Luke 10.25-37
An Expert is:-
-A person having special skill or knowledge
-A person trained by practice
-Skillful
-Scholar, well learned and versed in scripture.
This man we are introduced to as an expert in law. I do not know neither am I interested in knowing in which field you are an expert, but have you ever thought about it? Could it be that it is this expert in you that is killing you if not slowly but quickly? You are so engrossed in the trade you learnt, the methodologies, rules and practices. Ever at once thought that these are but only acts of men, articulated and fashioned by men for to massage their selfish egos.
And many at times we have come to Jesus parading the eloquence and familiarity of our expertise with an expectation of fulfilling God's agenda. We are not told how old this man was, the only key outstanding point is that he was an expert in interpreting the law. He was also well versed in scripture, but amazingly he was grappling with a simple question of which his scholarly works could not help provide. He was just an expert and that is all. Expertise, takes time, energy and money to attain. So I can say with some confidence that this was a seasoned man. By worldly standards, he was endowed with wisdom. But wait till he opens his mouth, that is when his naivety and ignorance is laid bare for all sundry to sample.
Dear child of the Most High God, against this mirror of the word of God where do you place your self and how do you rate yourself? I am awe stricken that sometimes I have pursued my person, selfish interests at the expense of blessing the lord. When this man fronts his eloquence and exuberance before Jesus, he expects to engage the Lord in some candid, professional discourse.The Lord is not interested in my reserved high esteem. He is after the welfare of my heart. He does not shudder at the weight of my academic excellence. He listened carefully to the expert and in his characteristic lovely approach. He took on to a journey, giving him a story of a man who had been robbed and left for the dead. Jesus said the first person on the scene was another expert by the name priest.
A Priest in this case I will call him a Pastor.
This is highly regarded and esteemed man in society. Today because of the rank and file in society, man of God as they we are so called, lead lofty and high end lifestyles, drive lavish cars, live in leafy suburbs and enjoy the privileges of a driver and security. Getting to see a pastor today is like an armature climbing a coconut tree. This is just the same way this priest acted. He saw nothing and felt nothing for the injured man. In fact to him this injured man was a bother and sheer waste of time. He was so committed to his assignment and thus wanted no distraction and full of himself that the priority action at that moment was to look aside.
A re-look at the roles of a priest will help us appreciate this example from the Lord.
1. They are intercessors
2. Mediators and
3.Consecrate the body of Christ. as found in Exodus 19-20, 24, 33-34.
They are expected to be:-
i) Wholly consecrated to God 1 Peter 2.5, Revelation 1.6 and Isaiah 61.1
ii)They are channels of God's grace to the nations, Genesis 12.2-3, Isaiah 42.1-4
iii) They are supposed to be a Holy Nation, 1 Peter 2.9
v)They are God's people, both individually and collectively, Exodus 3.5
v)They are to be set apart, Exodus 3.5
vi) They are to do God's will all the time, Deuteronomy 7.6, 14.2, 21 and Isaiah 62.12
As a necessity, the priest was and still is expected to offer sacrifice for worship, i.e. sin offering Leviticus 9.7, make atonement for himself first and then the people Leviticus 9.7. He also offered burnt sacrifice, Vs 16, fellowship offering Vs 18, as well as offer blessing to the people of God Vs 22.
But looking to this priest who is you and I today he was found wanting. Could there be areas in your life that you would love to be attended to by God. This is the perfect opportunity to seize. Come to the lord and let him size you up.
Hebrews 4.14-15
The good book declares that we are serving in a very distinguished office. This office has great expectation. The greatest of them being a role model of the lord Jesus Christ himself.
'Therefore since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess, for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin'.
This being the case then, there is no excuse or other option for looking aside and pretending you did not see what happened or heard what was said.
The second person we are introduced to is the Levitate
They originate from one of the tribes of Levi, especially of the part that provided assistance to priests in worship in Jewish temples.This vividly describes you and I with all surety. As assistants to pastors today or whichever office you serve in the body of Christ even that of the steward, making contact has become a serious issue. To free up the pastor, the Levites, or assistant pastors, have taken up the pastor's roles and without an appointment and other with a fee included, seeing them is like milking a starved mosquito.
The bible spells out clearly the duties of a Levite:-
Leviticus 3.6 Assist the Priest
'' 3.7 Perform duties for him and the community
" 3.8 Take care of the furnishings of the church
" 3.9 Fulfill obligations of the Israelites, doing the duties of the Tabernacle
Finally were to give themselves wholly to the Priest.
They were the only ones mandated to approach the sanctuary. any other person who did the same was put to death.
How easily this has forgotten by the priests. But thank God for our High priest, Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9.11 "When Christ came as a High priest, he went through the greater and more perfect Tabernacle, that is not man made, i.e. to say not as a part of this created". As Levites today, our calling is not due to expertise or experience for that matter. But is originated from the blood of the lord Jesus Christ. Any enablement without the power and blood of Jesus Christ amounts to nothing. It is just a wild goose show that is temporal and bound to die a natural death with time.
Hebrews 9.12 "He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but he entered the Most Holy place once and for all by his own blood, having obtained an eternal redemption". When you undergo thorough washing by the blood of Jesus, you cannot afford to ignore your priestly duties.
How many instances have you looked aside?
Is it possible you have been avoiding that still voice that tells you dress his wounds that are very smelly?
Has the ego strength come over you and rules over you?
The lord is reminding us that our duty is to offer sacrifices of praise, the fruit of our lips that confess his name daily. Hebrews 13.15. Let's avoid this spiritual malnutrition condition described in Hebrews 5.13-14. A breakfast , lunch and dinner of ugali and sukuma wiki all year round. It is not only boring, but also un-appetizing and not attractive. It curtails healthy growth.My cardinal duty is to offer sacrifices of praise, shoulder the prayer burden of other and align them to the word of God. This is what the bible calls a sweat smelling aroma, i.e. the prayer of the saints every day as I confess his Name. It does not consist of busy schedules and private meetings. Simply put it is your duty and my duty is to worship God and not act the theatrics we see daily on our screens.
Regardless of the mood, need, want or even the environment not alone excessive provision, I need to render my duty to them that require it irrespective of their backgrounds.Jesus has not called to idle around but to the work. In fact he tells us to do the job of an evangelist. We are very important such that not addressing me by my titles most of us are taking offence.You are the priest today re-discover your calling. Is it what you are pursuing now or something changed somewhere
Finally, came the Samaritan
He is a hated foreigner.
Jews viewed Samaritans as half breeds or half casts, both physically and spiritually, Mathew 10.15.
Samaritans were as a result of mixed blood resulting from inter-marriages of Israelites left behind when he Northern kingdom were exiled and the Gentiles brought them into the land by the Assyrians. 2 kings 17.24
Bitter hostility existed between Jews and the Samaritans in Jesus day. John 4.9.
Now this man who was considered a nobody is the one who rose to the occassion. Who is it that has been Samaritan in your life?
Is it that young man who turned down your proposal?
Is it your mother in-law who rejected you?
Or is it your spouse who does not consider you as anything or any one.
May be it is your boss who never sees any good you do?
Let me encourage you, it is not the title that works, but the spirit and urge to serve. Called by the living God, serve him diligently. STOP LOOKING AT THOSE WITH INTIMIDATING TITLES. The name servant suffices it all.
Beloved, Jesus is the Samaritan in this case. He left his heavenly abode and came down to this world that has no order in order to offer order and organization of the heats of men. He never came for those who are well, rather he came to dress the robbed, maid and left for the dead. Sin has robbed us the joy and love we need to have. Many of us are overlooked and just waiting for a shoulder to lean on. Jesus is the Samaritan. The bible says that he shall never leave you or forsake you. He is ready to the whole mile. Jesus is ready to pay the debt and penalty of your sin.
Today he is beckoning in Mathew 28.11 "Come all ye that are heavily laden and I will give you rest ". It is only in the name of Jesus and not any other that salvation and transformation are real and available. Weary of any situation, come to him. This is is the hour. The time is now! He will deal with the hurting condition of your Heart. In place of the scourges, he will dress you. Lacking happiness, he will fill you with joy unspeakable. This is my lord. Come and taste and see that the lord is good.Are you willing? He is more than willing. Come and enter into your rest today and do not rest in the comforts of your expertise.
May the good lord add more blessing to his word. Amen!
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