Love Your Neighbor as Yourself (Luke 10:25-37) May 29.

Sunday 2011 As we have read, what was Jesus reply to the question, What must I do to inherit eternal life? He said that the correct answer is that you 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." And what does it mean to love God? In 1 John 5:3 we read, This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome. However, every now and then we all commit sin by breaking the some commands of God. It means it is impossible for us to inherit eternal life if we just base it on our actions. That is why God sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross to forgive our sins. It has been Gods work, his act of sending his Son Jesus to die on the cross to forgive us, that has given us the opportunity to have eternal life. It is when we have faith in Jesus that we will receive eternal life. An expert in the law (Torah) was the one who asked the question to Jesus. However, he was not sincere in knowing the answer. He just wanted to test Jesus and see if He will say anything wrong. Jesus knew this, and wise as He is, He answered with a question, What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" The expert in the law 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. Jesus said that was the correct answer, and told the man to do as he has said. But the man wanted to justify himself and asked Jesus, Who is my neighbor? To this question, Jesus answered with a parable of the Good Samaritan. 1. Who is our neighbor? When someone is having a hard time, do you ignore that person, or do you show love just like a true neighbor would? Do you truly help anyone, or just those that you like? The expert in the law knows he should love his neighbor, but in truth he only loves those people who are Jew and who are not having a hard time. His answer came from Leviticus 19:18, Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. He had a limited interpretation of it, and was expecting the same from Jesus so that he could be justified. However, Jesus mind was different because he knows the truth. In the parable, the priest and Levite, Jews who had high positions in the Temple, didnt care for the injured man even they know the law commanded it. The law said that you should love anyone in need, even if he is your enemy (Exodus 23:4). In Jesus time, the Jews and Samaritans didnt like each other. Jews treated Samaritans as sinners. But in Jesus parable it was a Samaritan who helped the injured Jew. Jesus was saying again what the law said that our neighbor is anyone who is in need, and we should consider our enemies as neighbors whom we should love as well. Jesus wants us to have an open mind, a neighbor-centered mind rather than a self-centered one. Do you consider pastor your neighbor? Do you help the church because you know we need help and you truly love God, or just because you will get something if you do? If they dont serve lunch, lend you money, and pick you up at your place, will you

still attend and serve church? Some of you might be thinking that Reverend Lee is an ATM machine. How about in your place, do you also help your neighbor when they are in need? Last month when a fire destroyed Laperal in Guadalupe, the church went there everyday for weeks to help, but we saw no other who cared much for them. (I thank everyone who had given clothes and things to donate, and participated in giving support in the area. In that way you have cared for your neighbor). Given that 80% of Filipinos are Catholics, and there are over a thousand Korean missionaries, how come that there wasnt much help? We hope that they helped quietly that is why we didnt see them. The Samaritan gave so much to help someone in need, even if he was considered an enemy, and Jesus said that we should do the same. Therefore, I pray that we will be instruments for Gods glory by being like the Samaritan who truly cares for our neighbors. 2. How do we love our neighbor? What will you do if you see a man robbed and injured by the road? Twenty years ago in Korea, Pastor was driving when he saw a mentally-deranged person sitting on the road with blood running down behind his head. At that time, so many things was running through Pastors mind. Should he, 1) Bring the person to the hospital using his car; 2) Dont go near the person because the police might think he was the one responsible for the accident; 3) Go to his church that was near and call the police; or 4) Pretend that he didnt see anything. What would you have done if you were Pastor? Pastor started to go to church, but before he could call for help, police already came. Someone else saw him also and quickly did something to help. During that time, Rev. Lee was already a Pastor, but still he committed a mistake like the priest and Levite. Thats why he went to a prayer mountain to repent deeply, because he should have brought the man to the hospital. In the parable the Samaritan stopped when he saw the injured man, cured his wounds, put him on his own donkey, brought the man to an inn to recover, and paid for everything. Thats how we should respond when someone is in trouble. Today, we always hear news about someone being robbed and killed. But do you know that many people are being robbed and killed spiritually? Many people are honoring Mary and statues of humans as though they are as holy as God. Many believe that they will go to heaven if they only do good works, which is not true. How could we show our love to our neighbors who are being robbed and killed spiritually? It is through sharing to them the gospel, that Jesus Christ died and rose again for the forgiveness of their sins. If the Samaritan gave food to the injured man, we should give Jesus to others who are spiritually injured. Jesus said John 6:35, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." Therefore, I pray that we love our neighbor by using our time and money to show care and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. 3. Why should we love our neighbor?

Why should we care for someone who is in need, like the person who almost got killed by robbers? In the story, if God was the one who was robbed, what do you think will the priest and the Levite do? Here in the Philippines, if Pastor gets stabbed and robbed, will you show your care and support? (Its actually easy to say yes when that is the situation. But how about when Pastor asks for support by asking you to attend and serve church, will we follow? Many of you have so many reasons why you cant go. But just imagine if Jesus is the one who is asking you to come to church to meet him and help him with his work, will you go? Wouldnt you do anything to be able to go? In fact, it is Jesus who is inviting us to attend and serve church!) The problem is when we say we love God but we dont love others. The problem is when we say we love Jesus, but we dont really care for the church. Why is that a problem? It is because loving God also means loving others (Matthew 25:34-40). Do you believe the twelve disciples love Jesus? They said so, as written in Mark 14:31, But Peter insisted emphatically, Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you. And all the others said the same. But you know what, when Jesus was arrested, they all deserted him (Mark 14:50). Lets admit that many times we have been like the disciples: We say we love Jesus, but our actions say otherwise, especially when following him is hard. (We say we love Jesus, but we dont honor our commitments, we dont go to meetings, we dont participate in English Class and Youth Activities, we dont wash the dishes even when we know its your group who should, we dont welcome and talk to new members, we listen to nice Christian songs but dont listen to what Pastor needs, we do everything we can just to be able to attend an outing but we are often absent during Sunday, etc.) In 1 John 4:2021 it says, Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. We all have our shortcomings, but we should realize them and repent from our sins, and start to follow Gods Word. (The disciples, even they deserted Jesus was arrested, became great leaders after because they continued to follow God) Lets always remember that loving our neighbor means loving God, and it is through our actions, not just our words, that we do it. Therefore, I pray that we love God and our neighbor just as how God loves us, so that the church will grow and our country will be better for the glory of God.