07/11 – Luke 10:25-37 – Christian Love is People Oriented

Old Testament: Leviticus 18:1–5; 19:9–18

The Lord spoke to Moses, “Tell the Israelites: I am the Lord your God. You used to live in Egypt. Don’t live the way the Egyptians do. I am bringing you to Canaan. Don’t live the way the Canaanites do. Never live by their standards. Follow my rules and live by my standards. I am the Lord your God. Live by my standards and obey my rules. You will have life through them. I am the Lord.

When you harvest the grain in your land don’t harvest the grain in the corners of your fields or gather what is left after you are finished. Don’t harvest your vineyard a second time or pick up fallen grapes. Leave them for poor people and foreigners. I am the Lord your God.

Never steal, lie, or deceive your neighbor. Never swear by my name in order to deceive anyone. This dishonors the name of your God. I am the Lord. Never oppress or rob your neighbor. Never keep the pay you owe a hired worker overnight. Never curse deaf people or put anything in the way of blind people to make them stumble. Rather fear your God. I am the Lord.

Don’t be corrupt when administering justice. Never give special favors to poor people and never show preference to important people. Judge your neighbor fairly. Never gossip. Never endanger your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord. Never hate another Israelite. Be sure to correct your neighbor so that you will not be guilty of sinning along with him. Never get revenge. Never hold a grudge against any of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord.

Epistle Reading: Colossians 1:1–14

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and from our brother Timothy. To God’s holy and faithful people, our brothers and sisters who are united with Christ in the city of Colossae {col-OSS-eye}. Good will and peace from God our Father are yours!

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, in our prayers for you. We thank God because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. You have these because of the hope which is kept safe for you in heaven. Some time ago you heard about this hope in the Good News which is the message of truth.

This Good News is present with you now. It is producing results and spreading all over the world as it did among you from the first day you heard it. At that time you came to know what God’s kindness truly means. You learned about this Good News from Epaphras {EP-ra-fass}, our dear fellow servant. He is taking your place here as a trustworthy deacon for Christ and has told us about the love that the Spirit has given you.

For this reason we have not stopped praying for you since the day we heard about you. We ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through every kind of spiritual wisdom and insight. We ask this so that you will live the kind of lives that prove you belong to the Lord. Then you will want to please him in every way as you grow in producing every kind of good work by this knowledge about God. We ask him to strengthen you by his glorious might with all the power you need to patiently endure everything with joy. You will also thank the Father who has made you able to share the light which is what God’s people inherit.

God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of his Son, whom he loves. His Son paid the price to free us, which means that our sins are forgiven.

Gospel Reading: Luke 10:25–37

An expert in Moses’ Teachings stood up to test Jesus. He asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus answered him, “What is written in Moses’ Teachings? What do you read there?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as you love yourself.’”

Jesus told him, “You are right! Do this and life will be yours.”

The man wanted to justify his question. So he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

Jesus replied, “A man went from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way robbers stripped him, beat him, and left him for dead. By chance, a priest was traveling along that road. When he saw the man he went around him and continued on his way. Then a Levite came to that place. When he saw the man he too went around him and continued on his way.

Then a Samaritan, as he was traveling along, came across the man. When the Samaritan saw him, he felt sorry for the man, went to him, and cleaned and bandaged his wounds. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day the Samaritan took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. He told the innkeeper, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than that, I’ll pay you on my return trip. Of these three men, who do you think was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?”

The expert said, “The one who was kind enough to help him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and imitate his example!”