The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
The Collect
ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service; Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Gospel. St. Luke 10. 23-37
BLESSED are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
23 και στραφεις προς τους μαθητας κατ ιδιαν ειπεν μακαριοι οι οφθαλμοι οι βλεποντες α βλεπετε
24 λεγω γαρ υμιν οτι πολλοι προφηται και βασιλεις ηθελησαν ιδειν α υμεις βλεπετε και ουκ ειδαν και ακουσαι α ακουετε και ουκ ηκουσαν
25 και ιδου νομικος τις ανεστη εκπειραζων αυτον λεγων διδασκαλε τι ποιησας ζωην αιωνιον κληρονομησω
26 ο δε ειπεν προς αυτον εν τω νομω τι γεγραπται πως αναγινωσκεις
27 ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αγαπησεις κυριον τον θεον σου εξ ολης καρδιας σου και εν ολη τη ψυχη σου και εν ολη τη ισχυι σου και εν ολη τη διανοια σου και τον πλησιον σου ως σεαυτον
28 ειπεν δε αυτω ορθως απεκριθης τουτο ποιει και ζηση
29 ο δε θελων δικαιωσαι εαυτον ειπεν προς τον ιησουν και τις εστιν μου πλησιον
30 υπολαβων ο ιησους ειπεν ανθρωπος τις κατεβαινεν απο ιερουσαλημ εις ιεριχω και λησταις περιεπεσεν οι και εκδυσαντες αυτον και πληγας επιθεντες απηλθον αφεντες ημιθανη
31 κατα συγκυριαν δε ιερευς τις κατεβαινεν [εν] τη οδω εκεινη και ιδων αυτον αντιπαρηλθεν
32 ομοιως δε και λευιτης κατα τον τοπον ελθων και ιδων αντιπαρηλθεν
33 σαμαριτης δε τις οδευων ηλθεν κατ αυτον και ιδων εσπλαγχνισθη
34 και προσελθων κατεδησεν τα τραυματα αυτου επιχεων ελαιον και οινον επιβιβασας δε αυτον επι το ιδιον κτηνος ηγαγεν αυτον εις πανδοχειον και επεμεληθη αυτου
35 και επι την αυριον εκβαλων δυο δηναρια εδωκεν τω πανδοχει και ειπεν επιμεληθητι αυτου και ο τι αν προσδαπανησης εγω εν τω επανερχεσθαι με αποδωσω σοι
36 τις τουτων των τριων πλησιον δοκει σοι γεγονεναι του εμπεσοντος εις τους ληστας
37 ο δε ειπεν ο ποιησας το ελεος μετ αυτου ειπεν δε αυτω [ο] ιησους πορευου και συ ποιει ομοιως
Luke 10.25-37 presents us with the Parable of the Good Samaritan in the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, a familiar parable, but one we suspect will be used to teach moralism in Anglicanism, rather than Law and Gospel. At the outset, we call your attention to the way in which the Collect ends, through the merits of Jesus Christ. This reflects the Catholic, Confessional and Protestant nature of the Prayer Book, but we turn to our text, Luke 10.23-37.
A lawyer (nomikoi) presents himself to Jesus with what appears a “test question.” He asks the perennial question of the natural, unregenerate, uninstructed human hear and mind, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” It is clear as to his motive on two fronts
First, he seeks to test the LORD. Second, in verse 29, But he, wanting to justify himself… Jesus was familiar with the question. The lawyer seeks to appear blameless and to vindicate himself.
History is familiar with the question. Romish and Orthodox doctrine still asks the question, adding works to justification. Jesus’ Advent is to answer that very question; but not by human works, but by Christ, who inherits eternal life. That’s the book of Romans and Galatians.
Jesus was familiar with this theological narcissism, religious hubris, and the native, unconverted and unregenerate instinct to self-justification. It’s the stuff of human history. As justified saints, we see it in ourselves.
Luke 16.15: Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. Jesus’ response to the lawyer is Socratic. The sense is: “I, Jesus, will give you a story that voids and vitiates your self-justification. How will you answer?”
Romans 4.2: For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
Jesus asks the scholar, What is written in the law? What is your reading of it? The lawyer, schooled in the written and oral traditions, answers: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and, your neighbour as yourself. It's a good start, but is totally incomplete.
The point will be—and this needs to govern our understanding of this Parable—if you lack nothing, if your life wholly possesses this love to God and neighbour, perfectly, consistently, inerrantly and infallibly, then you are justified. But the point of the Parable is the opposite. Jesus tells the man, Go and do likewise. The implication does not imply ability to save oneself, but the opposite. The Law teaches gross inability and impairments to the image of God in humans.
The lawyer has reduced the consequences of his own sinfulness. He has reduced the demand of the law, so he could justify himself. He has reduced the law’s instruction concerning the Messiah. He has reduced the Promise of Genesis 3.15 and that salvation is “of the LORD.” He has reduced the instruction of the law that one needs a vicarious, penal, substitutionary atonement, day-by-day, night-by-night, and throughout life. Conversely, the Levitical law taught inability of the human to merit eternal life. This is what human beings do by nature.
Jesus does not upbraid the lawyer directly, but allows him to judge himself. There is an element of kindness in the approach.
Jesus tells the familiar story. A certain man falls among thieves travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho, about a fifteen mile trek to the northeast. The region is desolate, wild, with ravines, caverns, and full of thieves. Josephus (Antiquities, XV.7) observed that some 40,000 men became unemployed after working on Herod’s Temple project; many became robbers. The poor man fell amongst some of those theives. He was stripped, beaten, left half-dead, and, probably, a potential prey for vultures and other animals. A certain priest passed him up. A Levite, another priest, passed by. These priests did duty in the Temple. They offered sacrifices, morning and evening. They burned incense in the inner Sanctuary. They helped other priests with assorted duties, from cleaning, to instruction, and to maintenance of the Sanctuary, the Temple. During the wilderness wanderings, they transported the Tabernacle, the prototype for the Temple. They knew the Law and Prophets. They had detailed knowledge of the texts. They sang the Psalms for divine worship and had divine liturgies for praise and worship. Of all men, these two should have stopped. Of all men, they should have known of humility, mercy, and charity.
The lawyer would have been familiar with all the implications of the story. He could not have but missed Jesus' clearly implied point, to wit, You can’t justify yourself. Try if you like. Go and try to do so.
Jesus speaks of a Samaritan who renders aid. Samaritans were inveterate foes of Israelites, again something known to Jesus and the lawyer. The Samaritan pities the forlorn and broken man, stops, applies curatives and sanitization (pouring oil and wine on his wounds), and transported him to shelter, including provision financially.
Indeed, we must love our enemy insofar as we are able. Indeed we must do good to our neighbour, widely and broadly defined. Kindness must indeed suffuse our thoughts and lives.
But the point at issue here is self-justification by attempting to earn it.
Jesus has left the lawyer stripped of all self-righteousness. This is where the Gospel is the answer. Christ alone is our answer.
There is one answer. John the Baptist proclaimed it. John 1.29-34, The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, `After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him, but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” And John bore witness, saying, `I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said me, `Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.
As a lawyer schooled in the oral and written traditions, Behold the Lamb of God, should have resonated with a boom in his mind and heart, given his training about Leviticus and the Messianic promises. We are not told what his reaction was, but he was the unloving, imperfect, sinful Levite in the story. Jesus stripped him down, politely and kindly by the Parable.
So are we the Levite in the story, for those with eyes to see it. Given the Epistle lection from Galatians in the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, we say with St. Paul in Galatians 6.13-14, For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
We have nothing but Christ and His very righteousness as our own, imputed to us, and received by faith.
According to our Heidelberg Catechism's sage summary: What three things must I know to live and die in this comfort, that Christ is my own?
First, how great my sin and misery is.
Second, how I am set free by Christ Jesus.
And third, how I am to show my gratitude for such a redemption, accomplished and applied.
Our collect gets at it, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Read it again.
The Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity.
The Collect
ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service; Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Article XI of the XXXIX Articles gets at it also:
"We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith and not for our works or deservings; Wherefore, that we are justified by Faith only is a most wholesome Doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed in the Homily on Justification.
This is the article by which the church stands or falls. It is the hinge of the Reformation. It is the Atlas upon which all other articles stand tall.
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