Permit it to Fulfill All Righteousness

PERMIT IT TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS
by Bill Blue

Today, men have differing views over the necessity of baptism. Some argue that baptism is necessary for salvation. Others argue that all one must do to be saved is believe. The apostles’ teaching on baptism is clear. Peter said baptism saves you (1 Pet. 3:21), and is necessary for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). On one occasion Peter even commanded believers to be baptized (Acts 10:48). Paul said that baptism washes away, and frees us from, our sins (Acts 22:16; Rom. 6:6-8), allows us to put on Christ (Gal. 3:27), join His body (1 Cor. 12:13), and share in His death and resurrection by putting to death our former sinful ways (Rom. 6:3-8). On one occasion Paul even re-baptized disciples who only knew the baptism of John (Acts 19:5) even though John’s baptism was also for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4). The book of Acts describes multiple conversions involving baptism, and none that do not (Acts 2:38-41; 8:5-13; 8:35-38; 9:1-18 & 22:16; 10:34-48; 16:13-15; 16:25-34; 18:8). Yet some men still argue against the necessity of baptism. What would Jesus do?

Jesus consistently preached and commanded the necessity of baptism throughout His ministry.

Three different Gospels tell us Jesus began His ministry by submitting to baptism (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). Jesus did not question the purpose or necessity of baptism. When John protested that his own righteousness was inferior to Christ’s, Jesus said, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness," and then He was baptized (Matt. 3:13-15). If one wants to be more like Christ, why wouldn’t he follow Jesus’ example and submit humbly to baptism as Christ did?

Two of the possible reasons why people fail to follow Jesus’ commands and examples are that they either believe they are smarter than God, or the simplistic nature of the gospel itself poses an obstacle to obedience (1 Cor. 1:18-29). Shortly after beginning His ministry, Jesus told Nicodemus, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:2-5). Is it that difficult to understand the necessity of water baptism? Should we question what the water actually accomplishes? Naaman had difficulties accepting the simplicity of God’s plan. When Elisha told Naaman that washing seven times in the Jordan River would cleanse Naaman of his leprosy, Naaman became indignant and initially refused (2 Kings 5:10-12). “Are not … the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean” (2 Kings 5:12)? In his arrogance, Naaman thought he was too smart to believe that washing in a muddy river would cleanse him of his leprosy. By so thinking, however, Naaman was actually saying that he was smarter than God. Fortunately, Naaman had a servant who could see the foolishness in not accepting the simple command. ““My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’” (2 Kings 5:13)? Sometimes people like Naaman think too much when all they have to do is accept what Jesus said, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. [1 Cor. 1:25] But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty” (1 Cor. 1:25, 27).

After His death and resurrection, Jesus said “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). These are among the very last statements Jesus said to all of the apostles at once prior to His ascension. Jesus could have used this occasion to speak to His apostles about anything and He chose to emphasize baptism. The Holy Spirit could have inspired Matthew and Mark to emphasize something else at the end of their gospel accounts, but He chose to emphasize baptism.

Despite all of man’s arguments about the necessity of baptism for salvation, one fact remains: no one can give a biblical reason not to do it. Do we truly want to consider what Jesus would do, and then do it, or would we rather, like Naaman, question the simplistic and easy nature of God’s command? If we truly wanted to follow Jesus’ example, we would humbly submit to baptism to fulfill His plan for achieving righteousness.

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Kingdom Come

KINGDOM COME
by Bill Blue

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus gave his disciples a model prayer that included the following request, “Thy kingdom come” (Matt. 6:10). Was this request fulfilled? What would Jesus say?

THE TIME OF GOD’S KINGDOM WAS FULFILLED IN THE FIRST CENTURY. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” (Matt. 3:1-2). “Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

When Jesus said that “the time is fulfilled,” He was saying that the time of the prophecies of God’s kingdom had come. In Daniel 2, Daniel interprets a dream for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He tells the king about an image the king dreamed about (Dan. 2:31-35), and explains that the four parts of the image relate to four kingdoms (Dan. 2:37-40), and that a great stone, which crushes the image relates to a fifth kingdom (Dan. 2:34-35, 44-45).

Daniel explains that the first kingdom is Babylon (Dan. 2:37-38), and that the second kingdom will follow after Babylon. Daniel sees the next kingdom when the Medo-Persian empire defeats Babylon (Dan. 5:30-31). In chapter 8, the second and third kingdoms are identified as the Medo-Persian and Greek empires (Dan. 8:20-21).

The identity of the fourth kingdom is not revealed by prophecy, but through history we know that Rome was the next world empire. Daniel said that, “in the days of these kings [the fourth kingdom] the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed . . . and it shall stand forever” (Dan. 2:44). Rome was in power when Christ said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15).

Daniel also tells King Nebuchadnezzar that God “has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days” (Dan. 2:28). Isaiah and Micah say “in the latter days the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established” (Isa. 2:2; Micah 4:1). On the Pentecost following Christ’s resurrection, Peter quoted Joel 2:28 and said that he (Peter) was now in the “last days” (Acts 2:16-17). The church began that day (Acts 2:47).

THE COMING OF GOD’S KINGDOM WAS WITNESSED WITH POWER. During His ministry, Jesus said that “there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power” (Mark 9:1). Thus, some living in Jesus’ day would live to see the beginning of God’s kingdom.

After His resurrection, Jesus instructed His apostles, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). Luke continues this narrative in Acts 1:4-8:

4And being assembled together with them [the apostles], He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you ….”

The apostles received this power and the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-17) at the place and time as foretold by prophets (Dan. 2; Isa. 2; Micah 4). Thus, not only did the kingdom of God come with power as foretold by Jesus (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8), but the beginning of the kingdom was also the beginning of the Lord’s church. “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).

Like Peter, John also said that the kingdom was present in the First Century when he wrote, “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ … (Rev. 1:9). Daniel, John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter and John all agree on the beginning kingdom of God.

CHRIST IS KING. Prior to His crucifixion, Jesus told Pilate three things: (1) That He is a king; (2) That He has a kingdom; and (3) That His kingdom is “not of this world” (John 18:33-37). Notice that in His answers to Pilate’s questions, Jesus does not say that He “will be king,” but rather, “You say rightly that I am a king” (John 18:37). Following His resurrection, Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). Only the King can have this authority.

CHRIST’S KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD. When speaking to Pilate, Jesus did not deny that He has a kingdom, but said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Christ’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom, and Christ has set forth the requirements for citizenship, “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God […] unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, 5). “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3).

God’s kingdom has come. Are you a citizen of His kingdom?

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Which Traditions Would Jesus Observe?

WHICH TRADITIONS WOULD JESUS OBSERVE?
By Bill Blue

Jesus would condemn the “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9). In Matthew 15, Jesus criticized the scribes and Pharisees for binding two traditions found no where in the Scriptures. We can we be guilty of the same conduct today.

In Jesus’ day, Jews were divided into different sects, each with their own unique combination of beliefs. They were known as the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots. (One example in the difference in beliefs is that the Pharisees believed in the resurrection from the dead, while the Sadducees did not. Matt. 22:23-32; Acts 23:6-8). Today, Christianity has its own sects, or “faiths,” each with its own unique combination of beliefs and practices and each with its own name, such as Baptist, Catholic, Episcopalian, Greek Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Mormon, Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist, etc.

Beliefs, practices, and traditions which are not found in the Bible either add to or take from God’s word in violation of Jesus’ own teaching (Rev. 22:18-19). Consider two examples from Matthew 15. The Scriptures contained no requirement that men wash their hands before eating, yet the Pharisees declared the disciples’ failure to wash a “transgression,” essentially creating a new commandment (Matt. 15:1-9). Men bind new beliefs today. Some faiths teach that an infant that dies before baptism does not go to heaven even though there is neither a command to baptize infants, nor an example of infants being baptized found in the Bible. The Bible actually says that belief, something an infant is incapable of, is a prerequisite to baptism (Acts 8:36-37).

In Matthew 15, the Pharisees also created an exception to God’s law by excusing a son’s obligation to care for his parents if he donated a gift to the temple; thus taking from God’s word (Matt. 15:6). Men make the same mistakes today. The Bible has consistently condemned homosexuality (Lev. 18:22; Lev. 20:13; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 1 Tim. 1:10), yet nearly 2000 years after Christ’s death, some faiths are now beginning to accept homosexuals as preachers. Jesus would not let political correctness determine which acts are sinful.

In Matthew 15, Jesus did not condemn the washing of one’s hand before eating, but rather the presumptuous creation of a new commandment. Similarly, Jesus was not opposed to people donating gifts to the temple, but the arrogant belief that a man could excuse someone from obeying God’s law to care for one’s own family, essentially making God’s law of “no effect” (Matt. 15:6; Mark 7:10), by “laying [it] aside,” and “reject[ing] the commandment of God” (Mark 7:8-9).

Jesus also criticized the Pharisees for going beyond God’s law when they drew distinctions between the types of oaths one could swear to (Matt. 23:16-22). Isn’t this similar to “ranking” sins when God has not, or classifying God’s commands as those essential to salvation and others not?

Jesus refused to obey traditions that were inconsistent with the letter and intent of the Scriptures. In Matthew 12, Jesus refused to honor the traditions of the elders with respect to the Sabbath in two different contexts: the plucking of grain and healing (Matt. 12:1-14). In both instances, the tradition sought to restrict activities where God’s law did not (Matt. 12:7, 12).

Jesus would adhere only to the doctrine, teachings, and traditions found in the New Testament. We have observed in earlier articles that Jesus would answer religious questions with Bible answers (WWJD no. 2; see also Matt. 4:1-10), and because He sent the Holy Spirit to His Apostles to divinely inspire them with all truth and bring to their remembrance the things He said and did in their presence (John 14:26, 16:13), the Apostles could be trusted to declare God’s will accurately (Matt. 16:19; see also WWJD no. 4). Thus, Jesus would have us follow Apostolic traditions (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 3:6), but not the traditions of men which contradict the Bible (Col. 2:8).

Jesus says that the teachers and followers of commandments and traditions not found in the Bible are blind (Matt. 15:14). They “transgress the commandment of God” (Matt. 15:3), and worship Him “in vain” (Matt. 15:9).

In Matthew 15:8-9, Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” The whole idea behind emphasizing WWJD (“What Would Jesus Do?”) is to draw nearer to Christ by becoming more Christ-like. However, Jesus says we cannot draw nearer to Him by moving farther from God’s word.

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Jesus Would Not Believe that the Majority is Right

JESUS WOULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY IS RIGHT
By Todd L. Baker

We live in a democracy where, as a norm, the majority rules. But is the majority always right? History has shown us many times that the majority isn’t always right. Don’t be mistaken, democracy is arguably the greatest form of government known to exist, and the blessings of living in such a system are numerous and great. We are truly blessed to live in the country that we do, but what happens if we apply “majority rule” to spiritual matters?

Is the majority always right? The only way to know for sure is to consult God’s word and check what the majority wants to do against the standard the Lord has provided for us. The Bereans did exactly this in Acts 17:11, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Jesus warned His disciples that they must be more righteous than the spiritual leaders of the day who had begun binding human traditions on people. In Matthew 5:20 Jesus states, “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Being in the minority on any issue is uncomfortable and challenging to say the least, especially when one finds himself in the minority on a spiritual subject. But take comfort; if you are following God’s word and the pattern He has provided, then being in the minority on this earth is not a bad thing. We are told that the way to salvation is narrow and few find it. In Matthew 7:13–14 Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Do these statements sound like Jesus believes the majority is right?

One popular belief is that there are many paths to salvation. This sounds like a nice idea, at least on the surface. If one believes this, then he can find salvation in any way that he chooses. Let’s follow the example of the Bereans mentioned earlier, and examine the Scriptures to see if this belief is correct. Jesus states in Matthew 7:21–23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” Jesus does not support the idea of the “many” that there are many paths to salvation, in fact, He calls it lawlessness.

Today, the majority considers the telling of a “little white lie” to be a minor offense, and sometimes a “necessary” offense. But what does Jesus say about such things? Matthew 5:37 states, “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.” We can see clearly that Jesus does not label lies and falsehoods as anything other than evil. He doesn’t have a scale that He uses to distinguish a “little white lie” from a “bold-faced lie” as is so common, and often expected, among the majority today.

When it comes to spiritual matters, study the Bible for yourself. Do not rest on what you are simply told by anyone, no matter how much faith, trust, or respect you may place in them. Read God’s word and see what He says He wants from you, and then do it! But don’t stop there; share what you have learned with those around you and remember to keep God as the standard of what is right, not what the majority says is right.

Think about where you stand in a spiritual sense, test your beliefs against the Lord’s word and see if you believe the majority is right, or if God is right.

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Jesus Would Not Covet Money or Material Possessions

JESUS WOULD NOT COVET MONEY or MATERIAL POSSESSIONS
By Todd L. Baker

Jesus came to this world to save sinners. “And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). Paul attests to the same purpose in 1 Timothy 1:15, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” Jesus did not come to seek any material possession and He did not covet the possessions of any of His neighbors.

Jesus spent His effort spreading His Father’s word, not building a physical empire for Himself to enjoy. Jesus could have had all that He wanted on this earth in the physical sense - all He had to do was say the word, and it would have been done. However, Jesus came to this earth to save sinners, and in the process He gave up all physical blessings except the pure necessities. When a scribe declared to Jesus that he would follow Jesus wherever He went, Jesus’ response in Matthew 8:20 was, Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

When Jesus delivered His sermon on the mount in Matthew 5, He did not praise those who were famous, powerful, or rich in this life, but rather those who were poor in spirit, those who mourn, the gentle, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those persecuted for the sake of righteousness, and those who are insulted because of Him; this hardly looks like a list of qualities and characteristics that are valued in our world! Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 5:12, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Here Jesus tells us where our reward is, it is in heaven for those who have obeyed Him.

In the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives where we are always on the go, it is very easy to forget why we are here and what the Lord really wants for us, which Peter states in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Notice that nothing is said about building our retirement nest eggs, estates, bank accounts, the number and size of our toys, how nice our clothes are, or any other physical thing. This should speak volumes to us about where our priorities should be.

Coveting money and material possessions is very energy and time consuming. We then have very little left to spend pursuing the Lord and reaching out to others. If we followed Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 6, there would be far less depression, frustration, anger, disillusionment, and lack of direction in our lives. Consider what Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, 31 – 34: 25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, or ‘What will we drink?’, or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

If we are to truly follow Jesus, we need to be sure our priorities are in the right order. Have you put your “bank account” above seeking the Lord? What reward are you putting your heart into receiving, eternal life in heaven with the Lord, or some physical thing that you can’t take with you?

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Jesus Would Neither Use Profane Language Nor Say Mean, Hurtful Things

JESUS WOULD NEITHER USE PROFANE LANGUAGE NOR SAY MEAN, HURTFUL THINGS
By Todd L. Baker

Jesus said that "the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart, and they defile the man" (Matthew 15:18).

Jesus is considered by nearly everyone as a “good man.” What traits made Him a “good man” in most people’s eye? For one, Jesus would not use profane language, nor say mean, hurtful things. Do not be mistaken, this does not mean that Jesus would not speak out against sin for fear of how He may be perceived by His peers or the elite of His day. Jesus indeed spoke the truth, but in a loving, caring, concerned manner.

“Profane” is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as “not sacred, secular, heathen, showing contempt of sacred things, to violate, desecrate, to put to an unworthy use.” Most folks would agree that given this definition, to profane something is not a Christian quality. To say mean, hurtful things is done for only one purpose: to hurt someone by making him look bad or by making oneself look good. This is also something that is not a Christian quality. Let’s look at some examples of how Jesus did speak.

First of all, Jesus often spoke by quoting or referencing Scripture. In order to do this, it is impossible to use profane language. For example, consider how Jesus answered the tempter after fasting for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” ”On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ”Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). Given these types of answers, should we also not seek God’s word as guidance for how to answer when we are tempted?

Throughout the gospels, Jesus showed in His speech that He was often motivated by compassion. Thus, His speech was seasoned with concern for those around Him. Examine how He spoke to the leper (one who would have been shunned and put down in Jesus’ day) in Mark 4:41: “Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’” Should we also not strive to season our speech with compassion and concern for all souls around us?

Jesus avoided idle, unproductive talk. All that Jesus spoke had a purpose - to teach us how to obtain salvation through Him because He does not want any to perish. “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish” (Matthew 18:14). Jesus did not spend His effort using speech to gain any worldly position or popularity; He also did not spend His effort using speech in order to be “political.” Paul followed Jesus’ example when he admonished the young preacher Timothy, “But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17aand their talk will spread like gangrene” (2 Timothy 2:16-17a).

Jesus spoke words of comfort and hope to His disciples. Consider how He spoke in John 15:12-17: “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another.” These are all words of love and comfort to all of His disciples because of His concern for their souls. Should we also not seek to encourage those around us with our speech, to always strive to the best of our ability to live for God and to love one another?

The decision is up to you. Will you do what Jesus did and avoid profane, mean and hurtful speech?

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Jesus Would Follow The Golden Rule

Jesus Would Follow the Golden Rule
By Jeff Himmel

Near the end of His “sermon on the mount,” Jesus said, “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). We often paraphrase this command as, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” We have come to call it “The Golden Rule.”

The point of this “golden rule” is not that we should do good to others in hopes that they’ll do good to us. In fact, Jesus teaches us to treat others well even when they treat us poorly. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?…If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?…” (Matthew 5:43-47).

Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates this teaching. Read it in Luke 10:25-37. A lawyer asked Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus asked him what the Law said, he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said he had answered correctly. “But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (verse 29).

The lawyer’s question implied that there must be some reasonable limits on love and mercy. Surely God didn’t want him to love everyone, did He?

Jesus responded with a parable. Most of us know the story: a traveling Jew was robbed, beaten, and left for dead; a Jewish priest came upon the man and passed him by; another religious leader came upon him and also passed by; but then a Samaritan came along and compassionately took care of the man.

What modern readers often ignore is that the hero of the story was a Samaritan. Most Jews despised Samaritans, viewing them as half-breeds and heretics. The average Jew probably wouldn’t have stopped to help an injured Samaritan; but in Jesus’ story, a Samaritan goes to great lengths to help an injured Jew. It was the last thing anyone would have expected.

Jesus closed by asking the lawyer which man in the story was “neighbor” to the wounded traveler. The answer was obvious: “The one who showed mercy on him.” By now the lesson was also obvious: “Go and do the same.”

The Samaritan’s act of kindness likely would have been neither returned nor appreciated. But he did it anyway. Jesus’ parable teaches us that the “neighbor” we must love includes people who may not love us.

Most of us have little trouble going out of our way to do some act of kindness if we know we’ll be rewarded for it, or if the receiver is a friend. But what if we think no one will notice (Matt. 6:1-4)? Better still, what if there’s a good chance we’ll be repaid with contempt? Will we still be so ready to act? That is Jesus’ challenge to us. Rather than doing good to others in hopes of receiving good from them, Christ asks me to put myself in their place. My motivation is not to be self-interest, but love.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law… Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfill¬ment of the law” (Romans 13:8-10). The golden rule is not a substitute for God’s specific commands, but rather a motive for obeying them. What command has God given that is not seen more clearly when we view it as an expression of love for others?

The ultimate example of the “golden rule” in action is Jesus Himself. He sacrificed His sinless life to offer forgiveness of sins to all people. And He did so knowing that most of those people would never accept His offer. “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8).

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