7-13-25 “Go and Do Likewise”

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“Go and Do Likewise”

I want to start with something funny that I found on the internet site: 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. “If 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!”

This lighthearted moment reminds us of a profound truth. We believe the Gospel message of John 3:16 is powerful 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 of us memorize this verse because of its deep meaning. But I wonder—how do you understand it? Some might focus on, “Salvation is only through Jesus Christ.” Others on, “God loves us so much.” Still others on, “We Christians are given the gift of eternal life.” Which is correct? The answer is: yes to all.

But did you also catch that this message of salvation is open to everyone? I read this verse as saying, “God loves everyone so much. God wants everyone to believe in His only Son, Jesus Christ, and wants everyone to be saved.” Even though we read the same verse, we sometimes understand it differently—and that leads us to different beliefs. That’s why it matters how we read and understand the Bible.

In today’s scripture, there is a lawyer. In biblical terms, this lawyer isn’t an attorney as we know today, but a teacher of Jewish Law. In the Bible, they’re often described as Pharisees, scribes, or rabbis—professional religious scholars who knew the Scriptures deeply, especially the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament).
This law teacher stood up to test Jesus in front of a crowd and asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He called Jesus “Teacher,” but his tone was challenging, as if to say, “If you really are a teacher like us, you should be able to answer this.” They knew Jesus wasn’t formally educated—just a carpenter from Nazareth—but they also saw the crowds that followed Him and called Him “Rabbi.” So, they wanted to embarrass Him in public.

Jesus, knowing his intent, responded with a question: “What is written in the Law? What do you read there?” The teacher gave a perfect answer, as expected: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

This is what Jesus elsewhere calls the Great Commandment—drawn from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, often referred to as “The Shema,” the foundational command for God’s people.
Jesus then said, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.” In other words: If you know the right thing to do—go and do it. But the teacher, wanting to justify himself, asked, “And who is my neighbor?” At first glance, it may sound like a silly question, but it’s actually quite significant.

So, let me ask you: Who is your neighbor? When you hear, “Love God and love your neighbors,” who comes to mind?
In Jesus’ time, many Jews believed their neighbors were limited to “righteous” people—fellow Jews who were not sinners, not Gentiles, not Samaritans, not women, not children, not the sick, and certainly not the poor. They looked after “their own” and believed they were obeying the law. Knowing this mindset, Jesus responded not with a direct answer but with a parable—the story of the Good Samaritan.

A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and was attacked by robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and left him half-dead. A priest came by, saw the man—and crossed to the other side. A Levite, another religious leader, did the same. But a Samaritan—a person despised and rejected by Jews—saw the man, was moved with compassion, and stopped. He bandaged his wounds, poured oil and wine on them, placed the man on his animal, brought him to an inn, and cared for him. He even paid for his continued care and promised to return.
This Samaritan, considered impure and unworthy by the standards of the day, showed what true love looks like: a love that sees, stops, and serves.

Jesus then asked the teacher, “Which of these three was a neighbor to the wounded man?” In asking that, Jesus turned the question around: Instead of asking, “Who is my neighbor?” the better question is, “To whom can I be a neighbor?” Our neighbor isn’t just the person who lives next door. Our neighbor is anyone in need—anyone God places in our path.
To “love your neighbor as yourself” means to treat those in need with the same care and urgency you’d give yourself—because we are all made in God’s image.
There’s something else we can’t ignore. Why didn’t the priest or Levite help?

We don’t know their reasons, but we can imagine. According to Jewish law, touching a bleeding or dying person made someone ritually unclean, which meant they couldn’t serve in the temple. Maybe they were on their way to worship. Maybe they thought, “If I stop, I won’t be fit to serve.” Titles, traditions, and theological concerns sometimes get in the way of compassion.
But God’s law—the law Jesus fulfills and teaches—is clear: Love comes first.

Now, imagine you’re on your way to church. You’re leading worship, preparing coffee fellowship, or giving the sermon. But you come across someone in real need. What do you do?
Do you stop and help? Or walk by on the other side? Jesus is telling us—love must come first. Rules and roles are not excuses to ignore human need.

So, Jesus asks, “What is written in the Law? What do you read there?”

And I ask you today: What do you read in the Bible? I read, “Love everyone as God loves us.” God sent His only Son not when we were perfect—but while we were still sinners. Jesus died on the cross before we even knew Him.

So go and do likewise. Go and love your neighbor—as God has already loved you.

Thanks be to God. Amen