Preparing for Worship - July 10, 2022

The Scripture readings for this Sunday center around love for our neighbor, in response to God’s love for us, first given to us. The Old Testament lesson, Leviticus (18:1-5) 19:9-18, specifically says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” and gives a number of examples of how a person might show such love. Several times God also says, “I am the Lord your God. I am the Lord.” We seek to love, in response to Him, our Lord, who first loved us.

The Psalm is Psalm 41. It has similarities to Psalms 38, 39, and 40, all psalms of David, in times of trouble. These psalms complete the first “book” or set of psalms, which ends with the blessing: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen!” In Psalm 41, David admits that he is poor and weak, and his own sin has contributed to his problems. Yet the Lord has sustained him “on his sickbed;” and he prays that the Lord would also be gracious to him and “Heal my soul.” He still has enemies, though, and even “a close friend” who turns against him. (This passage is quoted by Jesus in John 13:18, regarding what Judas would do, betraying Him into death.)

In the Gospel lesson, Luke 10:25-37, a teacher of the Law asks Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asks him what he thinks, and the man quotes passages from the Old Testament about loving God and loving one’s neighbor, including the passage from Leviticus 19 in the OT reading. Jesus agrees and says, literally, ”Keep on doing this, and you will live.” The expert in the Law must sense that he does not always do this and tries to lessen what Jesus says by asking, to justify himself, “And who is my neighbor, whom I am to love?” Surely there are limits on such love! Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man is robbed, beaten, and left for dead along a road. A priest and Levite come by and avoid any contact with the man who needs help. Only a hated Samaritan helps, in a very generous way, and offers to do more. Then Jesus asks not "who is the neighbor" but "who is being a neighbor." Even the lawyer knew it was the Samaritan, an enemy who actually gave help. Jesus said again, “You go and keep on doing likewise.”

The Epistle lesson is from Colossians 1:1-14. The reality is that none of us keeps doing good and loving God and our neighbor all the time. We are all sinners, who fail often and cannot ever do enough to be able to inherit eternal life on our own. We cannot qualify ourselves. That is why Paul emphasizes so strongly what God the Father has done for us through the perfect love and life of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit. “The Father has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His Beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

The alternate Old Testament reading that St. James will use is Daniel 6:1-24, the story of Daniel being delivered from the lions’ den. Daniel had certainly sought to love and serve his neighbor by being the best leader he could be for King Darius and his people. Daniel also loved the One True God and kept praying to Him, even when he was to pray only to King Darius himself. Daniel was caught and thrown into a den of lions as punishment. King Darius respected him so much, though, that he hoped that Daniel’s God could save him - and God did! Daniel was one more in the line of prophets preparing the way for Jesus. While Daniel was rescued, Jesus was not and willingly died on the cross - and only then rose in victory to qualify us to receive the gift of eternal life through trust in Him.