Obtaining Eternal Life- "The Test" 3-1-26

Overview

The Test We Cannot Pass

Scripture uses the word "test" in several ways. Sometimes God allows trials in our lives—not temptation, for God tempts no one—but circumstances that refine faith. As James 1:2-4 reminds us, the testing of our faith produces endurance, making us mature and complete. At other times, "test" describes an attempt to entrap, as when the Pharisees and Sadducees came demanding a sign in Matthew 16:1. The encounter in Luke 10:25-37 is a test of the second sort—and Jesus turns it into something far more searching than the lawyer expected.

A lawyer, an expert in the law of Judaism, asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus directs him back to the law itself, and the man recites it perfectly: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and your neighbor as yourself. Jesus answers, "Do this and you will live." But the law's demand is total and continuous—any shortcoming makes the claim of obedience impossible. To say "I have done this" would be to claim sinlessness. Sensing the trap closing on himself, the lawyer tries to "justify himself" by asking, "Who is my neighbor?" Jewish teaching of the day had quietly adjusted the command—love your friend, hate your enemy—an adjustment Jesus directly rejects in Matthew 5:43-44.

The parable that follows lands with devastating force. On the dangerous road from Jerusalem to Jericho, a man is robbed, stripped, and left half dead. A priest and a Levite—both versed in the Old Testament's call to mercy—pass by. Then a Samaritan, a man the lawyer would have despised (recall the insult hurled at Jesus in John 8:48), shows extravagant compassion: his own clothing torn for bandages, his own oil and wine, his own animal, two denarii for the innkeeper, and an open promise to cover whatever more is needed. When Jesus asks who proved to be a neighbor, the lawyer cannot even bring himself to say "the Samaritan," only "the one who showed him mercy." Jesus says, "Go and do likewise."

The parable is often read primarily as a call to kindness in a mean-spirited world, and there is real beauty in that. But the deeper point, given the context, is that the lawyer has failed the test—and so have we. The law was never given to save; it reveals our sinfulness. "Go and do likewise" exposes the impossibility of earning eternal life by our own performance. We cannot love God perfectly. We cannot love every neighbor, including the ones we would rather hate. We fail every moment.

That is precisely why the gospel strikes like lightning, especially in this season of Lenten reflection and repentance. The supreme Good Samaritan is Jesus himself. We are the ones beaten and left half dead by sin; he is the one who comes near, who has pity, who binds our wounds with his own blood, who pays the full cost of our care, and who promises to return. We contribute nothing to our salvation. By grace we receive what we do not deserve; by mercy we are spared what we do deserve; by his righteousness we who failed the test are clothed and made to live.

Transcript

Would you open your Bibles, please, with me to the 10th chapter of the gospel of Luke. 3s

If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you will find that in the New Testament 8s

page 62. 13s

Luke the 10th chapter for our study today. 15s

Tests. 21s

Tests. 23s

There's various meanings to that word, aren't there? 25s

One of the meanings, Luther, called the Little Wiles, the Little Wiles, it was born 31s

out of first Peter, the first chapter, where Peter writes this. 37s

In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 43s

various tests. 53s

Now it's important to note in Scripture that God never tempts us, but God does sometimes 57s

allow trials, tests in our life. 65s

The reason for that is revealed in James the first chapter. 72s

James writes this. 76s

My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, 78s

because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance and let endurance 86s

have its full effect so that you may be mature and complete lacking in nothing. 94s

That's one use of the word test. 105s

Another use of the word test, of course, that we see is a test with regard to knowledge. 108s

And sometimes what we see in Scripture is attached to that test for knowledge is really 116s

an entrapment where the person is asking the question, but the motive is to entrap. 123s

The person giving the answer. 133s

Jesus faced that, Matthew the 16th chapter. 136s

It says the Pharisees and Sadgesees came and to test Jesus. 140s

They asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 145s

In today's text, Jesus has one of those questions. 153s

It's a question to entrap him. 159s

It's a question there to see if Jesus is going to agree with the prevalent view of the day. 164s

It's a question to trap him. 172s

And how does Jesus respond to the test? 177s

Look when they place. 184s

At verse 25 of Luke the 10th chapter. 186s

Just then, a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. 190s

Now, this is not an expert in civil law. 197s

It's not an expert in criminal law. 200s

This is an expert in the law of Judaism. 202s

Lawyers were advisors to the Pharisees. 208s

And lawyers we see would try to oppose Jesus. 212s

They would try and entrap him. 218s

They wanted to discredit him. 221s

That's what's behind the question here. 225s

And then, here comes the question. 228s

The second part of verse 25, teacher, he said, 230s

what must I do to inherit eternal life? 234s

And notice how Jesus turns the tables and now it's a test of the lawyer. 240s

Look at the very next verse. 254s

Verse 26, he said to him, what is written in the law? 256s

What do you read there? 260s

The response verse 27. 261s

He answered, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul 263s

and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself. 268s

That would have rolled off the tongue of that expert in the law of Judaism. 273s

It would have rolled off his tongue without any hesitation whatsoever. 280s

He knew the answer to that question. 286s

And out it would come. 289s

What he gives here is the summary of the law. 293s

Love God, love your neighbor, and notice how the tense is present. 296s

That in loving God and in loving the neighbor, that is to be that which is continual. 303s

There's to be no shortcomings or lapses at all. 309s

And notice the depth here of what is saying with all your heart, 316s

with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself. 322s

Why if the lawyer could say, I've done that? 336s

The lawyer would be saying, I'm sinless. 340s

I'm sinless. 347s

Jesus turns, verse 28, and he says, and he said to him, you have given the right answer, 350s

do this and you live. 362s

What does live mean? 365s

Live means heavy-term life. 367s

Do this. 371s

That Jesus says. 372s

And you live. 375s

But the Jews would make adjustments to the law. 382s

And adjustment that was made is that they believed that they were called to love their friends. 390s

But hate their enemies. 401s

And that's not here. 406s

What the summary of the law is. 409s

Love the logic of it. 410s

The Lord of all your heart, mind, and soul. 411s

Love your neighbor as yourself. 412s

But the adjustment that was made by the Jew was, I'll love my friend. 413s

Will I enemy? 421s

I'm gonna hate. 424s

That's why remember in Matthew 5th chapter, when Jesus says, you've heard that it was said, 426s

you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 433s

That's exactly what he's addressing. 436s

He's exactly addressing the adjustment that the Jew would make. 439s

You've heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 444s

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. 448s

Notice the question that the lawyer now asks, verse 29, 456s

but wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, and who is my neighbor? 462s

You understand the motive there, right? 470s

Well, I'm called to love my friends, but I'm called then to hate my enemy. 473s

So how Jesus are you defining neighbor here? 481s

Because what does he want to do? 484s

He wants to justify himself. 485s

He wants to convince himself of what he believes. 487s

That he is righteous enough for eternal life based upon the fulfillment of the law with adjustments. 493s

And that, occasions, the story. 504s

Verse 30, Jesus replied, and man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, fell into the hands 512s

of robbers who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 520s

That lawyer would have been very, very familiar with that road. 526s

It was called the bloody way. 529s

It's a drop of 14,000 feet over 17 miles, rocks and crevices and caves, so that people that 532s

wanted to cause harm to other people or to rob them had a whole host of ways that they 545s

could hide. 553s

It was a very, very dangerous route to take. 555s

So when Jesus says a man was going on that route and this happened, that robbers came 562s

across him and beat him, stripped him, left him half dead. 568s

That would not have been a surprise for the lawyer. 575s

Story goes on. 578s

Verse 31, now by chance, a priest was going down that road and when he saw him, he passed 581s

by on the other side. 586s

The priest, a religious leader, would have been very well versed in the Old Testament 590s

demand for mercy. 597s

Yet he passes by on the other side. 601s

Next verse, 32, so likewise a Levite when he came to the place and saw him passed by 604s

on the other side. 610s

A Levite was an assistant to the priest. 611s

The Levite would have been very well versed in the Old Testament demand for mercy. 614s

So you got the man on the road. 623s

The robbers come. 625s

They rob him, stripped him. 627s

Leave him for dead. 629s

The priest will versed in the demand for mercy. 631s

Passes by. 635s

The Levite passes by. 637s

Then notice what Jesus says. 642s

But a Samaritan while traveling came near him. 648s

And when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 655s

When Jesus would have said a Samaritan had pity, that would have made the blood boil 666s

in that Jewish lawyer. 683s

Because the Jews hated the Samaritans. 688s

It went back seven hundred years. 695s

In John the 8th chapter, it's recorded that the Pharisees turned to Jesus and they said, 701s

are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon? 708s

In the mind of the Jew, there was no greater insult that you could give than to call someone 719s

a Samaritan who had a demon. 729s

That was the pinnacle of insults. 733s

If you wanted to insult someone, that was what you did. 738s

And Jesus says, a Samaritan had pity. 746s

And notice the extent of the caring verse 34. 758s

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. 764s

Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 770s

The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper and said, take care of 776s

him. 783s

And when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend. 784s

Now remember, when the robbers came, they stripped the man. 791s

That means that the Samaritan would have had to tear his own clothes to use for bandages. 796s

His own oil, his own wine, his own animal takes the man to the inn. 805s

That gives two denarii and depending upon the quality of the inn, that means three weeks 813s

to two months worth of room and board. 819s

And then says, and whatever else it costs to care for him, I'm going to pay you back. 822s

That is quite a story. 834s

It's quite a story. 838s

And after the story, after the lecture comes the test. 843s

And here's the question. 855s

Verse 36, 858s

What did these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the 861s

robbers? 870s

He said, the one who showed him mercy. 875s

Jesus said to him, go and do. 883s

Likewise. 891s

There are amazing stories of compassion in Scripture. 897s

I think in Mark 1st chapter, where Jesus touches the man with leprosy and heals him, 904s

compassion. 915s

I think of Luke 7th chapter, where Jesus comes across this funeral procession. 917s

And there is this widow in the funeral procession. 925s

It's her son that has died. 928s

And Jesus stops the funeral procession and raises the widow's son to life. 931s

Compassion. 937s

I think of Pharaoh's daughter and the compassion that the book of Exodus tells us that 941s

she showed to little baby Moses. 947s

So often when you look at the parable of the good Samaritan, so often the focus is on compassion, 953s

kindness, and for good reason, there are certainly aspects of that here. 964s

Right? 969s

We live in a world that is becoming increasingly mean. 976s

Means words and actions, the humanizing individuals, hatred, a world becoming increasingly 990s

mean. 1017s

That's why there is such an appeal to this act of mercy by this good Samaritan. 1023s

It's such an appeal to that, isn't it? 1029s

It's almost in a sense cleansing, right? 1033s

When you read it, in a world that's becoming increasingly mean, you read the story of 1037s

this profound expression of compassion and kindness and it's beautiful. 1044s

But the expression of kindness and compassion, it is ultimately not the main point of 1059s

parable. 1074s

It's not the main point. 1077s

Consider the context once again. 1083s

Look at verse 25. 1086s

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. 1088s

Teacher, he said, what must I do to inherit eternal life? 1093s

And what is the backdrop of the question? 1098s

What's in the mind here of the lawyer, verse 29, but wanting to justify himself, he asked 1104s

Jesus, and who is my neighbor? 1112s

But he fails the test. 1120s

He fails the test. 1124s

He says, well, you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, strength, 1128s

love your neighbor is yourself. 1134s

He's failed it because he doesn't live that out. 1136s

He hates that Samaritan in that story. 1140s

Hate him. 1145s

Why only perfect love of God and perfect love of neighbor leads them to life eternal. 1147s

But you see the law was never given to save. 1165s

The law reveals our sinfulness. 1168s

And so when Jesus turns to him and says, we'll go and do likewise. 1172s

Go and do likewise. 1177s

If you want to be one who has eternal life, will then be perfect, be sinless. 1180s

Go and do likewise. 1188s

Jesus is exposing the impossibility of that. 1190s

Jesus is exposing that he's failed the test. 1193s

What even has on hatred of the Samaritan and is making accommodations for who's the neighbor 1198s

again with regard to that, as remember, I can love my friend, but I can hate my enemy. 1207s

Jesus is revealing the fact, you can't fulfill the law and you can't earn eternal 1212s

life laws never meant to save. 1219s

He reveals to the lawyer that the lawyer has failed the test. 1222s

And so do we. 1232s

We fail the test. 1235s

That's the point of the parable. 1236s

We can't justify ourselves. 1239s

It's not a matter of our doing. 1244s

We all fail. 1250s

We all fail. 1256s

In the season of length as the church adorned in purple, as we walk in the season, the special 1261s

season of reflection, the special season of repentance. 1270s

28 days to pome Sunday, 32 days to Monday, Thursday, 33 days to good Friday, 35 days 1278s

until Easter. 1286s

As we walk in the season, Debarra, a phrase from an old professor of mine who would drop 1291s

it every now and then, he said, what God does is continually hithous a new with the lightning 1297s

bolt of the gospel. 1306s

May we as we walk in the season be struck a new with a lightning bolt of the gospel. 1311s

The depth of the grace of God, giving us what we don't deserve, the depth of the mercy 1324s

of God, not giving us what we deserve. 1333s

The depth of God's love for us unconditional and for us we contribute nothing to our salvation. 1336s

We contribute nothing to our salvation. 1356s

We can't pass the perfection test. 1369s

We've all failed. 1376s

We fail every moment. 1380s

We can't pass the test. 1385s

But God in his grace and God in his mercy and God in his love has sent his son the Lord 1391s

Jesus Christ and on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ redeems us of our sin through his shed blood 1397s

and the tomb is empty. 1406s

He picks us, failures up and clothe us in his righteousness. 1410s

The Samaritan, while traveling came near him and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 1427s

He went to him and bandages wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. 1436s

Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an in and took care of him. 1440s

Then the next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the inkeeper and said, take care of him. 1444s

And when I come back, I will repay you, whatever more you spend. 1451s

And the bolt of the gospel strikes a new, because the supreme example of the good Samaritan 1460s

is Jesus and He has had pity on us. 1480s