that’s when God first loved
us. Maybe you’ve never thought about it before, but when we were lost and dying in our sins we
weren’t any different from that injured man on the road. And who’s the ultimate Good Samaritan
who comes along and helps us and heals us and restores us? Jesus. And the cost He paid wasn’t
just 2 denarii out of His pocket to an innkeeper, but the cost of His life so we could be savedRom 5:8. That’s radical, unhindered, selfless love. Look at how it continues-Rom 5:10. Jesus
saves us and reconciles us to God-not after we were good savable people-but when we were His
enemies. The greatest act of the love the world has ever seen wasn’t done for good people who
love God-but for the people who were His enemies. Think about that! When Jesus says-love your
enemies-He’s not asking you to do anything He hasn’t already done. He loved His enemies by
dying for the them on the cross-and that includes you and me and all who trust in Him. It’s the
very truth our salvation and eternal life are based on. Jesus loved His enemies-and now as His
followers we’re called to do the same! Quote-Will you be someone who cares about others? Will
you help meet the needs around you-like the Good Samaritan-instead of pass by on the other side
like the good, religious guys? Will you love those who don’t love you back-because that’s how
God has loved you? Who is the Lord putting on your heart to love? Don’t talk yourself out of it!
Lawyer joke:
After much thought and consideration, a retired lawyer finally figured out how to take some of
his money with him when he died. He instructed his wife to go to the bank and withdraw enough
money to fill two pillow cases. He then directed her to take the bags and of money to the attic
and leave them directly above his bed. His plan was that when he passed away, he would reach
out and grab the bags on his way to heaven.
Several weeks after the funeral, his wife was up in the attic cleaning, and came upon the two
forgotten pillow cases stuffed with money. “Oh, that silly fool,” she exclaimed, “I knew he
should have had me put the money in the basement instead!”
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