Mark 10:31 The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+12&version=AMP)
Good morning, dear friends,
Coffee in hand, rain pattering on the roof overhead, quiet surrounds me, I am ready to dig in and discover. 🙂 I realize I’ve done it again, I’ve given you the passage yesterday and some of the very definitions you need. 🙂 And I think the best teach today will be voice of our sweet Teacher, Jesus, who can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine from these texts. First, here is the definition of neighbor as given by Strong’s and found on blb.org.
Neighbor-a neighbour
a) a friend
b) any other person, and where two are concerned, the other (thy fellow man, thy neighbour), according to the Jews, any member of the Hebrew nation and commonwealth
c) according to Christ, any other man irrespective of nation or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet
Let’s switch over to Luke again, and find the teaching of the Good Samaritan. Now before you run away, saying, Cara, I know that teaching..allow me to say, I’m guessing the Lord has something new for you. Pray to that end. Ask Him to reveal to you “nuggets” you have never seen before and He will. He will in Jesus’ name give you wisdom and mercy to discover and be blessed in your pursuit of His knowledge.
Luke 10:
27And he replied, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.
28And Jesus said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live [enjoy active, blessed, endless life in the kingdom of God].
29And he, [e]determined to acquit himself of reproach, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?
30Jesus, [f]taking him up, replied, A certain man was going from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him of his clothes and belongings and beat him and went their way, [[g]unconcernedly] leaving him half dead, as it happened.
31Now by [h]coincidence a certain priest was going down along that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32A Levite likewise came down to the place and saw him, and passed by on the other side [of the road].
33But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled along, came down to where he was; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity and sympathy [for him],
34And went to him and dressed his wounds, pouring on [them] oil and wine. Then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35And the next day he took out two denarii [two day’s wages] and gave [them] to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I [myself] will repay you when I return.
36Which of these three do you think proved himself a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?
37He answered, The one who showed pity and mercy to him. And Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise.http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2010&version=AMP
Before you say, I know it, let’s get on the table how radical this teaching was to these people. We can say for certain that the man receiving the teaching was a lawyer and ” in the NT an interpreter and teacher of the Mosaic law”http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3544&t=NASB
Jesus knew to whom He was teaching..He knew this would shock this “learned man”. Click on the link and read more about him in the Vine’s Dictionary tab. 🙂
Two classes of people are given a chance to minister, both Jews, fellow brothers of this man:
1.The priest (one who offers sacrifices and in general in busied with sacred rites http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2409&t=NASB,)
2. The Levite (in a narrower sense those were called Levites who, not being of the family of Aaron, for whom alone the priesthood was reserved, served as assistants to the priests. It was their duty to keep the sacred utensils and the temple clean, to provide the sacred loaves, to open and shut the gates of the temple, to sing the sacred hymns in the temple, and to do many other things.http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3019&t=NASB)
And who stops, THE SAMARITAN. Who was the Samaritan?
I am going to quote David Guzik from the blue letter Bible here. He says this beautifully:
“Jews and Samaritans despised each other both racially and religiously. The culture gave the Samaritan plenty of reasons to hate this Jewish man and pass him by.
i. Some rabbis taught that a Jew was forbidden to help a Gentile woman who was in distress giving birth; because if they succeeded, all they did was to help one more Gentile come into the world. They often thought that Samaritans were worse than other Gentiles were.
e. He had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him: Instead of passing by, the Samaritan loved him with a sacrificial love. He didn’t wait to be asked, for to see the need right in front of him was enough to compel him to action. He also gave freely of both his time and his resources.
i. The wine, containing alcohol, had an antiseptic effect on the man’s wounds. The oil would help to soothe the wounds, easing the pain. To set him on his own animal means that the Samaritan himself walked.
ii. He took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper: It seems that two denarii would have provided for the man’s needs in the inn for at least two or three weeks.”(http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=2&contentID=7918&commInfo=31&topic=Luke&ar=Luk_10_27)
Oh, friends! Now, do you know who is your neighbor?
Romans 12:
9[Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good.
10Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another.
11Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.
12Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer.
Pray on. Pray on!
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