The Good Samaritan（2）

The Good Samaritan（2）

Why did the priest not touch the man who was in the hands of the robbers？

Because in the law of Moses the priest could not touch the dead, unless it is their own loved ones. Sometimes even their own loved ones, some could not touch or you would become unclean. Let's take a look at the law which is very specific and detailed:

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die, (Leviticus 21:1 NIV)except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother, (Leviticus 21:2 NIV) or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband—for her he may make himself unclean. (Leviticus 21:3 NIV)He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, (Leviticus 21:11 NIV)

What if the people is dead? If a priest come to touch the dead, is not contrary to the laws of Moses? Can a priest break the laws? Can a priest break the regulations? If a priest break it, how does he serve the God? If you were the priest, what would you do? Would you do in accordance with the provisions, or deny yourself to rescue this person?

We know that if someone pick fire in the Sabbath means to violate the laws which would be stoned to die in the Moses time. All the people would stone him together for the command of God because he broke the law. What would you do under such a circumstance? Would you break the law for a stranger going to die? And if you are a priest, the whole of your family and life are up to the identity of your priest. Even the economic source of the family and the social status are all depending on the identity of your priesthood to serve in the temple.

For the law also stipulates that after the time of the sacrifice, the priest can take some for his own. If he is unclean, then he can not sacrifice until the clean date is full. Under the pressure of your work, your family, your honor, and whether you are violating the laws of Moses, can you reach out to help this stranger?

So we can not think we are very strong. If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! If you know that when you touch the dead you would break the law resulting in no qualification for sacrifice when some people doubt you. Because you know the rules of the laws and clearly break them with knowledge.

In such a circumstance, can you deny yourself to love people? People often can share the extra when do not touch their own benefits. But once touching the benefit even endanger their own vital interests, can we really deny ourselves to pay out? Really to love? Peter said that even if he had to die with Jesus, he would never disown Jesus. But when Jesus was arrested, he did not disown Jesus three times even cursed. We can see the weakness of man that it is impossible to abolish the righteousness of God by the law though the law is holy and spiritual.

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. That is Jesus bring salvation to the man who is in the hands of the devil. It is God's righteousness that he give him in vain, love him in vain and pay him out in vain. We know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

The law is brought in so that people know what is sin. However the law can not make people really divorced from sin. Like the Levites and the priests who serve God in accordance with the law in the temple. If anyone will be declared righteous by the works of the law, then the two Levites who keep the law are the righteous. But are they righteous? Can they be sanctified and righteous by the works of the Moses'laws?

For the law made nothing perfect, a better hope is introduced, that is Jesus Christ. He saves us from Old Testament of the law to New Testament of the Holy Spirit. The day of God's grace has come and gives us Holy Spirit as a deposit while the day of joy has come and gives us righteousness by the faithful. In the age of the law, we were afraid because we could not afford God's Word but in the time of grace we are out of fear and into joy and strength rely on our God to make hope, confidence and love in our hearts.

Jesus Christ has come to fulfill the service of the priests and the Levites as the mediator of a New Testament which need us worship him in the spirt and in truth. The New Testament is not of the letter but of the Spirts, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Jesus is the good Samaritan, our good neighbor and he also wants us to follow him as a good neighbor of others.