Not good enough… vs. 25-37 (4 things)

• 1^st – What must I do to get to heaven… vs. 25
  • A certain lawyer stood up and tested Jesus…
    • This is not a lawyer in the sense we think of today – he studied the Law of God…
    • Lawyers were the Bible scholars of their day – they were well educated in the Word…
    • This man was not asking Jesus to find an answer – he was looking to trap Jesus…
    • He wanted Jesus to say something that he could then find fault with
  • Teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life…
    • Perhaps offended by reports Jesus spent His time with sinners…
    • The Lawyer may have wondered if Jesus would contradict the Law of God…
    • Because according to the Law – salvation was based on keeping the commands of God…
    • Speaking of the 613 commands of God given by Moses in the first 5 books of the Bible…
    • Deuteronomy 8:1 – “Be careful to obey all the commands… Then you will live…”
    • Times have not changed much – most still think you have to earn you way to heaven…
    • It is commonly believed – if our good works out weigh our bad – we will be saved!
    • Ask the average person why God should let them into heaven – ‘I’m a good person’…
      
• 2^nd – Looking to the Law… vs. 26-28
  • The Lawyer was trusting in the Law to save – so Jesus asked him – ‘what does the Law say’…
    • The Lawyer knew His Bible very well – he quoted the two most important commands…
    • Deuteronomy 6:5 – “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
    • Leviticus 19:18 – “You shall love your neighbor as yourself…”
    • Thought there are 613 commands in the Law of God – they are all fulfilled in these two…
    • Matthew 22:40 – “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
    • If you love God – you are not going to use His name in vain / worship other gods…
    • If you love you neighbor – you are not going to murder / lie / steal / or covet…
  • If you constantly DO this (Present/Active/Imperative) – you will live…
    • The lawyer had the right answer – but the question was could he live up to his words…
      • No doubt the Lawyer thought he was a Godly man – because he knew God’s Law…
      • But the Lawyers assumptions about salvation were flawed…
      • It is not enough to know the commands of God – you must also always obey them…
      • Most of us assume we are good people – not many if any of us would say we are Bad…
      • We think because they go to church / because they own a Bible – we are OK…
      • But salvation has nothing to do with how many times we go to church in a week…
      • How many Bibles we own – or how many verses we have memorized…
    • The standard of the Law is perfection – never sinning once – Matthew 5:48
      • If the lawyer had a bad day – broke the law even once – he would fail to get to heaven…
      • James 2:10 – “Whoever keeps the whole law, yet stumble in one point, is guilty of all.”
      • How many sins does it take to keep us out of heaven – just one…
      • Even if it’s just a little sin – a white lie – taking a little rice (our neighbor has extra…)
      • Any sin – just one – makes us a sinner – and keeps us out of heaven!
      • To God there is no difference between the worst sinner and the ‘holiest saint’…
      • No one is good enough to get into heaven – all are sinners – Romans 3:23
    • The Law is like a mirror or a measuring tape…
      • The commandments of God were never meant to get us to heaven…
      • They were given so to teach us we were not able to live up to God’s perfect standard!
      • Galatians 3:24 – “Therefore the law was our teacher to bring us to Christ…”
      • Like a mirror that can show you how you look – but cannot change your appearance
      • Like a measuring tape – that tells how tall you are – but not help you grow
      • The Law shows us we are sinners – but cannot help make us saints…
      • Realizing that is the key to Heaven – because now we know we need help…
      • It shows us our need for Jesus – only through Him can we be saved!
        
• 3^rd – Explaining the law… vs. 29-37
  • The lawyer wanted to justify himself…
    • Looking for a ‘loophole’ he attempted to argue – ‘who is my neighbor’…
    • According to Jewish tradition – not everyone was considered your neighbor…
    • For instance anyone who was not a Jew – was not your neighbor / including Samaritans…
    • Perhaps by that standard the Lawyer could have bragged he had lived up to the Law…
    • Whenever we seek to ‘justify’ ourselves – we end up having to lower God’s standards…
    • Since we cannot live up to God requirements – we change them to fit our lives…
    • We look for people who are worse sinners than we are – so we look better!
    • Then we assume because we are more ‘Godly’ than there are – we are a good person…
    • But God does not grade on a curve – He has only one standard – His Word…
    • And compared to God’s standard – all of us are in desperate need of Jesus!
  • To answer the question – Jesus told the lawyer a story – ‘the Good Samaritan’…
    • A certain man went from Jerusalem to Jericho….
      • The suggestion is this man was a Jew (from Jerusalem) perhaps on a business trip…
      • The road down to the Jericho runs through steep canyons – deserted dessert…
      • About this time – 40,000 men who had worked on the 2^nd temple – were out of work…
      • Most had became robbers and thieves – many of whom prowled this pass…
      • It became known as the ‘way of blood’ because of how many died there…
      • The man was robbed of his money – stripped of his clothes – and beaten half to death…
      • As he lay there dying – 3 men happened to come by and see him…
    • 1^st – The Priest…
      • A spiritual leader of Israel – a representative of God to the nation of Israel…
        • Jericho was the home to no less than 12,000 of the Priest and Levites…
        • They would have to take regular trips to Jerusalem to serve in the Temple….
        • The priest was likely returning from his duties at the Temple when he saw the man
        • One would assume he would have rushed to the aid of his fellow Jewish brother…
        • Instead he crossed over to the other side of the road to completely avoid the man!
        • Leviticus 21:1 – “Tell the priests to avoid making themselves ceremonially unclean by touching a dead [body]…”
        • The man was ‘half-dead’ – if he became all dead while the priest helped – unclean…
      • The Priest was unwilling to get dirty in an effort to help someone in need…
        • I have met many ‘Christians’ who choose to stay as far as they can from sinners…
        • To them church should be a ‘social gathering’ for Godly people just like them…
        • But the church is not for social club for saints – it is a hospital for sinners…
        • We cannot be afraid to go and get our hand dirty – sinners need our help!
        • Not that we join in with them – we need to be careful not to fall back into the world
        • But we reach out to them – showing them the Love of Jesus!
    • 2^nd – The Levite…
      • After the Priest passed by – a Levite came and saw the man lying on the road…
        • The Levites were the assistants of the Priests in the Temple of God…
        • As a servant of God – you would assume he would be willing to help…
        • He looked longer than the priest – but in the end he also passed by…
        • Perhaps he thought – maybe the men who attacked are still around…
        • If I stay to help – I might become a victim as well – let someone else take the risk!
        • * I John 3:17 – “Whoever… sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”
      • Too often in Christianity we leave the work of the Gospel to others…
        • We know there are sinners out there who do not know the Lord…
        • We know there are people who are sick / in prison / have nothing to eat…
        • But we think to ourselves – if we help what will happen to us…
        • If I go to the hospital – maybe I’ll get sick / if I go to a prison – maybe I’ll be hurt…
        • If I give to those who are in need – maybe I’ll not have enough for myself…
        • So we leave the work for someone else to do – let them carry the burden…
        • Selfishly thinking only about ourselves – and ignoring the needs of others!
    • 3^rd – The Samaritan…
      • After the reign of King Solomon – Israel divided into 2 nations – Northern & Southern
        • The Northern Kingdom was conquered by Assyria in 722 B.C – II Kings 17:23
        • Assyrians took the Israelites and scattered them to other conquered countries…
        • Then took captives from other countries and placed them in Israel…
        • Wild animals began to kill the foreigners in the Land – II Kings 17:26-27
        • So Assyria allowed some of the Priest to return to teach the people about God…
        • This mixed people/religion – became the ‘Samaritans’ of the New Testament…
        • They became the bitter rivals of the Jews – each hated the other – John 4:9…
        • The Samaritans even once defiled the Temple with human bones at Passover…
      • An enemy of the Jewish people – saw this Jew and had compassion on him…
        • He bound his wounds (oil/wine) – carried him to an inn – and paid for his stay…
        • When he left he told the owner he would pay all expenses for the man’s recovery!
        • All because the Samaritan did not see an enemy – in love he saw a neighbor…
        • If the world would hear and understand this truth it would be a much nicer place…
        • To realize that color / race / creed make no difference – everyone is our neighbor!
        • And just as God loved us – we are called to love each other!
        • John 13:34 – “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”
  • Jesus asked – which of these 3 men was a neighbor to the wounded man…
    • Jesus story forced the Lawyer to become his own judge…
      • The Lawyer had to answer – ‘the one’ who showed mercy…
      • Still showing his ‘hate’ for the Samaritans – not willing to even mentioning their name
      • So Jesus showed that the Lawyer he did not love his neighbor…
      • In fact the lawyer broke both of the ‘key’ laws – he also did not love God…
      • * I John 4:20 – “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”
      • Therefore he was not a good enough to get to heaven – he had not lived up to the Law…
      • When we really understand what God’s standard – we see just how sinful we are…
    • Go and do the same…
      • The question was what would the Lawyer do next – did he see his need for Jesus…
      • * James 1:23 -“For if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance.”
      • Often we listen to God’s word – we attend Bible studies and are ‘convicted’…
      • We agree with what we hear – we see our need to change – but then we go home…
      • And we go right back to the way we used to be – forgetting what we saw…
      • But we are not good enough – so the question becomes – what can we do to be good…
        
• 4^th – How to be good enough… vs. 38-42

So take the time – make the time – to be good enough – sit at Jesus feet!

Jesus came to the house of Mary and Martha…

Martha was busy doing many things – Mary her sister sat at Jesus feet and listened to Him…

Martha – feeling like she was doing ‘all the work’ – demanded Jesus tell Mary to help

Jesus answered – Martha you are worried and troubled about many things…

But Mary has chosen the good part – and it will not be taken away…

Mary knew that more important than anything else – was to sit at Jesus’ feet!

Being good enough is not about what we do – it is about knowing Jesus!

We all want to be good enough – we want to live godly lives…

So we run off to work / then to church / back to spend time with the family…

Rushing around – so busy – with no time to spare –no time to sit at Jesus feet…

But God is not looking for us to be busy – He is looking to spend time with us…

Righteousness does not come from our busy lives – it comes from knowing Jesus!