Spirit Led Care

Scripture Reading: Luke 10:25-37; Colossians 1:1-14

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God.

SERMON:  Spirit Led Care

One of the most important themes in Luke’s gospel is that of discipleship. How does it work? What does it look like on a daily basis to walk out being a follower of Jesus?

Often relationships are highlighted such as in our Scriptures today—that of relationship with one’s neighbor and with Jesus.

A key principle that can be highlighted today is that of listening to the Lord with sensitive service to people.

Our story that we are all familiar with of the Good Samaritan begins with a lawyer asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Interestingly, Jesus answers back with a question of his own. Since this lawyer was an expert in the law and Jewish tradition, Jesus turns to the Law of God asking the lawyer to express how he understands it.

The response is part of what is called the “shema” from Deuteronomy 6:5. This portion of the Law a Jewish person recited daily and it calls on the nation and the individual to love God fully. The lawyer also recites from Leviticus 19:18 that calls for loving one’s neighbor. Jesus encourages the lawyer to go and do that very thing.

When we look at this, we can understand that the ethical call of God is to love Him and respond to others in the light of that love—the love of God.

In an ancient Jewish book of wisdom called the Sirach, it tells of those who read it to not help a sinner. As a result, what the lawyer is really trying to do is to create a distinction by saying some people are neighbors and some absolutely are not.

The entire idea then is that some individuals are not neighbors is the reason why Jesus responds with the story of the Good Samaritan.

To the Jewish people, a Samaritan would be considered a non-neighbor in the lawyers’ eyes.

The assumption in this story is that the Priest and the Levite were the righteous good guys who could be expected to help the wounded man on the road—but they chose to not be of assistance.

Enter the “half-breed,” the renegade who stops and goes out of his way to bring care to the wounded traveler. Jesus goes into interesting depth in expressing what the Samaritan did—goes to him, bandages his wounds, pours in oil and wine as healing properties, puts him on his donkey, takes him to an inn, takes care of him and pays for his further care!

This story reminds us that “neighbors” may come in surprising places in our lives.

The whole idea is that by loving God it is to respond to Him at every level. Paul reminds us in Romans 5 that it is the Holy Spirit that enables us to love God fully. From that love, the Holy Spirit works in our lives in such a way that the fruit of the Spirit is developed in us—and two of those fruits that are evident in this story are those of love and kindness. These are to be functioning in our lives in such a way that they enable us to respond to others needs as we are led to do.

In Jesus’ response to the lawyer, rather than being told who his neighbor is, the lawyer is shown how to be a neighbor.

We can understand that giving mercy or compassion to the one in need is the definition of neighbor. Mercy is what comes from the heart of God to all—it is a gift given to each of us.

One thing we see in this story would be the aspect of kindness. In a world driven by competition, greed, individualism, and the like—God calls for a different way—to love and be kind in all that we do and to all we encounter in our lives.

Only one of the three in our story saw the need. The word “compassion” means “a deep moving within the inward spirit.” This story illustrates for us the ministry of Jesus and leads to us understanding that we are to be like Jesus in this world.

Luke adds from the Shema—the norm is heart, soul, and strength—but adds the mind. In Greek thought, the heart and mind translate the full spectrum of meaning—love your neighbor as yourself. This is what could easily be called the “double love command.” Loving God in every aspect of your being. Loving your neighbor as yourself. Both form the very core of Christian ethics.

We know that the lawyer in our story was trying to justify himself. He was very self-absorbed.

Neighbor, in both the Old and New Testaments had a much broader meaning than what we normally understand today in our world. For us, neighbor is who lives next door to us or across the street. At the time of our story today, “there were no farmhouses scattered over the agricultural areas of Palestine. The populations were gathered in villages and went to and fro to do their work. Domestic life was touched at every point by a wide circle of neighborhood.

Some of the chief characteristics of the privileges and duties were: its helpfulness, its intimacy, and its sincerity and sanctity.

When we look at “love your neighbor as yourself”—the entire biblical concept is to do what is good for others just as you naturally love doing what is good for yourself.” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

This all boils down to what we all would understand as the golden rule. Do good for your neighbor since that is the way you would want them to treat you.

Perhaps we would ask a couple questions: How am I loving myself? How am I loving others?

In our story today, Jesus clarifies the “neighbor” includes those you don’t know personally—even those with whom an individual would not normally associate with.

In transition our verses in Colossians remind us that our faith brings to us the opportunity to love God’s people as a priority. This same faith, based on the good news of the gospel, is to bear fruit. That fruit, as we know is based on how the Holy Spirit work in our lives day by day. It is the Spirt of God, pouring Christ’s love to us first that can then flow out of us to others.

Paul expressed clearly the Colossians as “loving in the Spirit.” I think this is an important concept that we need to grasp from the Good Samaritan as told by Jesus and the words of Paul that the ability to love outside of our own self-interests is possible because of how the Holy Spirit works both in us and through us.

There is a commercial that is repeated often by Tunnel to Towers—it ends always with “let us do good.”

This is the message of the Word of the Lord, to do good to those we can. Yet, it is always vital to understand—we need to be listening to the voice of the Lod to lead us when and how to do good. There are so many needs out there and we cannot meet them all—neither are we expected to do so. It is also important that we do self-care as well.

This past week we hosted pastor’s boundary training. It is an annual requirement for Presbyterian pastors and those who do pulpit supply. Through our discussions we were reminded that healthy boundaries help us to not only care for ourselves but also to have healthy was to care for others.

James Wallace writes this: “The parable to the Good Samaritan is a story for travelers on the road, a scriptural GPS, routing us in the only direction God knows—the way of love and compassion for others. This is more than a parable about a helpful stranger, it is about the transforming power of God at work in those who travel the dangerous roads in our world, moving us into the fullness of life, eternal life, here and now.” (James Wallace, Feasting on the Word, Vol. C3, pg. 243)

Spirit led care of both ourselves and others is foundational to our walks as believers. Caring for one another in ways that honor the Lord in our lives and brings the love of Christ to those we encounter. There are so many that need a smile, a hug, and listening ear, and perhaps even needs out there where the Lord may encourage you to give financially to a situation. We need to be open to all that the Lord may lead us to, trusting that He is our guide and provider in all of life.

And don’t forget to care for yourself too—so that when the time comes, as the Spirit leads you to care for another—you will have the energy and wisdom you need to walk out the call of God in whatever situation you may be invited to do good in! It is Spirit led care for yourself and Spirit led care for others—both needing the power of God to enable us to do both!