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 “What Do You Read in the Bible?”

 

I want to start with something funny. I heard about this story. At Sunday school, a teacher was teaching the children Bible lessons. “If I sold my house and car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would I get into heaven?” A teacher asked the children in her Sunday school class. “No!” the children all answered. “I cleaned the church daily, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy. Would I get into heaven?” Again the answer was, “No!” “Well,” she continued, “then how can I get to heaven?” A five-year-old boy shouted out, “You gotta be dead!”

We believe that the Gospel John 3:16 is a piece of significant-good news about eternal life, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Some may memorize this verse because it is a special message. However, I wonder what your understanding is after reading through this message. Some of you may focus on, “Only way of salvation is through Jesus Christ.” Some may focus on, “God loves us so much.” Some may focus on, “We, Christians, must be getting into eternal life.” And the answer is “Yes”, all are right. Did you also catch that salvation is open to everyone in this message? I say, “Everyone.” I read this message, “God loves everyone so much, wants everyone to believe in the Only Son Jesus Christ, and wants everyone to be saved.” Even though we read the same sentence, we sometimes think of it differently. Our thoughts often leads us to a different belief. Therefore, it is essential how we read the Bible and how we understand it. Furthermore, how we believe it. Even though we may read the Bible every day, and may memorize all the books of the Bible, if we misunderstand it, we may miss what God’s wills for us are.

In today’s scripture, there is a lawyer. In the scripture, a lawyer doesn’t mean an attorney but means a teacher of Jewish Law. In the scripture, they are described as Pharisees, teachers, lawyers, or rabbis. In other words, they are professional biblical scholars who know about the Jewish Bible (the Old Testament, especially Torah- the first five books in the Old Testament) very well. The law teacher stood up to test Jesus before many people and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He called Jesus a teacher, which is implied, “Is it true you are a teacher? You should answer me well if you are a teacher like us.” The Jewish teachers knew Jesus was an uneducated carpenter in Nazareth of Galilee. However, they also knew that many people respected him and followed him as a great Rabbi (teacher). So, they wanted to put him to shame before many people. Jesus knew the teacher’s purpose and asked him, “What is written in the Law? What do you read there?”  Because Jesus knew him as an arrogant law teacher, he asked him about the Law. Of course, he answered it well because he was a professional biblical teacher, “You shall 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.” It is the Great Commandments Jesus taught people the first and second commandments of God (Matthew 22:37-40). It is originally from the Old Testament Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, the so-called “The Shema” (the Law of God, Israelites must keep).

Jesus asked him two questions, “What is written in the Law? What do you read there?” The teacher knew how the Law was written and answered it well, meaning he answered one question. Jesus said, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” So far, it sounds like Jesus taught him that his good work could save him. However, Jesus knew his arrogant attitude and said, ‘Okay, if you know what to do, go ahead as you know.’ Jesus might have wanted to say, ‘I know it, but I can’t practice it alone without God’s help.’ But the teacher wanted to justify himself that he did practice it well and said, “And, who is my neighbor?”

In the Israelite custom, they had a clear idea about their neighbors; their neighbors should be not sinners, not gentiles (Non-Jewish), not Samaritans, not the poor, not the women, not children, not the sick, but only good Jewish men. According to their own belief, they took care of each other. They thought they kept the Law well. As Jesus knew their customs and mindset, he gave them a parable story about a good Samaritan. In the story, a man met robbers on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho, and the robbers took all his stuff and possessions, even the clothes he wore, and then beat him, leaving him half dead. After that happened, a priest was going down the road and saw him on the street, but the priest passed by on the other side. So likewise, a Levite came to the place, saw him, and passed by on the other side.

As I mentioned the other day, Priests and Levites mean ministers and religious leaders who know the Law very well. They thought that keeping the Law meant they should avoid the sick and bleeding people. They believed the sick and the bleeding were unclean and sinned, and they avoided them without helping them. However, a Samaritan who didn’t know about the Jewish Law and God came and saw the wounded man and was moved with pity, which means he had compassion and an empathic mind on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on his wounds. And he put the wounded man on his animal to bring him to an inn and took care of him. The next day, he asked the innkeeper to take care of the wounded man, promising to give him more money if needed when he returned. The Samaritan gave the wounded man his whole heart as well as his all materials. And Jesus asked the Law teacher, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”

Please pay attention to what Jesus asked him, “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” When the Law teacher asked Jesus, “who is my neighbor?” Jesus, rather than asking him, “Whose neighbor would you to be?” “Go and do likewise.” In other words, “Go and be the neighbor of the sick, the weak, the powerless, and the outsiders.” Our neighbors are not only those who live nearby our place physically but also those who live in a different group from us socially, culturally, economically, politically, ethnically, and beyond. Remember, Jesus didn’t go against God’s Law but completed it by love. No one can keep God’s Word in everyday life without God’s help. How can we love others like ourselves? How can we love God with our all hearts, minds, and souls? We cannot keep the Great Commandments. Our good work can’t save us. Therefore, we all are sinners before God, and at the same time, we all as Christians are righteous people in Jesus Christ by the grace of God. We can’t judge anyone because everyone is precious to God. Jesus died not only for our sins but also for many of all nations. Therefore, we should open hearts, open minds, and open doors to God and everyone as God loves everyone.

As Jesus asked the Law teacher, “What is written in the Law? What do you read there?” I want to ask you, “What do you read in the Bible?” I read, “Love everyone regardless of boundaries as God loves us” in the Bible. We are the people who can’t live even one day without God’s grace and love. As debtors of God’s love, let us pay it forward in everyday life. Thanks be to God. Amen!

 

Posted in Sermons