Today I am excited about getting back to Today’s Word. Instead of jumping back into the series I was teaching on, I am led to share with you some of what I shared yesterday. Yesterday was Resurrection Sunday (or Easter Sunday). I preached a message entitled, “A Passion for People.” I will share just a few of my thoughts from yesterday’s message with you.
First of all, the Father raised Jesus from the dead and this singular event in the most important event in history. The resurrection of Jesus is what gives us all hope for eternal life. Paul said that if Jesus did not get up from the dead, then all of our preaching and all of our faith is in vain! But He did get up! Jesus GOT UP so we could GET UP! And once we are IN HIM, we get to walk in the newness of the life He died and rose to provide us.
The message was based on the story of the Good Samaritan. Let’s take a look at the story.
(Luke 10:25-37 The Message Bible)
25 Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. “Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?”
26 He answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?”
27 He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”
28 “Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.”
29 Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?”
30-32 Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.
33-35 “A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’
36 “What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?”
37 “The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded.
Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”
So what does this mean to you today? There is so much I could say about this passage and the resurrection, but I will keep it brief. Here a a few highlights.
- God sent His Son Jesus to die for all people. He did this because He loved the entire world (John 3:16). One man died for all and now those who accept Him are supposed to also accept the people He died for. Our love for God is proven in our love for ALL people.
- If you say you love a God you cannot see, but you fail to love the people you see every day, the Bible calls you a liar (1 John 4:20). Your love for God is proven in your love for His people.
- If you have a true passion for God it will be manifested in the earth in the form of compassion for people.
- The Priest and the Levite had titles. They had a form a godliness. They had an outward façade, but they did not truly know the God they claimed to know. Their religion was proven to be false when they walked past a Jewish man who has robbed, beaten and left half-dead. This was supposed to be their brother, but their failure to act proved that God was not their Father. Don’t let this be said of you.
- Samaritans had no dealings with the Jews and vice-versa. If you can think of the most strained relationship between two people groups on the planet, this is what it was like between the Jews and the Samaritans. But after the Priest and the Levite walked right past the Jewish man who was left half-dead on the side of the road, it was the Samaritan, the supposed enemy of the man, that showed him kindness and mercy. This is what Jesus came to teach. Under the Law, the Jews were used to “an eye for an eye” or “a tooth for a tooth.” Meaning, that if you did bad to me, it was okay for me to do bad to you. But Jesus came to show us what true love looks like. Under the New Covenant He came to establish, Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27,28 NIV). This is what the Samaritan did. Will the same be said of you? Will you love like Jesus loved?
- When the love of God is developed in your heart it creates A PASSION FOR PEOPLE. You enter every day knowing that you are blessed, and also knowing that the purpose of God’s blessing on your life is so you can BE a blessing to others. Salvation has come to your house, but now you want to see it come to others. This is the true nature of God. This is why Jesus came. You cannot walk with God with a, “Me, my four, and no more,” mentality. When you walk with God and His blessing comes TO you, you immediately know that the ultimate goal is for that very same blessing to flow THROUGH you! Remember that today and seek to BE a blessing everywhere you go! You are anointed to change the world!
Closing Confession:
Father, I thank You for sending Jesus to die in my place. He died so I could live. I live my life in honor of His death. He died for ALL people, so I seek to be a blessing to ALL. You loved me, even when I was your evemy. You now empower me to love my enemies. I bless those who curse me. I do good those who hate me. I pray for those who mistreat me. I seek to BE a blessing to everyone, everywhere I go! LOVE has come TO ME. Now LOVE freely flows THROUGH me! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
