Luke 10:25-37; The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost; July 13, 2025;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”” (Luke 10:25–37, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

There was a Fad in the church a few years ago (well in the 90s anyway). It has its origin in the 19 century (1800s). A pastor, Rev. Charles Sheldon, a congregationalist minister, wrote a book. “In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?” In the book, the pastor says that anytime a Christian has a decision to make, he should ask the question: What Would Jesus Do? In the 90s, WWJD bracelets became popular among youth groups. The idea was to use Jesus as the best example of Christian living. If you do what Jesus would do, you’ll make the right decisions.

Jesus is certainly a great example to follow. From 1 Peter 2:21

Christ suffered for you, leaving you and example…

And 1 John 2:6

Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Our Gospel reading for today seems to bear this out. The Lawyer asks, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus explains with the parable. A guy, a Jew presumably, is traveling and falls among thieves. He is left for dead beside the road. Two people pass by failing to help, the last helps. Be like this guy. Your neighbor is the guy God puts before that needs help to help.

But there is much more going on here than the simple reading. First of all, notice that the one asking the question is a lawyer. The two who pass by, the priest and the Levite (a pastor and a lawyer), are the ones the listeners would expect to help. The crowd would have been shocked. Pastors and Lawyers were highly respected for their knowledge of scripture. They were highly respected for their moral convictions. What’s up with that? They probably asked.

Jesus continues. “Then came a Samaritan. He has compassion on the man. He helps him.” This is another shock, bigger than the first. The Jews would have expected the story to go, “The Samaritan saw him on the side of the road and kicked him for spite. Such was the hatred between the Jews and the Samaritans. And the Samaritan wasn’t just helpful; he spent a fortune to see to the Jew was restored. You can tell the lawyer doesn’t like the conclusion. When Jesus asks,

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?

He replies,

The one who showed him mercy.

He can’t even bear to say he was a Samaritan.

You go, and do likewise. Jesus says.

Implying that he should do the same for Samaritans. Jesus turns everything around on his listeners. He does what no one expects. Of course, the parable is about Jesus. He puts himself in place of the Samaritan, he saves us at great cost, giving his very life for our forgiveness. He beams forth as the ultimate example to follow.

But there is something more here: You are not the Samaritan in the story, you are the man at the side of the road. You can’t help yourself, you have been robbed, beaten by sin, and left for dead. The priest and the lawyer pass you by. They can’t save you, they won’t save you. Jesus, is the true and better Samaritan. He is despised by the world, but full of unexpected mercy. He binds your wounds. He pays the price for your sin. He heals with his own blood. He brings you into the church. The parable isn’t a call to try harder. It is about Christ who rescues you when you could do nothing.

There is an issue with WWJD. And it’s partially set out in this parable. The Samaritan, Jesus, does what no one would expect. All throughout his ministry he confused people by doing what no one expected. He spoke to a Samaritan woman, he touched lepers, he doesn’t condemn a woman caught in adultery and allows a sinful woman to anoint his feet. All of it is shocking. All of it is unexpected. And don’t forget, before you ask, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ — remember that flipping tables and driving out corrupt religious leaders with a whip is on the list.

The fact is, what would Jesus do? Is often answered in the bible, he’d do only what he can do.

WWJD is law centered. It says we must act like Jesus. The burden is on the believer, not on the Holy Spirit’s work in them. Luther says,

The law says, ‘Do this,’ and it is never done. Grace says, ‘Believe in this,’ and everything is already done. Martin Luther, Heidelberg Disputation (1518)

And what has been done? Jesus, the law keeper, has kept the Law perfectly for you. He isn’t only our example, he is your substitute. On the cross, he hung with the guilt of you passing by people who needed help. Every time you fail to love. Every time you live for yourself.

If you have the wrong mindset, unbound to the work of Spirit and the Gospel, it leads to moralism, Christianity becomes about changing behavior.

Jesus is an example, but an impossible one. He is our savior, not our role model. He is first and foremost our atoning sacrifice for sin. We must always keep in mind, not what he would do, but what he did.

Christ is not merely a teacher and example, but a gift and present given us by God, so that we may be saved through Him. – Formula of Concord, SD III.41

The question WWJD subtly assumes that we can choose the right thing if we just try harder. It often sets aside the biblical truth the sin corrupts everything we are and do. We are saved sinners, yet still sinners until Jesus’ return or death. It is only the New Man, not the Old Adam, that even desires to do the right thing. The new creation lives alongside the sinful self. Sanctification is caused by the word working in our lives, not by our moral striving. We are so prone to shifting the thing backwards. Instead of putting justification first, we like to put sanctification first. Sanctification flows from justification. As the Book of Concord says:

Faith alone justifies… Good works necessarily and invariably follow. – Apology of the Augsburg Confession IV.64

So, of course, ask yourself WWJD. But more than that, trust what he has done. He has put you on his shoulders and carried you to safety. He has paid your debt of sin fully.

And because of that you now have confidence, you are free to love as you have been loved. Not for recognition by God, not to earn God’s favor, you are already his forgiven child. You don’t have to try to be good enough. God himself has declared you righteous on account of Christ. In that knowledge you can serve your neighbor just as you are called to do.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.