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HOPE Covenant Sermons

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

August 5, 2012 Speaker: Series: The Parables of Jesus

Topic: Parables Verse: Mark 12:28–12:31

THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARATIAN

MARK 12:28-31 / LUKE 10:25-37

PASTOR BRANDON HOVEY

07.05.2012


One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important [or the greatest]?". "The most important [commandment], is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:27; cf. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18)

The North Star of the Christian life, the key to spiritual formation and life with God is bound up in the Jesus Creed, which can be summed up in four words.

Love God. Love Others.

This twofold focus involves a deep love that flows in two directions.

1. VERTICAL LOVE. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

God wants us to love him supremely and completely with all of our:

  • Heart = Emotion and Affection
  • Soul = Identity and Inner-self
  • Mind = Knowledge and Thoughts
  • Strength = Motivation and Will

What does it mean to love God with “all” of our heart, soul, mind and strength?

What does this kind of life look like?

­­­­­­­­­Why does God want us to love him supremely?

God’s love for us empowers us to become lovers of God and others.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another

(1 John 4:10-12)

2. HORIZONTAL LOVE. Love your neighbor as yourself .

Neighborly love is:

  1. Christ-like: It values others and elevates their interests. (Philippians 2:3b-4)
  2. Holistic: It fulfills the “one another” passages in Scripture that teach love is devoted, loyal, non-judgmental, accepts, instructs, waits, has equal concern, serves, does not provoke, carries burdens, forgives, encourages, prays, confesses sin, is patient, is compassionate, is hospitable, is available, is agreeable, does not slander, does not gossip, and does not grumble. (Romans 12, 15; Colossians 3, Ephesians 4, 5, James 5, etc.)
  3. God-centered: It does whatever possible to urge others to take one step closer to God and love him more. (Matthew 28:18-20, Hebrews 10:24)

Our “neighbors” include our:

  1. Immediate Family (Ephesians 5:21-33; John 19:26)
  2. Close Friends (John 13:34-35)
  3. Co-workers (Romans 16; Colossians 3:22-25)
  4. Acquaintances (1 Peter 3:8)
  5. Strangers (Leviticus 19:34, Deuteronomy 10:19)
  6. Sworn Enemies (Luke 10:25-37)

Jesus replied. "Do [the Jesus Creed] and you will have eternal life." But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"(Luke 10:29)

P: In the Parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus tells us that everyone is our neighbor, even our sworn enemies. Neighborly love destroys all boundaries and knows no limits.

g. Personal Enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)

CHALLENGE: RECITE THE JESUS CREED ONCE A DAY FOR THE NEXT WEEK TO REMIND YOURSELF OF THE TRUE NORTH IN YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.

More in The Parables of Jesus

July 29, 2012

The Unforgiving Servant

July 22, 2012

The Parables of the Wedding and the Feast

July 15, 2012

The Pearl of Great Price