Evangelism: Part 7 – Labor for Your Neighbor
June 25, 2023 Luke 10:25-36
Introduction & Recap
– OceanGate Titan Submersible, migrant boats off Greece and Italy – hundreds killed,
Ukraine War, Russian Mutiny, threat of global recession, constant political
jockeying…crazy times in this world – people are looking for answers.
– Matthew 9:35-38 “35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in
their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease
and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because
they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his
disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly
to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
– Pray
– Last time focused on praying earnestly and laboring like Christ did teaching, proclaiming,
and healing in the midst of the harvest.
– We are called to pray that the Lord sends more laborers into the abundant
harvest of souls around us…but we are also – in part – an answer to our own
prayers as the Lord gives us opportunity to serve as laborers for His kingdom.
– Today, we’re going to double click on what it means to be a laborer in the harvest
specifically as it relates to your neighbor.
- We know that Jesus has sent us out into the world to make disciples (see Mathew
28:18-20). We know that as we are sent out that we are called to do the work of an evangelist (see 2 Tim. 4:5), which we’ve defined as discerningly teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ with the aim to persuade – simply put, helping people take one step closer to Jesus as often as we have opportunity.
– Today, we are going to ask the Lord to give us hearts of compassion and
opportunities to show mercy to our neighbors – to labor for our neighbors – as
we enter into the harvest.
- Jackson stalled out – several people drove right by – about twenty cars by his
estimation, 3 “older” individuals did stop and ask if he was ok.
– We too easily drive by opportunities the Lord gives us – especially with our
neighbors.
Who Is My Neighbor?
– Parallel passage of Matthew 10, which we’re about to study – Jesus had just sent out the 72 (in Luke) and after they returned sharing the amazing things the Lord had done through them, a lawyer stood up and questioned Jesus about how receive eternal life.
– Luke 10:25-28 “25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying,
“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He [Jesus] said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he [the lawyer] answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he [Jesus] said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” - Lawyer recognized the impossibility of these two commands – which Jesus elsewhere said sum up all the law and the prophets (see Matt. 22:40).
- Rather than acknowledging his inability, the lawyer does what most lawyers do he tried to find a loophole.
- Luke 10:29 “9 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my
neighbor?”
– Lawyer seeks to justify himself – or make himself right, he wants to vindicate or
declare himself not-guilty. So he asks who is my neighbor (Gk plesion)
– Interesting that he did not ask “Who is God?” It seems he believed he had
that one covered – or at least no one could question his love of God
because of his outward pious devotion. But to love a neighbor is much
harder to fake; evidence can be easily mustered against your love of your
neighbor.
– So, the lawyer surmises, if I can just define my neighbor as the
people who I love naturally, I can have confidence that I’ll have
earned eternal life.
– We too often do the same thing.
- “Neighbor” (Gk. plesion from pélas = near, near to, or from plesios = close by) literally
means positionally nearby. Figuratively, plesion means whomever is around you –
whomever you have the ability to engage with.
– Not only does this mean people who you live near, work near, or play near are
you neighbor – but it also means folks who you have relationship with, wherever
they may be – or even a stranger who you come across who you have the ability
to serve – are your neighbor.
– And quite likely, this could be someone who you don’t like very much, or
who you have a hard time “tolerating” – or even someone who you
consider your enemy.
- Jesus illustrated this point in his answer, Luke 10:30-37 “30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He [the lawyer] said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
- We’re already preached at length on the need for a heart of compassion that lives out mercy to those around us if we are going to enter into the harvest like Jesus calls us to, go back and listen the first couple of sermons in this series if you haven’t heard that yet.
- But the lawyer immediately recognized that no matter how religiously devout someone is – even a priest or a Levite – God’s call to compassion and mercy reaches to everyone we have the opportunity to share it with.
- Rather than shrinking the definition of neighbor, as the lawyer was attempting, Jesus blew wide-open the definition to even include someone who was your enemy. Note that most all rabbis excluded gentiles and Samaritans from the definition of neighbor, in response to the command in Leviticus 19:18 ““You shall love your neighbor [plēsion, Septuagint] as yourself.”
- Samaritans and Jews were no friends to one another – except in Jesus’s parable.
- Let’s bring this back a bit to our level – before any of us are ready to even think about ministering to those who are our “enemy”, let’s just ask a simple question: how well do I love my literal neighbors right now?
– Exponential Conference this year, one of the teachers, Jay Pathak, asked this
question when reviewing this text.
– Jay’s pictogram – Chart of Shame
– Can you fill in all 8 boxes with the names of your neighbors? I couldn’t
– Of the names you did fill in, how many do you have any kind of relationship
with? Can you write out their interests, their professions?
– Of the names you have relationship with – how many know you are a
follower of Jesus?
– If they’re not a follower of Jesus, how many have you tried to engage
in spiritual conversation?
- If you’re like me, you understand why Jay called this the Chart of Shame.
Let’s go a little easier on ourselves, let’s allow you to add in work colleagues
or non-believing friends and family members. If you don’t know their
names, you’re in real trouble.
- Why are we so terrible at this: we’re prideful and selfish people who get so preoccupied with our own interests that we forget we have a job to do as we go about our business in the world.
- Sometimes we’re like the priest in the parable and we just don’t care – we’re
indifferent to the suffering around us and we keep our head down and keep going
about our business – as James says, our religion is worthless (See James 1 and 2).
o Sometimes we’re like the Levite, we check out what’s wrong and we decide its
beyond us, or that we have better things to do, or hope that someone else will
deal with it. Stop making excuses and being like the lawyer and trying to justify
yourself – trying to diminish the definition of who your neighbor so you can feel
better about yourself.
– Everything that you busy yourself with is just a means; your job, your
relationships, your hobbies, your resources, your politics, if any of them
become and end to themselves, we’ve missed the point – all of those things
are meant to generate and provide opportunities for us to be laborers in
the harvest – to help people move one step closer to Jesus.
– Yes, your job provides for your family – praise God. But more
importantly, it allows you to build relationships with people who
need truth.
– Yes, your hobbies are an enjoyable outlet – praise God, but more
importantly, they can give you common ground with someone who
needs truth.
– Yes, your politics can give you opportunity to stand for what you
believe the Lord is calling you to support in the governmental
direction of our country, but more importantly, if our positions
prevent us from sharing the love of Jesus with others, we’re missing
the point of what we’re called to do.
– Yes, you are called to be a good steward of the resources the Lord
has entrusted you with, but if we only use those resources for our
own security and enjoyment, we do not have the love and
compassion of Christ within us.
- Challenge: pick three neighbors and begin to pray for them by name. Ask the Lord to give you opportunity. Go out of your way to engage with them. Invite them to dinner, get to know them. Pray earnestly for this opportunity and then wait and see how the Lord answers that prayer.
– 7 ways the Samaritan showed the love of Jesus to his neighbor:
1) “When he saw him, he had compassion” (v33)
– Matthew 9:36 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them,
because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
2) “He went to him” (v34)
- Luke 15:20 “And he [prodigal son] arose and came to his father. But while
he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran
and embraced him and kissed him.”
– meet people where they are – you make the first move - 3) “and bound up his wounds…” (v34)
– Luke 4:18-19 “18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set
at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s
favor.” (see also Isaiah 61:1-2)
– Meet people’s needs, physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally, – most
importantly – spiritually.
4) “Then he set him on his own animal” (v34)
– Matthew 11:28-30 “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am
gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
– Help bear burdens
5) “brought him to an inn” (v34)
– Psalm 62:8 “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before
him; God is a refuge for us.”
– Be a safe person to others – no condemnation, just truth and love
6) “and took care of him” (v34)
– Luke 11:13 “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask him!”
– Relationship is ongoing….this is not a quick process
7) “took two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper…I will repay when I come
back” (v35)
– Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with
me, to repay each one for what he has done.”
– Show them the future they can have with Jesus.
Conclusion
This world is desperately searching for answers…as lawlessness increases, we cannot be
alarmed (see Matthew 24:6) but must instead wisely share truth with the opportunities
that are around us every day. Do not pass them by, do not leave them for someone else.
So many people are spiritually stalled out on the side of the road, waiting
for someone to come along and help them. Let us not speed on by too busy
with our own selfish devices – literally, get off your cell phone and pay
attention to people.
o Get to know your neighbors, start praying for them, ask the Lord to give you
opportunity; and then obediently, humbly, and compassionately walk in the those
opportunities to help our neighbors take one step closer to Jesus. Amen. Amen.