How many times I've been told that all I talk about is milk; that I'm a stranger to meat! Oy!
And yet I wonder who has missed the message? For Scripture tells us in 1 John 4:7-12 -- "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." So we know from Scripture that God is love and if we want to be like God and show that we love God, we exemplify love.
.. In Matthew 22:35-40, one of these sorts of nit pickers questioned Yeshua: "One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments." So from our teacher and master we learn that if we want to be obedient and Torah observant, these are the commandments we must learn and exemplify first because this is the meat (not the milk) of all Scripture.
Interesting you note some of what you did in regards to I John 4 and what Messiah said on love...
For Christ lived out what the apostle John noted--even when all everyone around him felt that they knew the "hidden meanings" of scripture...and yet refused to participate with those who they deemed to be of lesser understanding/worth. Yet Christ
associated with sinners at morally upright or at least morally neutral places, such as meals in people's homes .
However, because of his love for others, He was willing to go/do what many were not willing to do.
I think Jesus was speaking directly to this issue here (Luke 10:25-39):
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:25-37)
Those who would have been considered as the most loving of Torah= in the above story not only did not help the half-dead man, but when they saw him they actually passed by on the other side of the road
Considering their positions as Priest and Levite, I’ll assume that they considered the man who lay dying on the side of the road to be unclean, as not only did they not want to help (touch) him, they went to the other side of the road to avoid any possible contact with him. They were more concerned for
their own “clean-ness” than they were for the
very life of the man bleeding, obviously needing aid, lying at the side of the road.
Who did Jesus say to imitate? The consummate Law Keepers, a Priest and a Levite?
No... He instructed the
expert in the law to imitate the
unclean man, a Samaritan.
The responses of the priest and the Levite are truly some of the highlights of the story since they would have become ritually "unclean" by touching what seemed to be a dead person,
Leviticus 22:4----with the implications for us being very striking since we in Christ have been made into priests ourselves/in many ways are as they were,
1 Peter 2:8-10
It brings up the point: If someone around the world in Nigeria is taking care of orphans and widows (or the elderly) in the name of Yeshua--and yet another claiming to know all of the secrets of the Torah is barely able to say "Hi" to their neighbors or show any concern because they don't see them as "spiritual", who would be considered he most observant? Romans 2 automaically comes to mind on the matter, as it concerns what the apostle noted...
And with the Good Samaritan parable, it's fascinating to see how the hero of the Story was one who was considered to be the most "unclean" in the day---a Samaritan, one whom many would call a "half-breed" compared to their acts of righteousness.....and yet the Samaritan kept the true SPirit of the Law more than those who should have known better.
In speaking on that, I'm reminded of some of the scenarios I grew up with on the Mission field--both abroad and locally, as one can be a missionary within their own culture---and concerning the Inner City/Urban culture, the issue of the Good Samaritan always was a big deal. For my major (Human Services), I did my Senior Internship
at an organization aiding those on the streets and working in the Children's Church department with impoverished children at the organization called-City of Refuge-Bringing Hope to Those Who Live on the Margin. For more, one can also go here
And amazing seeing the myriad of people we'd have to deal with on the block---from single mothers to prostitutes to drug-dealers/many various shades of "homeless" people and others in wild lifestyles.
Got to actually pray for/witness to a person hooked on crack on Valentines's Day....with him being amazed that God would even consider loving him. The places many lived---from the projects invested with garbage/rats to having homes where the conditions were often unsanitary to the streets, for those homeless---to the food they ate that was often non-healthy, you saw people in REAL LIFE.
And yet LOVE made the difference. Eating what was given out of respect/concern....talking to them/hanging out. The amount of stories I'd hear from those who used to be hopeless on the streets and in the realm of being qualified by others as “not deserving of aid/help” and how someone looked past the flaws and showed compassion on them in such a way that they truly saw the love/mercy of Christ and it made the difference in them being solid disciples/aiding others today. Living life with real people, it's hard not to be reminded of the parable of the Prodigal Son in
Luke 15:11-31, alongside all the other ones spoken, were shared in light of the Pharisees looking down upon the tax-collectors (deemed traitors/crooks by the Jewish people ) and the prostitutes (unclean, immoral, etc).
Luke 15
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in.’”
The three parables on the subject of being lost and found were never primarily about Gentiles being brought back into the Jewish community (in regards to anyone saying "older brothers" are those Jews who don't believe Gentiles are meant to be the same in stance as the Jews). The portrayal of the elder son and his resentment was in many ways a subtle criticism of the grumbling Pharisees and scribes toward those within the Jewish community who they deemed to be lower-class Jews...ones who weren't as "Worthy" of salvation as they were. It is no small issue when Yeshua noted that the tax collectors/prostitutes were entering in before the religious leaders of Christ's day..as they understood their need of salvation (
Matthew 21:30-32 )
In regards to the greater context of Luke 15, why were the Pharisees and teachers of the law bothered that Jesus associated with the people he did? The religious leaders were always careful to stay "clean" according to the OT law. In fact, they went well beyond the law in their avoidance of certain people and situations and in their ritual washings. By contrast, Jesus took their concept of "cleanness" lightly. He risked defilement by touching those who had leprosy and by neglecting to wash in the Pharisees' prescribed manner, and he showed complete disregard for their sanctions against associating with certain classes of people. He came to offer salvation to sinners, to show that God loves them...and he wasn't concerned with the accusations brought to him by being with the "wrong crowd."
For the Lord associated with sinners because he wanted to bring people considered beyond hope the Gospel of God's kingdom...just as the shepherd was not concerned so much with the bigger flock as much as he was about that one lost sheep. And with the parable Jesus shared, the younger brother was a perfect example of the Jewish indivduals who went away from the Lord/were redeemed and loved just as strongly by the Father as the older/"righteous" brother was. It was hard for the older brother to accept his younger brother when he returned after living a notoriously sinful life--but the Father had to show him that love required forgivness and compassion.
