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Daily Devotionals for June 13-17
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|  | As we continue in our "Present Help in Present Trouble" series next Sunday with the second message from Christopher Yuan, we are focusing this week in our devotionals on Luke 10:25-37 -- the Parable of the Good Samaritan. We thank Dave and Lynne Endrody, who are currently serving as Shepherds in the Ecclesia Class, for writing this week's devotionals.
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MONDAY, JUNE 13
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| | Today we are reading Luke 10:25-28. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the translation of your choice.
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 27He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' (see Deuteronomy 6:5-9); and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (see Leviticus 18:5). 28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live" (Leviticus 18:5).
These teachers of the law clearly knew their stuff. No doubt they followed the "letter of law" as we find it in Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 18 down to the smallest detail as far as how it applied to their physical lives -- they would tie them "as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates" (Dueteronomy 6:8-9). But they were not always so faithful to apply these truths to their spiritual lives -- on a heart level.
[We recently travelled to Israel, and while there, we noticed that still today the orthodox Jews tie small boxes, called phylacteries, on their foreheads and left arms. Even the doorframe in our hotel room had a small box attached called a mezuzot where passages of Scripture could be placed.]
The first thing God says in Deut. 6:6 is that our love for God is to be upon our hearts! This is where Jesus starts with the teacher of the law in this passage -- trying to get him to see what he is missing. When we understand that a love relationship with God is the only thing that brings life, then we can really begin to love and help others.
Think through some of the things you have done in the last 24 hours that show how much you love you. Take a moment to make a list if you can. Some of the things you write down might be obvious such as going to get your favorite coffee before work or getting a manicure. But self-love is also at play when we prepare a meal, get a prescription, or service our cars so that we don't end up having to walk somewhere.
Luke 7:44-46 gives us a good picture of someone whose love for Jesus was apparent to all who were present. Speaking of Jesus, Luke writes, "Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet."
While Jesus is not physically with us, He brings people into our lives that we can serve "as unto" Him. Think of those things we do to show love and care for ourselves. Is there someone in our lives who can't do these things for themselves? What can we do for them that would demonstrate the reality that we love our neighbor as ourselves?
Father,
I do many things for myself everyday -- things that have become my daily routine or expectation. Help me to love You first with a heart, soul and mind that are filled with You. Help me to recognize that I can do simple things for others that would allow me to "love my neighbors as myself." Help me today to go out and do them.
Amen
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TUESDAY, JUNE 14
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| Today we are reading Luke 10:25-37. The text below is taken from the NIV, but feel free to read from the translation of your choice.
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 27He answered: "'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, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" 28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." 29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
After initially answering Jesus correctly, the expert in the law then asked Jesus for a definition of his neighbor. His reason? He wanted to establish boundaries for what he surmised was his requirement for neighborly love. He was, in his insincerity, not trying to find out who his neighbor was, but who would Jesus exclude as a neighbor.
Sometimes we have the same response in our hearts. We might exclude some people as too different or too dangerous or too difficult to help. Surely Jesus would excuse us from loving those kinds of people. But the Holy Spirit seems to always want our desires for our "neighborhood" to expand. The more that we are sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit, the more opportunities He will give us. The more that we rely on Him to help us with those opportunities, the less overwhelmed we will become and the more joy we will experience in finding ways to show love to our expanding neighborhood.
Here are two texts from Philippians that might help us as we think about how God wants us to relate to those "neighbors" that He brings into our lives:
Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Father,
I am afraid to open up possibilities to expand my neighborhood because it may overwhelm me, or I may not have the capacity to deliver for the person that you have put in front of me as a neighbor. Help me to trust in You as my Provider, and believe that You place me in front of a new "neighbor" for the glory of the Gospel. Thank You loved me just as I am. Give me Your love for the people you want me to love today.
Amen
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15
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| | Today we are reading Luke 10:25-37. The text below is taken from the New International Version, but feel free to read from the translation of your choice.
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 27He answered: "'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, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" 28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." 29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
Many of the priests and teachers of the law were known as Pharisees which means "separated ones." They were teachers in the synagogues, religious examples in the eyes of the people, and self-appointed guardians of the law and its proper observance. They considered the interpretations and regulations handed down by tradition to be as authoritative as Scripture.
Jesus could have used the law-keeping priest or the Levite as the "hero" in this parable, but perhaps Jesus wanted the expert in the law to understand that there were better ways to please God than law keeping.
It may have been that these "law keepers" would have justified their lack of involvement with the beaten man based on Old Testament rules, like those found in Ezekiel 44:25-27, that prohibit priests from "defiling themselves" by going near a dead body (except that of a close relative). Maybe they thought they were doing "good" (being separate) by not stopping and touching a man that might have been dead, an act that would have "defiled" them and required them to take seven days away from their religious duties while they went through a purification process. Perhaps they thought they would be doing "good" by avoiding being "out of service to the Lord's work" for a week. But unfortunately, they missed the greater opportunity to serve the Lord by obeying His command to love their neighbor as themselves.
Jesus Himself offers us an example of how to get our priorities right. In Luke 6:6-10 we read:
"On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, 'I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?' He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored.
Sometimes we can be so into the "law" of getting everything done in our everyday church life and other responsibilities -- doing what we think is "good" -- that we too miss opportunities to show love to the ones God has put into our lives as our neighbors.
We can also be guilty of focusing so much on separating ourselves from the "unclean" of this world that our lives never connect with those who need to see the love of Jesus reflected in us. As a result, we miss what the Spirit has revealed to us about what would be best for us to do at a given moment.
Father,
Please adjust my focus to not just fulfill the "law" of doing things for You, but to learn Your heart for others in what I do. Help me to be able to be interrupted to respond to Your "best" for me today, rather than the self-imposed requirement of doing the "good" first.
Amen
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THURSDAY, JUNE 16
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| | This week we are reading Luke 10:25-37, Jesus' Parable of the Good Samaritan, and today we are focusing on verses 33-35. The text below is taken from the New Living Translation, but feel free to read from the Bible of your choice.
25One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: "Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?"
26Jesus replied, "What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?"
27The man answered, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
28"Right!" Jesus told him. "Do this and you will live!"
29The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30Jesus replied with a story: "A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
31"By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
33"Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, 'Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here.'
36"Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?" Jesus asked.
37The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy."
Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same."
The Samaritan man did four things in this passage:
- He felt compassion -- He saw the injured man and felt compassion for him (verse 33).
- He came alongside -- He "went over to" the injured man (verse 33).
- He cared for him -- He cared for him by soothing and bandaging his wounds, then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he continued his care (verse 34).
- He gave of his coins -- He paid for the man to be well cared for and promised to meet his continuing expense (verse 35).
This story Jesus told to the religious people of His day carries the warning that when we let legalism and self-righteousness be our way of life, then it becomes the enemy of compassion and mercy. But when we allow our lives to be full of grace, then that grace becomes the basis for coming toward those in need, showing compassion, acting on our compassion, and actively caring by using whatever resources we have available.
1 John 3:16-18 affirms that truth, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
In Philippians 2:1-5, Paul adds, "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."
Father,
Please show me if there is any offensive way in me -- any legalism or self-righteousness -- that blocks Your grace and mercy in my life. Help me to be a compassionate and caring person that is ready and willing to help others, whatever the cost.
Amen
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FRIDAY, JUNE 17
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| | Today we are reading Luke 10:25-37. The text below is taken from the NIV, but feel free to read from the translation of your choice.
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 27He answered: "'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, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" 28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." 29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" 37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
Notice the question that begins this conversation between Jesus and the lawyer: What must I do to inherit eternal life? Read through verses 25-28. In verse 28, Jesus concludes, "Do this and you will live."
It might first appear that Jesus was teaching "salvation by law-keeping." But God never intended that the law would provide the way to eternal life. The law is to show us what guilty sinners we are. Who could live up to the impossibly high standards of verses 27 and 28 -- loving God with ALL your heart, soul, mind, and strength? And loving "your neighbor as yourself"? Impossible!
"Eternal life," writes William MacDonald in the Believer's Bible Commentary, "is only for sinners who acknowledge their lost condition and who are saved by God's grace."
The truth is, we have more in common with the dazed and beaten man lying by the side of the road than with the Good Samaritan who rescues him. What the Samaritan did for this half-dead traveler, Jesus Christ did for us.
He found us mortally wounded by sin. Men couldn't help us. Religion couldn't help us. We couldn't help ourselves. We needed a Savior. Jesus is that Savior. He showed compassion toward us in that while we were yet sinners, He died for us (Rom. 5:8). "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed" (1 Pet. 2:24).
The parable of the Good Samaritan also shows us that if we have responded to God's grace through Jesus Christ, then we are obligated to show the love of Christ in practical ways toward those who are in need. As Jesus concludes, "Go and do the same."
Father,
Thank you for your Son Jesus who saw me on the roadside of life and came near me and had compassion on me and healed me of my sins. Help me Lord to have a heart that is filled with your love and grace so that I will "go and do the same" in the name of Jesus.
Amen
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