Post Sunday August 23 2009

“…What is your reading of it?” Luke 10:26

I’m still blown away that Jesus wants us to answer and wants us to think. So often those that lead us just want us to follow what they think and stop asking questions, stop exploring, stop discovering, just do what I say. There is a certain aspect of do what I say to some of what God is communicating to us (because it is vital for our livelihood!) but the nature of God’s Word is living and breathing and teeming with life. He cares about how we live our lives and thus He cares about how we think and what the RESULTS of our thinking ends in, which of course leads to our actions and behavior. By allowing the lawyer (one skilled in the law of Moses) in Luke 10:25-37 to think and speak it revealed that his heart was very shallow and had already determined who and what his neighbor was instead of allowing a conversation with Jesus (a conversation with God!) to assist his thinking.

Our thinking through what we read in Scripture when coupled with a pursuit of God will result in some very powerful encounters that bring out that life change, that new creation that Paul wrote of in 2 Corinthians 5:17. By opening up our hearts yesterday as we dove into Part I of the “The Test” many of us discovered that we at the heart of the issue have already determined who our neighbor is, what circumstances will allow us to assist our neighbor and how often we will assist our neighbors. We probably discovered that there are only certain people who qualify as neighbors in the world our hearts have created as well.

We were left on Sunday with the challenge to wrestle with this parable and wrestle with what our thinking is when matched up to Jesus. We know this is important for us to tackle because the question the lawyer asked was about eternal life and Jesus answered the question! Eternal life for the lawyer meant that he was living a life under the reign and rule of God, it did not necessarily mean how do I reserve a home in heaven. If you have placed your faith in Christ you have a home in heaven, thank God for that, thank God for eternity with Him. Until you get there you live here on this earth and loving God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind means that we truly want to be under His authority, we want to live lives within His kingdom, under His reign. How does God desire me to live a life here on this earth as a man under His authority? This parable assists us in better understanding that. That is why we must wrestle with it, think through it, match it up to how we live.

The example (the memory of giving myself to one particular family when Nicole and I served at a church in Pennsylvania) I shared on Sunday is one such event in my life that I must match up against this parable that Jesus told to better discover where my heart’s loyalty lie. This is wrestling. In this corner weighing in as perfectly pure and true, Jesus and His Word. In this corner weighing in as open to learn how to be perfectly pure and true, Eric’s (fill in your name) heart. The bell rings and out your heart goes and begins to grapple with the pure and true Word of God.

What sort of things can you grapple with this week? Before you read the Bible, ask God’s Holy Spirit to guide, teach and convict your heart. Never start reading the Bible without asking God to guide you, only the Spirit knows the things of God and God has graciously gifted those who believe in Christ with the Holy Spirit. Acknowledge that and know that without the Holy Spirit you can’t possibly understand what you are about to read. Read Luke 10:25-37 slowly, multiple times, take notes of what comes to mind as you read through it. What memories popped into your mind as you read it? Why do you think you remembered those things? Circle key words or phrases in the passage. Why do you think they are key? Where else in the Bible are these key words/phrases used? What was Jesus’ point in this passage? Why did He need to make the point? How did He make the point? Who is being spoken to? Who are the characters involved in the parable? What am I learning in this? Is there something I do not understand? If I do not understand something, do I have a resource to go to find out? (i.e. Bible Commentary, Wife, Husband, Good Friend, Pastor) Do I have someone in which I can discuss what I’m learning and what God is speaking to me about in Scripture (we learn as a community New Heights! Don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together, this is more than just a verse about Sunday morning, Wednesday Night Adrenaline and Small Groups provide you all the opportunity to talk these scriptures out and teach and encourage one another!)

To help you wrestle this week with this passage, do the above things and look up and read the following verses on mercy. Why mercy? Jesus asked in verse 36 who was neighbor to him who fell among thieves. Instead of simply saying the Samaritan the lawyer replied “He who showed mercy…” He could have just said the Samaritan, but he didn’t he used the word mercy. Jesus didn’t correct Him, but rather confirmed his answer by saying, “Go and do likewise.”

I would say there is something about mercy that is vital to how we act as neighbors to our neighbors….

What is mercy? Mercy is not grace.

Grace is God’s unmerited favor. It is providing something to someone who is unable to provide that something for themselves. We are saved by grace. In other words we are unable to provide the necessary payment for our sin to be forgiven and stand before God as righteous. Thus God’s grace provided the payment for our sin in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and we are now forgiven and clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Totally provided for with something that we have no capability of providing for ourselves. That is grace.

Mercy is relenting from the punishment that is deserved. Mercy is as Henry Blackaby defines it “mercy is deserved punishment withheld.” God is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4). We are to be merciful, “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.” Matthew 5:7.

 Look at what sat upon the Ark of the Covenant (the Ark is the symbol of God’s presence) - Exodus 25:17-22 & Exodus 26:34 (Hint something with mercy….read those verses!)

 Look up who were candidates for His mercy – Deuteronomy 5:8-10 & 7:6-11

 Look up the numerous references to mercy in Psalms and see the incredible expressions of it! (Use a concordance in the back of your Bible or Strong’s Concordance if you have one or go to www.biblegateway.com/keyword/ and use their online concordance to look up all verses that contain the word mercy)

 Proverbs 14:21 “He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.”

 Proverbs 20:28 “Mercy and truth preserve the king, And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne.”

 Proverbs 21:21 “He who follows righteousness and mercy Finds life, righteousness and honor.”

 Matthew 9:13 “But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." - Jesus said this

 James 2:13 “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

These verses just begin to scratch the surface, if you have time and need direction in your Bible reading study the life of King David, he outside of Jesus was one who showed great acts of mercy in accordance to how God would be merciful. You can read about him in 1 & 2 Samuel & 1 Chronicles.

Question to Ask Yourself:

1. How do I approach my time of reading the Bible? How would I answer Jesus’ question of “What is your reading of it?”

pastor e