Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

Audio: iTunes | Spotify | Download

Wanting to justify himself, [the expert in the Law] said to Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

᛭ INI ᛭

You can never forget or ignore why Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan. It all has to do with a Lawyer, an expert in the Law or Torah of Moses. He doesn’t come with good intentions. He’s come “to put Jesus to the test,” To tempt Him. The lawyer is doing the very thing Jesus says NOT to do when He says to the devil: “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test.”

In fact, it’s worse than that. The Lawyer asks a follow up question. He did so, not because he really wanted to know who is neighbor was. It wasn’t because he wanted to know how best to love his neighbor or how to be the best neighbor he could be. No, wanting to justify himself, [the expert in the Law] said to Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

You see, it’s no innocent question. It all has to with “justification.” Verse 29, as well as verse 33, are the keys to the whole thing! What does “justify” mean? “It means to be pronounced righteous.” (AP V 131) It means to be declared innocent of all charges before God. We could also say that “justification is the forgiveness of sins.” (AP V 190) “People are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. God counts this faith for righteousness in His sight. (AC IV)

To understand Jesus’ Parable, you can’t lose sight of this! The Parable has everything to do with the questions that the expert of the Law asked Jesus. They are no innocent questions. He’s putting Jesus to the test in order to justify himself. You are not justified, innocent, or forgiven (all synonyms) by yourself, but rather Jesus alone. It all has to do with what Jesus does for you and not, thank God, what you do for Jesus or for your neighbor.

(2. Old Adam always tries to justify himself.)

But that’s hard for us to remember because Old Adam is always trying to justify himself before God. It’s hard to remember because our flesh, our body, our mind, our desires, make it so we only ever tend to think of Old Adam as kind of a “frat boy.” Which means we only recognize him when he’s, well, living a sinful lifestyle. “The works of the flesh are evident…” Paul says.

“...sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions,  divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.” (Gal 5)**

But Old Adam is very religious in his sin. He believes the lie of the Devil: “You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen 3:5) So, he runs around dividing good from evil, according to his standards—working, striving according to his own homespun righteousness. He’s often moral. He’s Cain or the Pharisee from another parable. He might be hypocritical, like indignant David before Nathan. He moves to his own religious observance, like Saul making sacrifice. He’s the moral leader, the one who’s better than others, the Volvo driving soccer mom.

Old Adam lives apart from the Lord. He tries to gain life without the LORD’s help—by works of the Law! He adds sin to sin. Works and God’s Law don’t save. “Do this, and you’ll live.” (He doesn’t! That’s the point.) “By works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” (Rom 3:20)

We’re all legal beings at heart. “Who’s my neighbor?” Who indeed? You know who they are. You know the person for whom you’re supposed to be neighbor. And maybe you are…to their face. Always calculating: “This girl,” “that guy” isn’t may neighbor because they’re that way, this way, did this certain thing, wronged me in some way.

Old Adam lives how he wants, then sets up all sorts of standards and measurements so that he’s forgiven and righteous. and it may not have to do anything with the Lord. We do it so often we don’t even realize it! There’s always the person were not like. Like the lawyer in Jesus’ day. He’d drop dead before being compared to a Samaritan. (He didn’t even mention his name.)

Or we use the Lord’s gifts to justify ourselves! We quantify, we calculate, we self justify. We legalize the Lord’s Word and His Sacraments. Instead of faith being the only thing the prepares us for the Sacrament, as the Small Catechism clearly teaches from God’s Word. We parade vague, often self-defined, “preparation.” Or, another Old Adam trick, is to say he believes the confession of sins, but really doesn’t, because if he did, it might mean he needs the Lord’s Supper more, but it’s poison to him but eternal life to your new man in Christ. If all else fails, he’ll just that he’s better than others by our doing of the receiving of the Supper…

((Transition.))

But good works do not make a righteousness worthy to please God and worthy of eternal life. If they did, it would transfer Christ’s glory to our works. It means we would please God because of our works, not because of Christ. But this robs Christ of the glory of being the Mediator. He is the Mediator forever, and not merely in the beginning of justification. (AP V 195–196)

You’re only ever justified by faith alone in Christ alone.

((1. You’re only ever justified by faith alone in Christ alone.))

Against Old Adam’s sins and His works stands Christ. To sinners Christ says, “You’re guilty.” And to sinners who parade their works before him, He says, “Do!” That’s all He says. “Do this, and you’ll live.” “Go and do likewise.” “The Law says, ‘Do this,’ and it’s never done.” (Heidelberg Disputation)

The Law doesn’t give life. That’s what the stand-ins for the Law in Jesus’ Parable show. What help did the Priest and Levite provide the man in need of healing and life? None. So also works. Old Adam will think someone has faith or is saved because of things they’ve done, even though they absent themselves from Jesus and His Word and Gifts. “If righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” (Gal 2:21b) “If a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” (Gal 3:21–22)

We are all justified beings by faith in Christ, and what He has done for us. Yes, “the Law says, ‘Do this,’ and it’s never done.” But “faith says, ‘Believe in Christ,’ and everything is already done.” (Heidelberg Disputation)

Against your sins stands Jesus’ blood and cross. Against your works stands His Good Works in your place. Credited to your account. Received by faith alone. There is no alternative. It’s either by works or by faith. If it’s faith and works, your works become more important than Christ. “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (Rom 3:27)

The Lord’s Word and Gifts to such destitute, dead, dying sinners are completely free Gifts. You haven’t and you can never earn them or deserve them. He gives them exactly because you can’t, because you are unworthy and in desperate need. Like the Samaritan in the Parable with the oil and wine. Freely bestowed because of a need! And so also with the Lord’s Supper, you can trust Jesus’ judgment about your need, trust His gift, trust His Word, His blood shed for you not only at calvary but placed into your mouth at Communion.

((Conclusion.))

Today’s text is all about these things, because Jesus told this parable to a lawyer who wanted to justify himself. But

GOOD SAMARITAN JESUS JUSTIFIES YOU AND, THANK GOD, NOT YOU!

Yes, Old Adam always tries to justify himself. We’re always trying that! We’ll use any means necessary. But, you’re only ever justified by faith in Christ alone. It’s only trusting Jesus that justifies us because it’s

GOOD SAMARITAN JESUS [that] JUSTIFIES YOU AND, THANK GOD, NOT YOU!

Where does He do His justifying, His declaring righteous, His forgiving sin? Each and every time He gives His Word and gifts—Baptism, Absolution, the Lord’s Supper. No piling up of your works allowed. And correct answers about Baptism or Communion don’t count either. Even demons know those things! Even unbelievers could recite them. Trust and confidence in them only because of what Jesus says, that’s faith. Faith that GOOD SAMARITAN JESUS JUSTIFIES YOU AND, THANK GOD, NOT YOU!—even at Communion.

“And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” (Rom 4:5)

᛭ INI ᛭