Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” That’s the question. “Go and do likewise” is Jesus’ final answer to that question. It’s obvious that the man shouldn’t be like the robbers in the parable, who fall upon others, strip them of their clothing, wound them, and leave them half dead. To do any of these things would violate the commandments “You shall not murder” and “You shall not steal.” But neither is the lawyer to be like the priest or the Levite in the parable, who knew every line of the law but imagine that it only applies to the outward act. The priest and the Levite think they don’t break the commandment because they weren’t the ones to harm the man, steal his things, wound him, and leave him half dead. Even though they did no harm, they missed wide the mark of the Law which reads: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Instead, Jesus says if you want to inherit eternal life, be like the Samaritan. He saw his neighbor in need. He went to the man, bandaged him, treated his wounds, set him on his own animal, brought him to the closest inn, cared for him, and then paid all the expense for his recovery. The external acts are good, but the most important thing about the Samarian was his heart. He had compassion on the half dead man. That compassion in his heart is what led him to do what he did. Jesus’ answer’ is simple. If you want to inherit eternal life, be like the Samaritan. But not just once. Not just do people you like. “Go and do likewise” to everyone, in every situation, and you will inherit eternal life.
Jesus gives the man a law answer because that’s where the man is. He’s stuck in the law, imaging that the inheritance is of the law. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” is his question. Jesus drives him to the law, or rather drives the law into him, to show him the impossibility of inheriting life through the law. “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” Jesus asks. The man, stuck in the way of the law, answers correctly. Love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Here Jesus runs him through the first time. “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” The law is simple. It requires that you love God perfectly at all times. This means He is your highest good. He is the source of all good things in life. To have God is to have everything you need, even if you have nothing. The law requires you to trust God above all things so that you never doubt, not for an instance. It requires you to fear God and His judgment above all things so that you never sin. Then it requires perfect love for neighbor, as we said a moment ago, that loves your neighbor and helps your neighbor in every need. The lawyer feels the sting of the law at this point. He can’t do that. It’s too broad. So, he has to narrow it. By asking, “And who is my neighbor?” he attempts to move the goalposts. But the goalposts can’t be moved. Your neighbor is everyone around you, not just the people you like or can tolerate. It even includes your enemies, for the Jews and the Samaritans were not only friendly terms by any means. The law requires loving outward acts. But more, it always requires genuine compassion and heartfelt love for our neighbor.
This is impossible for the lawyer. It is impossible for any of us because we are sinners, curved in upon ourselves, self-loving, self-trusting, self-fearing creatures. None of us can love our neighbor perfectly as the Law demands all day every day of the week. But love is a debt that is never fully paid because love is more than outward acts. It’s a matter of the heart that is willing to set aside one’s own interests for the sake of the interests of another as often as our neighbor needs. And if we can’t love our neighbor—whom we can see—perfectly, then it is impossible for us to love God—whom we cannot see—perfectly as well. We don’t fear, love, and trust Him above all things. We don’t love Him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. We cannot “go and do likewise” and therefore we cannot inherit eternal life by the law, by our works, or by our best efforts. This is Jesus’ point by driving the lawyer back to the law. The lawyer wants to be justified by the law. He wants the law to tell him he’s righteous, that way he can tell himself and God that he’s done it himself. Jesus shows the lawyer just how far he will have to go to inherit eternal life by the law, and it is a distance that no man born in the natural way can traverse, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
The point of the parable is that you can’t inherit eternal life by the law. St. Paul writes to the Galatians in today’s epistle lesson, “For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” Even earthly inheritances aren’t of the law. Yes, they are legal documents that require legal recognition, but how one comes into an inheritance is not a matter of law. You cannot do anything to earn an inheritance. You must be an heir to be given the inheritance. So it is with the inheritance promised to Abraham. This inheritance was given to Abraham by grace and Abraham received it by faith. Abraham was not justified before God by his works but because He believed God’s promises. The law was given later, not to change God’s covenant, but for another purpose altogether. “What purpose then does the law serve?” Paul asks. “It was added because of transgressions.” The purpose of the Law is to show everyone their sins so that they look to God for mercy. Paul says, “For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” The law’s job it to confine everyone in the prison of sin, to show everyone their sins, so that they look to Christ for mercy and believe His promise as Abraham did.
Once the law confines us under sin and shows us our transgressions, we see Christ’s parable in a different light. It’s no longer about us, or at least us as being the Samaritan. If we hear the parable and think we can inherit eternal life by the law, then we assume we are to be the Samaritan. But if we know we don’t keep the law, then we see ourselves as the wounded man. This is what the sin does to us, after all. It wounds us so that we cannot rise. It strips us of the righteousness with which God originally created us. It leaves us dead on the road. The priest and the Levite, the representatives of the law, pass us by, because the law cannot help up or give us life. They only show us our sins so that we learn our sinful condition even more. But then comes a Samaritan who has compassion. He comes to us. He bandages the wounds of our sin, healing them by pouring the wine of repentance and oil of forgiveness into them. He sets us on His own animal, that is, He bears us as a burden because we are too weak to cooperate with Him in our salvation. He brings us to the inn of His holy church and here He cares for us. He then sets innkeepers over us, His pastors, whom He charges with our spiritual care until He returns on the Last Day and brings with Him the final redemption of all who believe the promise of the gospel, that by His sufferings and death He has atoned for each and every one of our many sins. When we see the law for what it is, we see that the Good Samaritan isn’t us at all. It’s Jesus. He is the Seed of Abraham to whom God made the promises. He is the heir of the everlasting inheritance and promises to share that inheritance with all whom believe in Him. By washing in baptismal water, cleansing us of our sins, He makes us co-heirs with Him, co-inheritors of eternal life, righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.
Being washed, sanctified, and adopted as co-heirs with Christ, justified by faith and not by law, we are able to “go and do likewise.” As those who will inherit eternal life by faith in the promise of the gospel, we become good Samaritans like our elder brother Jesus. We go and begin to do likewise because the inheritance is already ours by faith in God’s promise. Washing our wounds daily by repentance and faith, knowing Christ cares for us in the inn of His holy church, we strive to love our neighbors. No, we will not love our neighbors perfectly because we still live in the sinful flesh, but even that imperfection is covered for Jesus’ sake, so that our good works are pleasing to God because they’re done in faith. As you travel the road from Jerusalem to Jericho—this earthly life—help your neighbor in his bodily need, as God gives you opportunity, as you are able. Go and do likewise, patterning your love for your neighbor after your Good Samaritan’s love and compassion for you. He has made you an heir of eternal life and promised you every eternal blessing. With that in mind, strive to love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, and your neighbor as yourself. Amen.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
