Priorities

What Jesus says in Luke 10:25-37 about loving God and our neighbor as ourselves, sums up on many points, our daily priorities in our walk as sons and daughters of God, and as disciples of Jesus Christ. According to God's Word, His Word is the source of truth for believer's believing and practice. I believe God's Word contains the only true set of standards and values against which believer's should compare their thoughts, and subsequent words and actions, for compliance with God's will (2 Corinthians 10:5). If a believer's thoughts, words and actions align with God's will, then that believer receives the promises of God (2 Peter 1:3-4). Discipleship to the Lord Jesus Christ is all about obedience to fulfilling God's conditions and keeping his commandments.

The best way I know for a believer to begin to enjoy their spiritual privileges is to start giving (Isaiah 58:6-14), and then to take responsibility to begin to change their habits of thought, by setting priorities, starting in the area of controlling their thinking, to think according to God's Word (2 Cor. 10:5)! How a believer handles God's Word in their mind will determine a believer's victory or defeat against the devil and/or demon spirits, concerning any situation in life (Philippians 4:13). I want to hit on the subject of thinking and thoughts for a moment, because love comes out of a pure heart, a heart whose thoughts are upon God and His Word (1 Timothy 1:5).

According to the Word, our thoughts not only determine how we handle life's situations, but are the bridles which determine in which direction our words and actions go. Our words and actions are subsequent to our thoughts. So, by changing our thinking to think according to the thought patterns and associated subject matter God lays out in His Word, we can begin to control the results of our thinking, which are both our words and actions, for their conduct to be more like Jesus Christ. This begins a believer's spiritual walk. This concept and process is referred to by Apostle Paul as the renewed mind (Romans 12:2).

After a believer receives the new birth, the first step a believer needs to take to move from crawling to walking spiritually in Christ's footsteps, is to control their thinking according to the Word. This is what transforms a believer into being more Christ-like. This concept refers to us controlling our thoughts, thought by thought. It's about bringing every thought captive unto the obedience of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Do we want to step up to a whole new level of mental and spiritual awareness about what's going on around us? We can by making our thought patterns track with the knowledge and thought patterns given by God in His Word. We either do it or don't do it, by our free will. It's our choice.

With the spiritual new birth, the believer receives the gift of holy Spirit. Now our renewed mind process can begin (Rom. 12:2). The renewed mind process is the believer learning the knowledge of the scriptures, which teach the believer how to use the gift of holy Spirit in practical application. With the gift of holy Spirit in us, God the father, through His son Jesus Christ, the head of his one body, can now work in our minds, to communicate with and teach us His Word of life (John 6:45), He giving us the understanding of His holy Word of life (Php. 2:16; 1 John 1:1). The renewed mind process develops a believer's "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" spiritual things.

As believers, we follow the Lord Jesus Christ, i.e., his example in the scriptures, by putting the knowledge of him in our minds, with the hope of growing more like him, daily. This concept in the scriptures is also called putting on the new man (Colossians 3:10) who is fashioned after Jesus Christ. To start the renewed mind process and put on the new man, the new believer needs to set priorities for their thinking, and subsequent words, and actions. It's an "inside" job. You have access to the holy Spirit, now you learn through renewing your mind, to "walk" with it. An expanded word study on the word ichnos, steps in the KJV, i.e., footsteps, will reveal a fortune in knowledge and wisdom in learning how Jesus walked spiritually, which is how believers are to strive to walk. The world, through media and social encounters, desires and pressures you to think what it wants you to think, when it wants you to think it, to get you to walk in your mind the crooked ways of the world. Believers need to resist this onslaught because it can seriously dilute our focus on the things of God, and draw us off the way of learning to walk spiritually.

The following scripture passage is a great place for the new believer to begin to learn to control their thinking. It lays out foundational truth concerning God's heart's desire and His will for you, His son or daughter. It is the framework of foundational truth within which all the believer's thoughts, words, and actions should fit, concerning a believer's spiritual walk on this earth. As a believer you can be assured that your decision-making is correct and in alignment with the Father's will, if your thoughts are to the end of first loving the Father with all your heart, soul, strength, and thought, and loving your neighbor as yourself.

I would like to point out aspects of these verses, and show you how they set our mind's priorities in our thinking, as we determine our thoughts, and subsequent words, and actions in our spiritual walk.

Luke (LIT/UBS4) 10:25 And (kai) behold (idou) a certain one (tis), a lawyer (nomikos), stood up (anestē) trying him out (ekpeirazon auton), saying (legōn), "Teacher (didaskale), having done (poiēsas) what (ti) shall I inherit (klēronomēsō) ageless (aiōnion) life (zōēn)?"

"having done what" - The lawyer was concerned about what he could do to inherit eternal life. Under the Mosaic law, the penalty for sin was death. Since it was impossible for any mortal (because of our sin nature) to continuously and perfectly keep the law on all points, this made the carrying out of the death penalty under the law inevitable for all the children of Israel. Under the law, there was nothing the lawyer could do to inherit eternal life.

Luke 10:26 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) he (ho) enunciated (eipen) toward (pros) him (auton), "How (pōs) do you read up (anaginōskeis) in (en) the (tō) law (nomō) what (ti) has been written (gegraptai)?"

"How do you read up in the law" - I believe Jesus is asking the lawyer to give his interpretation of what he thinks the law says. The differences between the oral traditions that were taught and practiced by the religious leaders versus what exactly was written in the Mosaic Law was the point of contention between the religious leaders and Jesus. The religious leaders thought their oral traditions, i.e., theology was correct, and Jesus' interpretation of the holy scriptures was wrong! The religious leaders claimed to be following God's Word while they knew much of their religious infrastructure was paralogizomai, deceitfully alongside and outside of the heart and intent of God's Word, setting up themselves and their own words as the infallible final authorities.

"what has been written" - Jesus asks the lawyer to demonstrate that he is an expert at his own trade, the law, knowing that there is no provision within the Mosaic Law for eternal life.

Luke 10:27 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) [lawyer] having been caused to judge away (apokritheis), he enunciated (eipen), "Love (agapēseis) the (ton) Lord (kurion) God (theon) of you (sou) out (ex) of the (tēs) whole (holēs) heart (kardias) of you (sou), and (kai) in (en) the (tē) whole (holē) soul (psuchē) of you (sou), and (kai) in (en) the (tē) whole (holēs) strength (ischuos) of you (sou) , and (kai) in (en) the (tē) whole (holēs) thought (dianoias) of you (sou), and (kai) the (ton) neighbor (plēsion) of you (sou) as (hōs) yourself (seauton)."

The lawyer collectively, correctly quotes Deut. 6:5, 10:12, 11:13 and Lev. 19:18, thus summarizing the ten commandments in Exodus 20:1-17, into two summary commandments, summarizing first, one's responsibilities to God (Exodus 20:2-11), and secondly to his or her fellow mortals (Exodus 20:12-17), i.e., neighbor. The lawyer through his excellent knowledge of the law, arrived at understanding the closest point to abundant life that the law could bring him, which was through perpetual atonement for sin by continual sacrifice and shedding of blood of animals. But, the law didn't address the removal of the imposition of the penalty for sin, death, nor the cleansing from sin nature itself. The law, in all of its points, always called for the penalty for sin, which was death. The lawyer, or any of the children of Israel, could live only as long and as healthy as the limits of the law, through its various provisions for temporary atonement for sin would allow, never through any provision which may allow the penalty of death to be permanently removed.

In the new covenant, the imposition of the penalty for breaking the law becomes annulled for those, who through Jesus Christ's shed blood, are made 100% righteous. In the long run, it's the replacement of mortalkind's sin nature through their acceptance of Jesus' pure poured out blood on their behalf. In the short run it's the letting go of the penalty for one's sins, again through Jesus' pure poured out blood on their behalf. God had to keep this knowledge secret. He couldn't reveal it. It had to be kept a mystery, because if the princes of this world (the religious leaders and Satan and the devil spirits) would have known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8), and eternal life for mortalkind would have become an impossibility without that perfect blood sacrifice! Assuming Jesus knew and understood this, he could not reveal it now to the lawyer, or anyone else, since it would jeopardize his staking which was yet to come.

Luke 10:28 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) he enunciated (eipen) to him (autō), "Straightly (orthōs) you were caused to judge away (apekrithēs)! Do (poiei) this (touto) and (kai) you shall live (zēsē)."

Tradition teaches that Jesus encouraged the lawyer to keep on following the law according as the lawyer understood it. But I believe different. I believe Jesus encouraged the lawyer to keep on judging [God's Word] in a straight, i.e., correct, true, not false manner, because if he did he would eventually arrive at, through judging the prophecies, to judging Jesus to be the promised messiah, the Christ, and come to believe upon his name and receive salvation and eternal life. If the lawyer continued to follow the law it would still bring death to him. But if the lawyer judged and believed Jesus to be the promised messiah it would bring eternal life to him.

The lawyer's initial purpose may or may not have been to confront and expose Jesus as an impostor. If Jesus would have been an impostor, chances are his level of knowledge of the law would not have been as great as that of the lawyer, and the lawyer would have exposed Jesus as an impostor. But Jesus' knowledge and understanding of the scriptures proved much superior to that of the lawyer. But the smart lawyer isn't done trying out Jesus yet.

Luke 10:29 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) [lawyer], desiring (thelōn) to make righteous (dikaiōsai) himself (heauton), he enunciated (eipen) toward (pros) the (ton) Jesus (Iēsoun), "And (kai) who (tis) is (estin) my (mou) neighbor (plēsion)?"

The lawyer, after being wisely maneuvered into answering his own question as far as his knowledge of the law would take him, now tries out Jesus again, to define neighbor. Jesus agrees once more to respond to the lawyer's challenge, and in verses 30-35, lays out the truth for him, the truth about the arrogant, egotistical, self-righteous, racist, bigoted, and selfish attitudes that the priests and Levites really have toward their neighbor the Samaritans; and how a Samaritan, whom the Jews hate, demonstrated loving his neighbor (the robbed and beaten man, possibly a Judean) as he loved himself.

Luke 10:30 (LIT/UBS4) The (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) having undertaken (hupolabōn) [it], he enunciated (eipen), "A certain (tis) mortal (anthrōpos) was coming down (katebainen) from (apo) Jerusalem (ierousalēm) into (eis) Jericho (ierichō), and (kai) he fell about (periepesen) robbers (lēstais).

And (kai) who (hoi), having dropped him out (ekdusantes auton) [of his clothes] and (kai) having put upon (epithentes) [him] plagues (plēgas), were gone away (apēlthon), having let [him] go (aphentes) half dead (hēmithanē).

Luke 10:31 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) down (kata) concurrent with (sunkurian) [this], a certain (tis) sacrificial priest (hiereus) was coming down (katebainen) in (en) the (tē) way (hodō) to that (ekeinē).

And (kai) having seen (idōn) him (auton), passed alongside opposite (antiparēlthen).

"and having seen him, passed alongside opposite." - A vivid and powerful picture of the vice of Jewish ceremonial cleanliness at the cost of moral principle and duty (Robertson - RWP).

Luke 10:32 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) likewise (homoiōs), a Levite (leuitēs) also (kai) having caused himself to become (genomenos) down (kata) the (ton) place (topon), having come (elthōn) and (kai) having seen (idōn), he passed alongside opposite (antiparēlthen).

In Jesus' story, the Levite had no more regard for practically keeping the commandments of God's Word than the sacrificial priest did.

Luke 10:33 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) a certain (tis) Samaritan (samareitēs), wayfaring (hodeuōn), came (ēlthen) down (kat') [to] him (auton), and (kai) having seen (idōn) [him] his spleen was caused to ache (esplagchnisthē).

"and having seen [him] his spleen was caused to ache" - This figure of speech alludes to having a strong feeling of heartache and compassion. The Samaritan's knee-jerk reaction of heartache and compassion seems to be indicative of love in his heart for someone other than himself. The Samaritan’s alarm at the sight of another mortal in such a condition caused him to instinctively take action to assist him, which would also relieve his own heartache for him.

The Samaritans were Jews also, but were Jews of the Northern kingdom. In about 930-950 BC Israel divided into two kingdoms, the Southern kingdom called "Judah", containing Jerusalem, and the Northern kingdom called "Israel", containing Samaria as its principal city. The Jews of Judah despised the Jews of Samaria for following after idolatry. These were like two kingdoms of sinners arguing over which kingdom was less sinful, i.e., the pot accusing the kettle of being black!

Luke 10:34 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) having come toward (proselthōn) [him], he bound down (katedēsen) the (ta) traumas (traumata) of him (autou), pouring upon (epicheōn) [them] olive oil (elaion) and (kai) wine (oinon).

But (de) having caused him to mount (epibibasas auton) upon (epi) the (to) animal (ktēnos), his own (idion), he led (ēgagen) him (auton) into (eis) a lodging place (pandocheion), and (kai) he was caused to care over (epemelēthē) him (autou).

"and having come toward [him]" - The opposite of passing alongside opposite of him.

"[and] having bound down the traumas of him" - Jesus breaks out the details and explains the separate individual acts of caring and giving as he reckons them to be, which the Samaritan showed toward the one robbed and beaten. I supplied the words and in brackets [and], which are present in the Syriac text, which indicates the holy Spirit's usage of the figure of speech Polysyndeton, or, Many-Ands. The purpose of a Polysyndeton sentence structure is to enumerate the subject matter of each and clause as being an equally important point within the entire sentence. The effect of Polysyndeton sentence structure is to cause our mind to pause to consider somewhat more deeply, the meaning within each and clause. The opposite figure of speech, Asyndeton, or, No-Ands, allows our minds to hasten on through the sentence expecting a summarizing clause at the end of the sentence. In this case the summarizing clause at the end of the sentence is the all-important subject matter to which everything else leads, and the point upon which the greatest emphasis should be placed. Example: Luke 14:13-14a;

BUT (all) when making a feast, call

- the poor,

- the maimed,

- the lame,

- the blind,

and you shall be blessed.

"[and] pouring upon [them] oil and wine" - In the east, Olive oil and wine were and are household remedies for wounds. The alcohol in the wine cleanses the wound. One of many uses of Olive oil in the East, and especially in hot and dry climates, is to soothe and protect the skin from drying out. It also affects reduction in hypertension, and has antiarrhythmic and antispasmodic properties.

"but having caused him to mount upon the animal" - Depending upon how big the man was, and what kind of animal he rode, this could have required some work.

"its own" - Notice the thieves didn't steal his animal. If caught, this would have earned the thieves very harsh consequences. The Samaritan helped the man round up his remaining belongings.

"led him into a lodging place and cared over him" - The Samaritan went out of his way considerably to help the man who was robbed and beaten. Everything the Samaritan did to help the man who was robbed and beaten, describes a considerable effort on the Samaritan's part to help his neighbor. This is the standard in Jesus' mind to which believers should measure up in loving and helping their neighbors as themselves.

Luke 10:35 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) upon (epi) the (tēn) morrow (aurion), having thrown out (ekbalōn) two (duo) denarii (dēnaria), he gave (edōken) [them] to the (tō) innkeeper (pandochei) and (kai) he enunciated (eipen), 'You are caused to care over (epimelēthēti) him (autou).

And (kai) perhaps (an) anything (ti) which (ho) you may spend toward (prosdapanēsēs) [him], I (ego), in (en) the (tō) [next time] of me (me) I am caused to come up on (epanerchesthai) [you], I shall give it (apodōsō) to you (soi).'

"having thrown out two denarii" - It seems very probable to me, given the generous inclination of the Samaritan believer, that the two denarii paid for the stay in the inn for both of them up to this point in time, and for the continued stay for an undetermined amount of time into the future, until the Samaritan returned, for the man who was robbed.

"Care over him." - This is in the imperative mood. Not a request, but a command.

"And perhaps anything which you may spend toward [him]" - In Jesus story the Samaritan encourages the innkeeper to spend some of his own money to help the man if he needs additional care, with the promise that the Samaritan would give away more of his money to pay back the innkeeper. This describes a standard for believers of loving our fellow mortals based upon our believing upon God's promises to pay us back. Is our believing truly there yet? God tells us to prove it to ourselves (Malachi 3:10; Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 8:8, 13:5).

"I, in the [time] for me to come up, shall give it to you." - Jesus may be alluding to his own return for his body (this is referred to as the Great Mystery in Ephesians 5:24-33) at the rapture or resurrection of the just, at which time he will pay back and reward the believers for their love toward God, and love toward their neighbor as themselves, because his reward is with him (Matthew 16:27, Revelation 22:16). The Samaritan was not worried that the innkeeper would spend more of his own money for additional care for the man who was robbed, than the Samaritan could afford to pay back! After all, how much wealth and sufficiency does God actually have with which to pay us back?

Luke 10:36 (LIT/UBS4) Which (tis) of these (toutōn), of the (tōn) three (triōn), does [it] conclude (dokei) to you (soi) to have become (gegonenai) a neighbor (plēsion) of the one (tou) having fallen in (empesontos) among (eis) the (tous) robbers (lēstas)?"

"Which of these, of the three" - Of the priest, Levite and Samaritan. The priest and Levite were the two, because of the social position to which they aspired, who were supposed to have the greatest discipline of moral integrity, yet demonstrated the least amount of moral integrity. No doubt, Jesus was drawing an accurate assessment of the current social conditions within Israel and Judah. How about our social conditions today? Are social positions which demand greater discipline of moral integrity being used by those with low moral integrity for a cover, as a pretense of high esteem? Jesus wasn't fooled! It has come to the attention of the world recently that one of the world's largest and oldest Christian denominations seems to have been a haven for pedophiles, by the hundreds, not counting those whose names are in the church files and have been hidden by that denomination! And the denominations leadership has known about it, and has covered it up all along! To what extent has this destroyed the sense of moral integrity which should be associated with the word Christian, in the eyes of the non-Christian world? This is why I refer to myself as either a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and/or a believer. I do not wish to associate myself with those of that denomination who have murdered, raped, burned at the stake, and sexually molested children over the centuries, in the name of Christianity. It has been the work of Satan to destroy any sense of moral integrity associated with that word. The Samaritan showed true compassion, not false compassion as a pretense, or, as Jesus point is here, no compassion at all!

Luke 10:37 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) [lawyer] enunciated (eipen), "The one (ho) having done (poiēsas) the (to) mercy (eleos) of him (autou) with (met) [him]."

But (de) the (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) enunciated (eipen) to him (autō), "Cause yourself to go (poreuou), and (kai) you (su) do (poiei) likewise (homoiōs)."

"The one having done the mercy of him with [him]" - Jesus sent the lawyer on his way exhorting him to keep the law as best he could, and love his neighbor the Samaritans, to whom Jesus in his story, assigned the role of having more compassion on their neighbors, the Jews of Judah. Jesus, according to the flesh, was born out of the tribe (family) of Judah. What a contrast.

In reality, the perfunctory rituals of the Judeans of Judah were just as sinful as the idolatry for which they accused the Samaritan Jews. We don't know if the lawyer ever understood that there was nothing he could do under the law that would allow him to live eternally. We can only hope that later on, or after the day of Pentecost, he became a believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

SUMMARY

Jesus didn't rebuke the lawyer, a supposed expert at the Mosaic Law of God, for coming to Jesus to try him out, to perhaps test Jesus to determine if Jesus was truly a teacher of God's Word as Jesus demonstrated himself to be. Jesus, in this case, politely allowed the lawyer to ask away, knowing that the lawyer considered himself to be an expert, and Jesus knowing the lawyer would learn much through this encounter. The lawyer thought he was thinking spiritually, but Jesus knew he was not walking spiritually, in love, which indicated the lawyer was not fulfilling the intent and purpose the law.

Jesus challenged the lawyer to first recall the accuracy of God's Word concerning the two summary points of all of God's Commandments, i.e., (1) to love God, and then (2) to love your neighbor as yourself. Then Jesus, through giving a practical example in the form of a story, challenged the lawyer to renew his mind to correctly understand them, and then exhorted him to literally and practically carry out God's Word on these two points. The lawyer's subsequent words and actions were to follow after the intent and purpose of the Law.

The lawyer tried the Teacher out on the point of how the lawyer could inherit eternal life. This was an excellent question to ask, since the prophetic scriptures, such as David's prophecy in Psalm 16:10 spoke of the resurrection of the dead into eternal life, but the Mosaic law appeared to make no provision for eternal life after one had died, leaving all those who studied the ancient holy scriptures to wonder how it could happen. How it could happen was the Great Mystery which God had to keep secret until after Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension, because if Satan would have known he never would have allowed Jesus to be killed (1 Cor. 2:6-8). Jesus could not yet reveal the knowledge of the Great Mystery to the lawyer, because it was not yet time for the great secret to become revealed to mortalkind. Therefore Jesus exhorted the lawyer to continue keeping the Mosaic Law of God as best he could, by literally and practically loving God and his neighbor as himself, thus prolonging the quality and length of his life for as long as was possible under the provisions of the Law.

Jesus explained in detail to the lawyer exactly what the specific things which the Samaritan did for the man who was robbed and beaten, which demonstrated how to love his neighbor.

Jesus characterized the Samaritan as willing to give of both his time and money to care for, love his neighbor, demonstrating his belief in the promise of God to pay him back. Jesus told the innkeeper that if perchance the innkeeper were to spend any of his own money to care for the man who was robbed, that the Samaritan would pay him back in his return.

In Jesus story, the Samaritan was a symbolic figure for both how God and His son Jesus deal with believers, and how believers, disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ should deal with their neighbors. The Samaritan's return, and the additional money he would pay to the innkeeper if the innkeeper spent any of his own money on the man who was robbed, were symbolic of Jesus' return with rewards for those believers who have literally and practically carried out God's Word to love their neighbor.

Of the sacrificial priest, Levite and Samaritan, the sacrificial priest and Levite were the two, because of the social position to which they aspired, who were supposed to have the greatest discipline of moral integrity and love for their neighbor, yet demonstrated the least amount of love for their neighbor. No doubt, Jesus was drawing an accurate assessment of the current social conditions within Israel and Judah. The whole world today still lies in deceit, exactly according to Jesus assessment then! There are those in positions of religious and moral authority who are true to their appearance, but the vast majority is not (1 Cor. 1:26-31).

Jesus told the lawyer, "Go and you do likewise" as the Samaritan did. This was not a request, but a command which disciples and believers are to literally and practically carry out.

A believer with the new birth has as his or her highest priority and privilege, the responsibility to love his Father God with all his heart, soul, strength, and thought, and his neighbor as himself. Any other sonship responsibilities that the believer has, any other thoughts, and subsequent words, and actions that the believer takes to carry out his or her responsibilities and privileges, must fit within this framework of love, to be in alignment and harmony with God's will. Any knowledge of God's Word that the believer receives through their renewed mind process, must be practically applied within the framework of these two summary commandments to love, then the believer's thoughts, and subsequent words, and actions will be energized by God, because they will be acceptable unto Him.

The Samaritan helped the man who was robbed, stripped, and beaten. The Samaritan's actions were subsequent to his free will thinking and determination to love the man in need. Jesus Christ gives us this example of the Samaritan, as a person who is in the right frame of thinking, words, and actions, to receive the gift of holy Spirit, and then abundant life now, and eternal life!