Luke 10

Walled In

Posted on by Betsy

Do you live in a gated community? I do. The access to Colington Harbour is controlled by a gate guard. You have to have a bar code on your car to get the green light to enter. Contractors may get a day pass by giving the address of their worksite. Like most gated communities, we have shared amenities like a pool, club house, tennis courts, playgrounds, and basketball courts. Neighborhoods that are gated offer their residents privacy, protection, and security behind their walls. Home owners associations are active in keeping these perks in shape on behalf of their residents.

The downside of gated communities is that they overtly establish a line where you are either in or out. This can impact the larger community in a negative way if inhabitants define neighbors as only those within the walls at the expense of folks living on the other side. It can be easy to become blind to the needs of the area if people wall in their compassion and care to only those like them.

Such was the conundrum of Jesus and a legal expert as they debated about the definition of “neighbor.” The legal expert was well versed in the rabbinical Mosaic law but very ignorant about the law of mercy. Jesus set him straight with a story that is commonly known as the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10 (Common English Bible)

25 A legal expert stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to gain eternal life?”

26 Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you interpret it?”

27 He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

The lawyer was correct in referencing Leviticus 19:15-18 and Deuteronomy 6:4-9. The rabbinical Law emphasized giving God your everything and loving people as God loves. However, he got caught up on the definition of neighbor, incorrectly assuming that the Gentiles and the pagans surely were not under the care or concern of this law. Jesus’ response of creating a parable that clearly demonstrated that everyone is our neighbor was brilliant and decisive.

28 Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.”

29 But the legal expert wanted to prove that he was right, so he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 Jesus replied, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. 31 Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way.32 Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way.33 A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. 34 The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day, he took two full days’ worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, ‘Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.’ 36 What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?”

We can assume that the hearers at the time were scandalized by the notion of the priesthood prancing by the hurt man without so much as a backward glance. But don’t we do the same thing? Aren’t we also guilty of filling our heads with convenient excuses when we stumble upon someone in need? “Oh, somebody else will take care of this …they didn’t really ask for help … I don’t even know first aid … I’m just one person …they brought it on themselves …” And Jesus responds with a lesson on mercy. The Samaritan was able to overcome centuries of prejudice to help the man.

37 Then the legal expert said, “The one who demonstrated mercy toward him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

We are called to stop and help. Jesus requires that we break down our gated walls and accept everyone in need as a neighbor. Is God calling you today to assist someone in need? Go and do likewise.

Plantation Walls by Kathy Schumacher

Worries and Distractions

Posted on by Betsy

Do you ever get up in the middle of the night just to worry?

It’s 4:00 in the morning and my mind is not at rest. There is something about the “witching hour” that catches up with me more nights than I would like to mention. I get awake and start the video replay of all the things I have to do, all the things I wish I had said, all the things I regret saying (!), and a multitude of other non-sensical items dance through my head. Sometimes it can take up to an hour to fall back asleep.

Yesterday, I preached a sermon on Mary and Martha as part of our Epiphany series on “Seeing God through different things.” My emphasis was on seeing God through sitting at Jesus’ feet (Bible study) in order to arise and serve, as Mary does in this passage. I didn’t spend too much time on what was happening to Martha, so let’s take a moment to unpack that. Watch for the words distracted and worried:

Luke 10 (New Revised Standard Version)

38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him.[k] 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, 42 but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Last night I was blessed to lead the youth group in a study on this passage, so naturally I focused on distractions and worries. Their responses were very telling! Everyone was able to name their distractions, and number one among the responses was “my phone.”

Are you constantly distracted by your phone? Do you find yourself in a live conversation with someone and you keep glancing down at your text messages? I was grateful that they could name it, and then five minutes later had to ask two of them to put their phones down.

Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she was worried. Who could blame her? Wouldn’t you worry if Jesus was coming to your house for dinner? I mean, what do you serve the Son of God if he came to dinner? I told my congregation that I would immediately call the church’s Care Team and request a meal to be brought over, preferably Rendy’s famous Chicken Pot Pie with a lot of side dishes. I would proudly serve that to Jesus. He’s probably never eaten as well as the Methodists do at a potluck supper! Casseroles galore over here!

We went on to talk about things we worry about, and a very lovely High School Senior said, “Disappointing other people.” She told a story about how she cried at her Spanish oral exam because she could tell that the teacher, whom she adores, appeared to be let down at how she was doing. The sting of disappointing someone hurt her heart.

I can completely relate and might even add that the FEAR of disappointing someone is often a “negative motivator” for me when I have to get something done. What a terrible burden we carry when we feel that way!

What distracts you? What are you worried about?

Now that we’ve acknowledged that we are all Martha, let’s see what Mary did. Mary instantly put her distractions and tasks aside the minute Jesus walked into the house and sat at his feet to listen to his teaching. And there is the answer for us when anxiety overwhelms us. We need to set down the worries we are focusing on and sit at Jesus’ feet and listen.

So, the next time you are awake at 4:00, open your Bible and listen. Get down on your knees and pray but be sure to listen. Take out your journal and list your worries, and then look at them again while you listen to God as he swoops in and gathers them to his bosom.

In a world full of worries and distractions, be a Mary.

Listen to the Dawn Arise by Michelle Robertson