Treasure by Dr. Abidan Shah
TREASURE by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson
Introduction: How many of you would love to find some hidden treasure in your backyard? Ten years ago (2009) in England, Terry Herbert was metal detecting at a friend’s farm. He had been doing this for 18 years but this time the device actually started buzzing. It had located a small, glittering bit of metal which turned out to be a gold artifact. But that wasn’t it! Within minutes, his detector was buzzing all over the place. Terry had discovered an Anglo-Saxon treasure trove from 1,400 years ago. Archaeologists and museums started buzzing all over the place. After all was said and done, they found 4,600 pieces of gold and silver. It was declared a national treasure valued at four million pounds known as the Staffordshire Hoard. You can see it at the Birmingham Museum and the Stoke Museum in England. The big questions are— “Who owned that treasure? Why did he/she bury it?” No one knows! Here’s the point: Earthly treasures cannot be permanently owned. What you treasure today will belong to someone else’s tomorrow. The only treasure that you can permanently own is what you put into heaven’s bank, the kingdom of God. In our series on the parables of Jesus, we come to the Parable of the Rich Farmer and the message is titled “TREASURE.”
Luke 12 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, “What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Question: Parables are like mirrors. They reflect who we are. Are you the rich farmer who trusted in his possessions? By the way, you don’t have to be wealthy to be rich. It’s not about your bank balance. It’s about how obsessed you are with it. Are you trusting in your riches? Are you saved? If tonight your soul is required of you, where will you go?
Preface: Unlike the previous parables, this parable of the rich farmer is somewhat troubling at first glance. If we’re truly honest, what’s wrong with what he did? Listen again to verse 16 “…The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.” What’s wrong with that? That sounds like a blessing! What farmer, business owner, or employee would not want their business or job to be blessed? 17 And he thought within himself, saying, “What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.” Is that wrong? Not really. He is a visionary. He is thinking ahead and taking the necessary steps to manage his growth. The alternative would be to sit back, do nothing, and lose everything. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ Is anything wrong with that? Once again, no. Isn’t that the reward of a well-planned life? Shouldn’t we all plan ahead so we can retire one day and have the necessary income when we can’t work like we could? It seems like this rich farmer, rather than being a villain, should be a model for all of us to follow! In order to understand the true intent of the parable, we need to look at the context in which Jesus gave it.
Context: To understand the context of this parable, we need to back up to verse 13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”Keep in mind that this parable was given during the Travel Narrative of Jesus in Luke. Remember Luke 9:51, when Jesus knew that the time had come for him to be ascended that he set his face to go to Jerusalem? It was a fulfillment of Isaiah 50:7 “…Therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed” and Ezekiel 3:9 “Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.” Face like flint symbolized determination and resolve in the face of incredible trials. When Jesus knew that it was time for him to suffer and die the most awful death on the cross for the sins of the whole world, he didn’t hesitate or dilly-dally. Instead, his eyes became laser focused, his feet picked up speed, and his mind was locked on what was about to happen. Just then—“Jesus, my brother is not sharing…” Imagine a building is on fire and firefighters are rushing in to save lives. Just then someone stops them and say, “My cat is stuck on a tree. Can you help me first?” What was Jesus’ response? 14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” My translation: “Dude, do you really think that’s why I came?” 15And He [Jesus] said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” This is the context in which Jesus gave the parable of the rich farmer. It was not about being successful, planning ahead, or saving up for retirement. It was about covetousness. The desire to acquire more.
Application: Are you covetous? Are possessions controlling your life? Nothing wrong with having things and new things but are you more concerned about material things than about the things of God?
Back to the parable: The rich man has a conversation with himself (soliloquy)—19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ He doesn’t get a chance to answer back because God interjects! 20But God said to him, “Fool!” Why did God call him a “fool”? The word for fool is “aphron,” the same word found in the LXX at Psalm 14:1 “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” This rich farmer probably went to the synagogue and did the ritual sacrifices but he was an atheist at heart. More than that, he was a selfish atheist.
Application: Is that you? Are you an atheist at heart and a selfish one?
20 But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?” Sometime back I was teaching a Wednesday evening Bible study and my phone kept ringing. I kept ignoring it until Nicole came by and told me that it was the fire department. There had been a horrible wreck on southbound I-85 and an entire family was killed up near Wise area. Long story short, I got there and prayed for the firefighters before they had to remove the bodies. The saddest part was to watch them remove the things of the people one by one. There was the wife’s cell phone, the little girl’s backpack, someone’s shirt, etc. They were putting them on the side of the highway. Just a little while ago, it belonged to someone but it no longer had an owner. Same will happen to your stuff one day. Listen to the next verse 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” The word for treasure is “thesaurus” from which we get our English word “Thesaurus.” A thesaurus is a dictionary that stores words. The problem was not with his success, planning ahead, or saving up for retirement. The problem was that this rich farmer was only living for self with no regard to God. He was an atheist at heart. He was storing up only for himself.
Application: Is that you? Are you only living for self? Where does God fit in your life?
Now, if Jesus would have ended here, the message would have been “Don’t live for self. Put God first,” but it doesn’t end here. Listen to verse 22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.” By the way, this is very similar to Matthew 6 where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. It could be that Jesus repeated portions of that sermon here. Once again, verse 22 “…Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.” Jesus was not telling his disciples, “Don’t plan your lives.” He was simply telling them, “Don’t be overcome by “merimnaw.” It’s a Greek word for “worry” that’s much more than daily care. It is “paralyzing anxiety.” Question: Are you living under paralyzing anxiety about money, relationship, health, future, etc.? Jesus reminds them that they are not animals. 23 “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.” Animals live only for their daily necessities, minus clothing. We human beings were created for things far greater. We were created in the image of God with the ability to relate with Him and help build his kingdom in this world. Jesus appeals to nature to prove his point. 24 “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them.” Ravens were considered to be unclean birds. The point is that God cares for them too! “Of how much more value are you than the birds?” 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? By the way, one of the best antidotes for anxiety and worry is nature. We turn to TV, shopping, or playing golf. All those things are fine but that’s just substituting one activity for another. Spending time in nature will do that for you more than anything else but the point is that we have far more value than animals and plants.
Jesus continues in verse 29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” In other words, work on building God’s kingdom and he will take care of your needs.
So, how do you build God’s kingdom? Study the Bible more? Pray more? Serve in church more? Win the lost more? None of these things are wrong and we should be doing them but that’s not what Jesus meant when He told us to seek his kingdom. Listen to verse 33 “Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” In other words, don’t hoard but help others in need. This is what #iamtheneighbor project is all about!
Invitation: Are you living for self? Are you hoarding? What if your soul is required tonight? Are you saved?
Episode 50: Burned, Burned Out, or On Fire?
This week, the Clearview Church staff sit down and talk about the differences between being burned, burned out, and on fire. If you have any questions or have a recommendation for a topic, send us an email at carpemanana@cleaviewbc.org. If you like this episode, leave us a rating and share it with your friends!
Clearview Follow-up: PRODUCE
Produce by Pastor Abidan Shah
PRODUCE by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson
Introduction: As many of you know, this was a very busy week for me. I had to give the oral defense for my PhD dissertation. It’s an exam that you have to take before you can officially get your doctorate. I had passed my dissertation already but I was very nervous about this exam because it determines whether or not you really know your stuff and deserve the title of “doctor.” I was so nervous that I asked David to drive me to Wake Forest. By the way, that morning, the entire staff and their families showed up at the house to pray with me. It really meant a lot to me! After 2 hours of sitting in the hot seat answering questions, I was told that I had passed the exam. Needless to say, I was very happy and relieved. Listen carefully:Christian life doesn’t end at “I’m saved and when I die, I’m going to heaven.” If you’re saved, you’re facing an exam where God the examiner is coming around to see whether or not you are producing fruits worthy of repentance. Fruit bearing is the natural outflow of salvation. By the way, these fruits are not what you might think. They are acts of mercy. And, one more thing, your clock is ticking. Are you producing fruits worthy of repentance? That’s the title of our message today—PRODUCE—in our series on the parables of Jesus.
Luke 13 6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, “Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”
Question: Parables are like mirrors. They reflect who we are. Are you a fig tree that is bearing fruit or one that is barren? Do you know that your clock is ticking? You may have 3 years left or you may have 3 hours left. Are you saved? Are you bearing fruit?
Background: Compared to the parables of the Wheat and the Tares, the Prodigal Son, or the Good Samaritan, today’s parable of the barren fig tree is not as popular. But, it is a very important parable. It is a continuation of last week’s message on the parable of the Good Samaritan. In fact, this parable was given on the same journey that Jesus embarked on in Luke 9:51. If you remember last weekend’s message, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to be ascended and he started making his way towards Jerusalem. As he is making this one-way trip, he sends his disciples out into the fields that are white unto harvest and they return with joy saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” (Luke 10:17) In other words, lives are being transformed and demonic strongholds are being broken. Jesus praises God and blesses his disciples because they are participating in building God’s kingdom and they are seeing and hearing the things of eternal life. Then, a certain lawyer wanting to get in on the action tests him saying, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asks him what is in the law. He replies, “Love God and Love Neighbor.” Jesus tells him to go do that. Then seeking to justify himself, he asks, “Who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus gave the parable of the Good Samaritan. The message of the parable is “Don’t ask ‘who is my neighbor?’ but instead ask, ‘who needs a neighbor?’” If you remember from last week—“A True Neighbor is someone who shows Mercy. Mercy is the distinguishing mark of those who have Eternal Life. If you want to know whether or not you have Eternal Life, ask yourself ‘Are you a Good Neighbor?’” Don’t just have pity, put some money behind it.
Application: By the way, I am so encouraged to see and hear the testimonies from so many of you of how you have used your $100 cross! Wow! Many of you are still praying for God to send the right person in your path who needs your gift. That’s wonderful. I am glad to hear that you are getting it! It’s not enough just to have pity. You have to put some money behind it. Unfortunately, not everyone will get it.
Not everyone got it when Jesus told the people to show mercy and put some money behind it. Luke 11 53 “And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54 lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.” In other words, they missed his message of mercy completely! Instead, they were trying to cross-examine him! Listen to Jesus’ warning to them— Luke 12 40 “…be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect… 42 “…Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to givethem their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, “My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 “…For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required…56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?” In other words, Jesus was saying “I’m teaching you the importance of Mercy and you are trying to cross-examine me? What you don’t realize is that I’m the Examiner and your exam has begun!”
Human beings are masters of deflection. We call that “changing the subject.” Listen toLuke 13 1 “There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.” We don’t have any historical record outside of the Bible regarding this incident but this is very much like Pilate. He was a very cruel man. In fact, once he was even ordered back to Rome to stand trial for a similar act that he did against the Samaritans. What was the reason for this discussion? Who knows! We love discussing current affairs. We love making small talk. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all otherGalileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” Jesus gave them another useless small talk to bring them back to his main point.
Application: Do you like to deflect what the Holy Spirit is telling you? Do you like to make small talk? Do you like to joke about the message or discuss something useless to ease the pressure of conviction? God knows your heart.
At this point, Jesus gave the parable of the fig tree. Listen again, Luke 13 6 “…A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. By the way, the fig tree was a symbol for Israel but it still applies to all of us. 7Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, “Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ Here’s where people make a big mistake—they think that fruits worthy of repentance are stop sinning, start going to church, don’t do drugs, don’t cheat, don’t lie, etc. Like the adage – “I don’t drink. I don’t chew and I don’t go with girls who do.” That may be true but this is not what’s implied here. To find its true meaning, we have to back up to Luke 3where John the Baptist used the same imagery—7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Now listen very carefully—10 So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?” 11 He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” 12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” 14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.” Fruits worthy of repentance are acts of mercy!
Application: Are you a merciful person?
Let’s go back to the parable one more time—7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, “Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”
Invitation: You are living on borrowed time. Will you show mercy and put money behind it? Mercy is not the requirement for salvation. It is the verification of salvation. Have you received God’s Mercy through the death of Jesus on the cross? Are you saved?
Episode 49: The Text of the New Testament (ft. Dr. Peter Gurry)
This week, the Clearview Church staff sit down and talk about the text of the New Testament and the importance of studying it. If you have any questions or have a recommendation for a topic, send us an email at carpemanana@cleaviewbc.org. If you like this episode, leave us a rating and share it with your friends!
Neighbor by Pastor Abidan Shah
NEIGHBOR by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson
Introduction: How many of y’all grew up on Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood? The show ran from 1968 to 2001 with just a couple of years missing in between. It became a hit with many children and parents. Fred Rogers who was also a pastor had a unique and a gentle way of talking to children. He understood how they felt and he got down to their level without becoming silly necessarily. The show dealt with issues like why kids shouldn’t be afraid of a haircut, how to deal with the death of a family pet, what to do when going to a new school, and even issues like divorce, racism, and disabilities. Anybody remember the song? “It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood. A beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?” Then it ended with “Won’t you please, Won’t you please? Please won’t you be my neighbor?” Mr. Rogers didn’t come up with the idea of a neighbor. It has been around for over 2000 years ago. In fact, Jesus gave its true definition in his famous parable of the Good Samaritan. Here’s the definition: A true neighbor is one who shows mercy. Mercy is a distinguishing mark of those who have eternal life. If you need proof that you have eternal life, ask yourself, “Are you a neighbor?” “Do you show mercy to others?” “When was the last time you showed mercy to someone?” In our series on the parables of Jesus, we come now to the famous parable of the Good Samaritan and the message is titled “NEIGHBOR.”
Luke 10 30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 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. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Question: Parables are like mirror. They reflect who we are. Are you the priest who passed by the other side? Are you the Levite who also passed by the other side? Or, are you the Good Samaritan who stopped and showed mercy? Are you a merciful person? Are you saved? If you need proof of eternal life, check your mercy record.
Background: The parable of the Good Samaritan is right up there with the parable of the Prodigal Son as the most popular parable of Jesus. It has been the subject of numerous paintings, stories, movies, and the name of many charities and hospitals all over the world. In fact, we are about to start our annual Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child Shoebox ministry. Having said that, unfortunately, this parable is often misunderstood. To interpret it correctly, we need to examine the context in which Jesus gave this parable. Typically, people begin with verse 25 where the lawyer asks Jesus “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” and Jesus asks him “What is in the law?” He replies, “‘Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Jesus tells him to go do this and he will live but seeking to justify himself he asks, “Who is my neighbor?” Although that is true and we will come to that, that’s not the whole context. In order to get the whole context, you have to begin in Luke 9 51 “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.”
Who were the Samaritans? If you were to ask the Samaritans (only about a 1000 exist in Israel today), they would tell you that they are the true descendants of ancient Israel. They claim that the worship center was wrongfully moved from Gerizim to Shiloh and that’s when things went downhill. But, if you read the Bible, you will see a different account. In 2 Kings 17 we find out that when God sent Assyria against the Northern Kingdom, they not only defeated them but they also implemented their policy of resettling conquered peoples. Under this strategy, they would move the conquered people to another part of the world, and take people from that part and resettle them into the conquered territory. Samaritans were people who had been settled in the land of Israel by the Assyrians. They somewhat adopted the Israelite faith but they retained their original gods as well. They even intermarried some of the local people who were left behind. The Jewish people did not accept them as full-fledged children of Israel. To make matters worse, the Samaritans even tried to sabotage their building projects when they returned from the second exile in Babylon. Needless to say, there was bad blood between the Jewish people and the Samaritans. Each saw the other as neighbors they wished they did not have. What happened when Jesus came by the Samaritan village? 52 “…And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village. Can you imagine the disciples’ reaction?
Application: What would you have done? What do you when people mistreat you? Who is your neighbor? How do you treat them?
For time’s sake, let me condense the account. In Luke 10, Jesus commissioned 70 of his disciples to go out saying 2 “…The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.” In other words, “You are going out in a cruel and a harsh world. Remember to be kind and merciful.” What if they were rejected? They were only to shake the dust off their feet and go to the next village. They were given a simple promise by Jesus—16 “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” In the very next verse 17 the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” On hearing this, Jesus said something very important for our message—23 “…Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; 24 for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.” What was Jesus talking about? He was talking about the Kingdom of God. He was talking about Eternal Life. By the way, Eternal Life is not going to heaven when you die. It begins now through Jesus Christ. It means having a portion in what God is doing and what God will do one day. You see and hear things that prophets and kings have desired but couldn’t. But, to do that you need MERCY.
Now comes the account of the lawyer asking the question 25 “…Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” His answer was correct—Love God and Love your neighbor. 29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Why did he ask that question? He was hoping to prove that he had extended the typical boundaries of neighborhood. To the contrary, Jesus removed all boundaries. Then he gave the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho and thieves beat him up and left him for dead. Both the priest and the Levite walked by because they had to be somewhere on time or they didn’t want to defile themselves or they didn’t want to get involved. Then here comes a Samaritan. What a twist! In other words, the Samaritan saw no boundary but the lawyer was wanting to know the limits. Instead, he had compassion, lit. splagchnizomai, “to have the insides feel bad.” He bandaged him, poured oil and wine on him, set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, he gave 2 denarii and gave to the pandocheus (inn keeper) and said “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.” Here comes the big question—6 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” The question is not “Who is my neighbor?” but “Whose neighbor am I?” In other words, you cannot have boundaries if you want eternal life.
Don’t miss this: People who have mercy don’t ask “Who is my neighbor?” but “Whose neighbor am I?” A true neighbor is one who shows mercy. It is a distinguishing mark of those who have eternal life. If you need proof that you have eternal life, ask yourself, “Are you a neighbor?” “Do you show mercy to others?” “When was the last time you showed mercy to someone?”
Mercy is not a requirement for eternal life but a verification of eternal life.
NOW THE BIG REVEAL!
Episode 48: Into the Old Testament (ft. Dr. John Meade)
This week, the Clearview Church staff sit down and talk about the subject of Old Testament and the importance of studying it. If you have any questions or have a recommendation for a topic, send us an email at carpemanana@cleaviewbc.org. If you like this episode, leave us a rating and share it with your friends!
Clearview Follow-up: BUILT
Episode 47: Text and Canon (Part 2 — ft. Dr. John Meade and Dr. Peter Gurry)
This week, the Clearview Church staff sit down with Dr. John Meade and Dr. Peter Gurry to talk about the subject of text and canon in preparation of our Clearview Apologetics conference. If you have any questions or have a recommendation for a topic, send us an email at carpemanana@cleaviewbc.org. If you like this episode, leave us a rating and share it with your friends!