Luke (1)

     For a little more than six months now we have been examining the books of the Old Testament.  We should all realize by this time that we are no longer under the Old Law, the Law of Moses.  But the Old Testament still has a lot to teach us.
     "Now these things happened to them as an example," 1 Corinthians 10:11 informs us, "and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come."
     For the rest of the year, Lord willing, we will be going through the New Testament.  It will be easier to follow along if you write for a reading schedule, since we won't be going in the order the books are found in the Bible.  For example, the four Gospel accounts are placed at different times instead of being presented one after the other.  We'll be starting today with Luke's version of the Gospel.
     From Colossians 4:14 we know that Luke was a physician.  The book of Acts, also written by Luke, traces his participation in the missionary journeys of Paul.
     Luke begins his Gospel account with an introduction addressed to someone he calls "most excellent Theophilus."  In these first few verses the writer informs us that he intends to make a logical presentation of facts obtained from eye-witness accounts.
     Since "Theophilus" is a Greek name, it comes as no surprise that Luke presents the life of Jesus in a way that is meaningful to those who do not have Jewish backgrounds.  Unlike other writers such as Matthew, Luke does not focus on the role of Jesus as the Christ, as the Old Testament Messiah.  Instead, Luke relies heavily upon the teachings of the Master.  The Gospel according to Luke contains a large number of parables, many of which are unique to this book.
     Of all the great teachers throughout history, none has come close to the simple son of a carpenter from Galilee, Jesus of Nazareth.  This is true, as we all know, because the carpenter was not really His father.  This great teacher was and is the Son of God.
     One of the favorite teaching tools of this great teacher is the parable.  All too often in our modern word of sophisticated, high-tech gadgets and super-hype advertising, we forget that simplest is often best.  It is possible to say more by saying less.
     We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words.  The same is true of a word-picture.  A few, carefully chosen words are worth more than a drawn out, carelessly planned discourse.
     It is usually true that the more we say, the more confined and limited our discussion becomes.  By saying little, Jesus is able to leave gems of wisdom that have benefited countless generations over 20 centuries.
     The word "parable" literally means to "cast along side."  In other words, a simple concept is cast along side another, usually more complex, idea in order to help explain the latter.  A good definition is that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
     Imagine the task confronting Jesus as He begins His ministry at about age 30.  He must teach deep, complex spiritual concepts to humans with limited experiences.  He must do this in a way that will continue to provide meaning for these concepts in the second century and third century and on into the twenty-first century.
     Before looking at a few of the parables recorded in Luke, we need to establish a couple of facts.  First of all, many of the parables had primary applications to the people who first heard them.  In other words, many of the parables have applications relating to the Jewish system and the coming kingdom, the church.  A good many parables begin with the words, "The kingdom is like..."
     So the first question we must ask when examining a parable is, "What did this mean to the people who first heard it?"  Then we can move on to the second question, "How does this apply to me?"
     One more thing that should be mentioned is that parables deal with fictional occurrences.  But everything presented in the story is correct.  In other words, a parable that talks about a farmer sowing seed is not a report of an actual event.  But it does contain only factual actions.  There really are farmers.  They really do plant seed.  We cannot look at a single parable and say, "That would never happen."  There are no dragons or flying elephants in the parables.

     As we said, the Gospel of Luke contains some parables not recorded in the other accounts.  This list includes such stories as "The Good Samaritan," "The Prodigal Son" and "The Rich Man and Lazarus."  We'll look at the first of these today.  Then, Lord willing, we will consider the other two next time.
     In Luke 10:25 a Jewish leader tests Jesus with the question, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
     For the Jews this was a little like a supreme court justice asking someone on the street to interpret a law.  So Jesus wisely turns the question back to the self-appointed expert in the Jewish law.
     The man answers that we are to love God with all our heart, soul and strength, and that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Jesus informs him that the reply is correct.  But the Lord adds that the lawyer needs to go out and DO what he has said.
     This isn't exactly the result the man wants, so he tries again by asking, "And who is my neighbor?"
     "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho;" Jesus replies, "and he fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went off leaving him half dead."
     In the parable, a priest passes by on the other side of the road, as does a Levite.  But a Samaritan stops and helps the man.  He then takes the victim to an inn where he cares for him through the night.  The next day the Samaritan leaves money with the innkeeper and asks him to care for the injured man, promising to pay any additional expenses.
     "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" Jesus asks in verse 36.
     The answer is inevitable, so the lawyer is forced to reply that the Samaritan was the neighbor.
     "Go and do the same," Jesus concludes.
     Before being too hard on the priest and the Levite, perhaps we should look at some of the excuses we give for not obeying God and for not helping others.  After all, this could have been a trap.  The man could have just been a decoy to lure them off the road.
     Besides, the Jewish system limited contact between priests and Levites and dead people.  If the man were dead, they would have to go through bothersome cleansing ceremonies.  Most of us are creative enough with excuses that we could help these two men with many more reasons why they should not stop.
     But what about the Samaritan?  The Jews considered these people to be slightly lower than the dogs.  This Jew would probably not want to be touched by a Samaritan if he were well.
     When does the Samaritan feel that his help is sufficient?  Does he just roll the man back onto the middle of the road where someone will be sure and find him?  Does he feel he is going an extra mile by putting the man on his own beast and taking him to the inn?  Wouldn't it be good enough to drag the man along behind while he rides?  After all, this is probably what a Jew would do for a Samaritan.  Surely it would be enough to dump the injured man on the doorstep of the inn and ride off.  Why should the Samaritan lose time and money to help someone who might not even make it?
     The point is that the Samaritan does not even begin to make excuses.  He sees a need and takes care of it.  And he does not stop until everything is in order.
     This story is so clear when viewed from a physical standpoint.  But what about spiritual matters?  There are people all around us who are beaten and robbed by the Devil and left to die in their sins.  There are people who are locked up by their sins.  What kind of neighbor are we if we righteously close our eyes and walk by on the other side?
     First of all, perhaps we should decide whether we are really walking by or whether we are actually lying right beside them.
     Then we need to decide.  Are we going to walk by and leave them for someone else, or are we going to bandage their wounds with the truth that will heal them and set them free?

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.lockman.org)