The Most Famous Reject of All

As is the case with all my messages, I am glad to provide my Power Point slides so you can use them as a help for your own.

The Salvation Army Herkimer, NY
Luke 10:25-29 25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?” 26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” 27 The man answered, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” 29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

What Can I Learn From
A Reject? (Part 2)
Luke 10:25-29

• Isolated
• No support system
• “Outsider”
– Suspicions!

• Lincoln
• X Men
• Maybe most famous of all …
(At this point I played Rudolph the red nosed reindeer and showed photos of the classic story)
This is the story behind Rudolph …
• On a December night in Chicago …
• (four-year-old Barbara May) asked,
– "Why isn’t my mommy just like everybody else’s mommy?“
• Robert May

• Setting
– Religious authorities increasingly hostile
– Thought His teaching opposed Law of Moses
– They resented Jesus because …
• he associated with people whom they despised.
• (Last Week = Breaking the Rules)
– They plotted to bring about his downfall
• One of the methods was to try to trip Him up
• making some statement they could use as evidence against him.

• How they acted
– Jews hated Samaritans
– Samaritans hated Jews
• Racial background?
– Jews = pure racial heritage
– Samaritans = ½ Jewish, rest ???
• Religious background?
– Jews = essentially the same as Moses
– Samaritans = made their own rules to fit them!
• To Summarize
– those “not like us”


• Muggers attack, leave for dead
• Who came by?
– Jewish Priest
– Temple Assistant
• Church people
• Seminary Experiment (students on the way to an “important meeting” stepped over actors sprawled on the pavement)
• Who Helped?
– The reject
– Outcast
– Weirdo
– “Not Like Us”

• Don’t Judge A Book …
– The Revolution
– The Evangelist
• No matter who
– Homeless
– Different race
– Different culture
– Different …
• God Loves Them
• He can change them
• He will accept them (as is!!)
Radio commercial (rancid meat and lots of ketchup)