Is It Lawful To Do Good?

The parable of the Good Samaritan.... Luke 10:30-35

This is such a familiar parable, that we often overlook just how much is going on in it....

Key to this parable is an extremely important question for us... Is it lawful to do good? This is still a poignant question for modern Jews... One not easily resolved by them.....

Just for a refresher... Here's why...
Levites and Priests are held to a VERY high standard for ceremonial purity.... Especially if they have any dealings with Temple duty...... Cleansing requires lots of complicated rituals.... AND.. They were EXPECTED to know the law... ALL 613 Mitzvot....

Now... Go carefully through Numbers 15:22-36
Notice this SPECIFIC passage... 30-31
'But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people. Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him."

If that Levite or the Priest HAD stopped to help the man... They would have Intentionally, Willfully, Knowingly VIOLATED maybe 1/3 of the Law.... Exposure to:
Blood and guts
Perhaps bugs, dogs, and other unclean animals
Perhaps an idolater carrying idols
Feces on the side of the road
People who were unclean due to contact with all of above
Dead animals and stuff on the side of the road
Graves/dead bodies on the side of the road
Etc....

This situation was not lost on the Lawyers questioning Jesus there... they clearly understood the Dilemma... that the Levite or Priest would THEN have been liable for willfully breaking God's law..... and the punishment for this is DEATH!

There is NO atonement within the Law.... PERIOD! You willfully violated... You are a LAWBREAKER... Done.... There is ONLY one consequence.. Death! Your guilt is upon YOUR OWN HEAD forever.... Doesn't matter that you were "Doing good".....

We take completely for granted how much Jesus really has set us free... We forget that part of his Atonement on the Cross was dying for OUR WILLFUL, Intentional, knowledgeable VIOLATION of God's Law - Even when we are DOING GOOD... His death for Us sets us FREE to do Good without US having to Choose... Do I do "Good" and face the full measure of the Righteous, never ending wrath of God - or do I stay Lawful and Live.....
 
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BUT! The ones who passed by the injured man ignored the important Torah command that takes presidence over all others; therefore, they were knowingly guilty. The command is that the work to sustain life comes first in all things.
 
James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

If you knowingly, intentionally break even one single part of the law - you are subject to death as a Law Breaker... No matter how "Trivial" or well meaning the issue may be....

The bit about sanctity of human life is the way that Modern Judaism has dealt with the lack of Blood Atonement with the destruction of the temple and cessation of sacrifice..... That somehow, breaking the law isn't REALLY breaking the law if you are "doing good"..... Unfortunately, it has no scriptural support....
 
James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

If you knowingly, intentionally break even one single part of the law - you are subject to death as a Law Breaker... No matter how "Trivial" or well meaning the issue may be....

The bit about sanctity of human life is the way that Modern Judaism has dealt with the lack of Blood Atonement with the destruction of the temple and cessation of sacrifice..... That somehow, breaking the law isn't REALLY breaking the law if you are "doing good"..... Unfortunately, it has no scriptural support....
Sorry dude, your premiss is way off. That kind of thinking is why the world is so selfish. Praise God that's why we're DEAD to the law (Praise God!) so we can be the good samaritan to all!

Romans 5:7 (KJV)
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
 
James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

If you knowingly, intentionally break even one single part of the law - you are subject to death as a Law Breaker... No matter how "Trivial" or well meaning the issue may be....

The bit about sanctity of human life is the way that Modern Judaism has dealt with the lack of Blood Atonement with the destruction of the temple and cessation of sacrifice..... That somehow, breaking the law isn't REALLY breaking the law if you are "doing good"..... Unfortunately, it has no scriptural support....
Well, sorry, JohnC, but you are wrong. :) I've been wrong before, too. Plenty of times.

It is Scriptural.

Leviticus 18:5 "You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD" Live by them, not die because of them.

Ezekiel 20:11 "And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if one shall do, he shall even live in them." Live in them, not die because of them.

Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-11. They plucked wheat because they were hungry -- preserving life. Messiah healed on the Sabbath, also, even though this was His usual work, and His critics knew it. The man's life was most important.

Remember when Messiah asked if they would save the life of a beast that had fallen in the ditch on the Sabbath? The life of an animal also takes precedence over the Law that says not to work. So we are not to work on the Sabbath. (Yes, I know that some do not believe this; I am just repeating what the Bible says, not my rules. Sabbath is a big deal in the Bible.) Do farmers work on Sabbath? Yes. And if they do not, it is abuse, it is cruel, and the animals will die. The Bible says that one is also known by the way they treat their animals. The life of an animal takes precedence over the Law that says not to work.

Did the priests work on the Sabbath? Yes. The holy service for the people was most important. Did priests wear clothing that were a mix of the fabrics the Bible says not to mix? Yes.

Did David and his warriors enter the Temple and eat the sacred bread that was unlawful for them to eat, to keep from starving, with the priests' permission? Yes.

These are just the ideas off the top of my head. Sorry -- it's late.
 
...There is NO atonement within the Law.... PERIOD! You willfully violated... You are a LAWBREAKER... Done.... There is ONLY one consequence.. Death! Your guilt is upon YOUR OWN HEAD forever.... Doesn't matter that you were "Doing good".....

We take completely for granted how much Jesus really has set us free... We forget that part of his Atonement on the Cross was dying for OUR WILLFUL, Intentional, knowledgeable VIOLATION of God's Law - Even when we are DOING GOOD... His death for Us sets us FREE to do Good without US having to Choose... Do I do "Good" and face the full measure of the Righteous, never ending wrath of God - or do I stay Lawful and Live.....
I love these points. There was a sacrifice, done yearly, used to teach the people that there is forgiveness for G-d's chosen. It occurred after Rosh HaShannah -- the Feast of Trumpets. All males -- Israel and those who had come with her -- were required to be at the Temple. There, the shofarim sounded, heralding the Groom's soon coming. (What a sound that must have been! Glorious, and at the same time, a fearful sound!) (These are days of final repentance after 29 days of introspection during the month of Elul.)

Ten days later, the most incredible day of all -- Yom haKippurim -- the day of Hahem's forgiveness for His Chosen -- a fast day, a day of appearing before the Judge, G-d of all the universe! This is the day of the cleansing of the Bride. Days of Awe. On this day, and this one alone, could intentional sins be legally brought before HaShem.

Then, on the calendar, comes Sukkot -- the Feast of Tabernacles -- 7 days PLUS(!) Here, the Ketubah -- the marriage agreement -- is celebrated, then the people celebrate the dwelling together of the Groom and the Bride.

Celebrating these -- practicing these -- is, for me, a head-spinning experience. One after another, in an extremely short period of time, we observe the finality of life as we know it and are quickly ushered into the celebration of eternity.

We mourned our neglect for a month, seeking into the far reaches of our souls for things forgotten and things we want to forget; we sough forgiveness of people and G-d; we heard the glorious warning trumpets; we fasted; we were part of the wedding; then we celebrate Eternity. What lessons these hold!

JohnC wrote:
We take completely for granted how much Jesus really has set us free... We forget that part of his Atonement on the Cross was dying for OUR WILLFUL, Intentional, knowledgeable VIOLATION of God's Law - Even when we are DOING GOOD... His death for Us sets us FREE
None of us are worthy. Period. Only by Messiah are we saved. He is the One and Only way of salvation. We can do and do and do until we fall over, but unless the Blood of Messiah is applied, it is all nothing. He, and only He can save us from ourselves.
 
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Sorry dude, your premiss is way off. That kind of thinking is why the world is so selfish. Praise God that's why we're DEAD to the law (Praise God!) so we can be the good samaritan to all!

Romans 5:7 (KJV)
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

You are making my point for me.....

WE are Dead to the law by the Death of Messiah..... His death Substitutes for Ours.... His blood covers our Sins... This puts us in a unique position where we do NOT have to choose between "Uphold the Statutes of the Law" or "Do God's Will"...... Our choice is to "Do God's Will" - and we are innocent because of His Death for us.

This is one of the reasons that the Pharisees and Scribes wrangled with Jesus so much... They understood the law - that if you Break the Law - you are a Lawbreaker..... Jesus was making the point that doing Good was better than being "Lawful" and Not doing good... There was no mechanism within Judaism to reconcile these positions.....

For example... Let's say we were under the Law and not the Blood of Christ........
And say your neighbors are starving and are about to die from starvation..... There is No food at all..... You determine to feed them... but the only thing available is a Pig..... IF you slaughter the Pig and feed the starving people.... YOU are unclean... You intentionally caused THEM to be unclean.... and YOU Intentionally, willfully BROKE God's Law.. You are a Lawbreaker....... This is not a small thing.... Thousands of Jews died from starvation in exactly this situation....

With the blood of Jesus covering you - you are now authorized to do this Good Work. You can now meet the needs of starving people.. and this is precious to God....
 
Well, sorry, JohnC, but you are wrong. :) I've been wrong before, too. Plenty of times.

It is Scriptural.

Leviticus 18:5 "You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD" Live by them, not die because of them.

Ezekiel 20:11 "And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if one shall do, he shall even live in them." Live in them, not die because of them.

So... You just made my point....

With the Blood of Jesus.... Jesus own death SUBSTITUTES for our own.... We are DEAD to the Law.... Already Dead - which is WHY we can Live to God..... There is no other way. This is what struck me as so profound......

That without the Blood of Jesus - EVEN OUR GOOD DEEDS demand Death at God's hand...... Isaiah 57:12 "I declare your righteousness, and your works, and they do not profit you"

Look at the scriptures you quoted.... ALL of them REQUIRES keeping God's statues and Judgements..... None of those scriptures gives you a Pass for Breaking any single part of the Law.... Try to find an Old Testament scripture that specifically ADVOCATES breaking the Law - even a single seemingly inconsequential statute like Deut 22:11 (wearing clothing of mixed fibers) to "Do Good" for others......

Ezekiel 18:26
"In the turning back of the righteous from his Righteousness, and he has done perversity, and he is dying by them, for his perversity that he has done he dies."

What you will find is LOTS of scriptures that Advocate doing good WITHIN the context of the Law..... But.. That's like a strangle hold.... You have to contrive ways to do the good WITHOUT breaking the Law....

That's why the Blood of Jesus is SO important....
 
If that Levite or the Priest HAD stopped to help the man... They would have Intentionally, Willfully, Knowingly VIOLATED maybe 1/3 of the Law.... Exposure to:
Blood and guts
Perhaps bugs, dogs, and other unclean animals
Perhaps an idolater carrying idols
Feces on the side of the road
People who were unclean due to contact with all of above
Dead animals and stuff on the side of the road
Graves/dead bodies on the side of the road

Would you mind clarifying exactly what laws would have been broken please. This is quite interesting.
 
So... You just made my point....

With the Blood of Jesus.... Jesus own death SUBSTITUTES for our own.... We are DEAD to the Law.... Already Dead - which is WHY we can Live to God..... There is no other way. This is what struck me as so profound......

That without the Blood of Jesus - EVEN OUR GOOD DEEDS demand Death at God's hand...... Isaiah 57:12 "I declare your righteousness, and your works, and they do not profit you"

Look at the scriptures you quoted.... ALL of them REQUIRES keeping God's statues and Judgements..... None of those scriptures gives you a Pass for Breaking any single part of the Law.... Try to find an Old Testament scripture that specifically ADVOCATES breaking the Law - even a single seemingly inconsequential statute like Deut 22:11 (wearing clothing of mixed fibers) to "Do Good" for others......

Ezekiel 18:26
"In the turning back of the righteous from his Righteousness, and he has done perversity, and he is dying by them, for his perversity that he has done he dies."

What you will find is LOTS of scriptures that Advocate doing good WITHIN the context of the Law..... But.. That's like a strangle hold.... You have to contrive ways to do the good WITHOUT breaking the Law....

That's why the Blood of Jesus is SO important....
Okay, John. Whatever.

Amazing.
 
Would you mind clarifying exactly what laws would have been broken please. This is quite interesting.

Sure..

Leviticus 15 is a good starting point...
Bodily discharges are UNCLEAN... - Lev 15:2-12
This would include poo, pee, blood, mucous, and any other "Goo" that comes out of a body....
No doubt the man attacked was "Gooey"...

There is a TIME PERIOD within which you have to wash and be cleansed.... How would the priests have known how long the man had lain there without washing?
Lev 15:11 and 13

Leviticus 5 - Knowingly touching Unclean things makes you Unclean AND GUILTY
5:2 Any unclean thing - a carcass of an unclean beast (Roadkill)
The carcass of any Clean thing
The carcass of any unclean Creeping thing

5:3 If the man touches human uncleanness (Waste)

Perhaps the man - while attacked Swore or spoke thoughtlessly.....
5:4 - that man is GUILTY

Notice how the Tresspass offerings in Leviticus 5 were ONLY if one did these things Unaware and then later realized....
You are still GUILTY in your lack of awareness - but offering can be made to Atone.....

go back to Numbers 15:30-31 if you do it on PURPOSE....

People would go to the bathroom on the sides of the road when traveling..... This man was cast to the side of the road....
Ezekiel 4:12-14 points out that they CLEARLY knew that contact with human waste made you unclean...

If you do it intentionally - check Leviticus 7:21 - He shall be cut off from his people.

Look at Lev 11 for the animals.... All it takes is CONTACT and you are unclean.....
this includes bugs - Lev 11:44

If the man who had been attacked was covered with bugs - and DID NOT wash by evening - he was a Lawbreaker.....

How about his Sores - Lev 13....
What if the man was Sick - Lev 14....

If the fellow died - check Numbers 19:16

Now... Priests and Levites... Jesus chose them for a SPECIFIC reason....
Check Numbers 6 - If they had taken a Nazirite vow, they COULD NOT touch anything dead....
They HAD to be Ritually "clean" for temple service....
Leviticus 14 deals with this

Also Lev 22:3 -
Whoever of all your descendents throughout your generations, who goes near the holy things which the children of Israel dedicate to the Lord, while he has uncleanness upon him - that person shall be cut off from My presence: I am the Lord.

If he is in coming up on his Temple Service - he must be PURE for so many days before the service or he cannot serve..... Purposefully making yourself Unclean during this period has consequences....

What if the Lord has Cursed the man who got attacked and YOU help him?
Check 1st Samuel 15 - where Saul spares King Agag against God's command....

Then... Jerusalem to Jericho was 17 miles - or about a good day's Journey on foot.... If they stopped to care for this fellow for several hours - it may be after sunset when they arrived... Thus they COULD NOT perform the proper washing required BEFORE sunset.... thus THEY would be lawbreakers!

As you can see... You can go on and on and on with rule after rule that COULD cause the Levite or Priest to become unclean....
 
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Well one right off the top of my head, which the Levites, scribes and pharisees should have known, is
Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,
When you have it with you.

Not only did they not help, but they even avoided even acknowledging guy in the ditch. They could have said "I will send someone for you.", and then followed through. Could have taken their cloak off and tossed it on the man to cover him. But they preferred to let him die than to help in any way.
Deuteronomy says choose life, and this would be opposed to that idea. They were ignoring the spirit of the law for their own convenience.
 
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Sure..

Leviticus 15 is a good starting point...
Bodily discharges are UNCLEAN... - Lev 15:2-12
This would include poo, pee, blood, mucous, and any other "Goo" that comes out of a body....
No doubt the man attacked was "Gooey"...

There is a TIME PERIOD within which you have to wash and be cleansed.... How would the priests have known how long the man had lain there without washing?
Lev 15:11 and 13

Leviticus 5 - Knowingly touching Unclean things makes you Unclean AND GUILTY
5:2 Any unclean thing - a carcass of an unclean beast (Roadkill)
The carcass of any Clean thing
The carcass of any unclean Creeping thing

5:3 If the man touches human uncleanness (Waste)

Perhaps the man - while attacked Swore or spoke thoughtlessly.....
5:4 - that man is GUILTY

Notice how the Tresspass offerings in Leviticus 5 were ONLY if one did these things Unaware and then later realized....
You are still GUILTY in your lack of awareness - but offering can be made to Atone.....

go back to Numbers 15:30-31 if you do it on PURPOSE....

People would go to the bathroom on the sides of the road when traveling..... This man was cast to the side of the road....
Ezekiel 4:12-14 points out that they CLEARLY knew that contact with human waste made you unclean...

If you do it intentionally - check Leviticus 7:21 - He shall be cut off from his people.

Look at Lev 11 for the animals.... All it takes is CONTACT and you are unclean.....
this includes bugs - Lev 11:44

If the man who had been attacked was covered with bugs - and DID NOT wash by evening - he was a Lawbreaker.....

How about his Sores - Lev 13....
What if the man was Sick - Lev 14....

If the fellow died - check Numbers 19:16

Now... Priests and Levites... Jesus chose them for a SPECIFIC reason....
Check Numbers 6 - If they had taken a Nazirite vow, they COULD NOT touch anything dead....
They HAD to be Ritually "clean" for temple service....
Leviticus 14 deals with this

Also Lev 22:3 -
Whoever of all your descendents throughout your generations, who goes near the holy things which the children of Israel dedicate to the Lord, while he has uncleanness upon him - that person shall be cut off from My presence: I am the Lord.

If he is in coming up on his Temple Service - he must be PURE for so many days before the service or he cannot serve..... Purposefully making yourself Unclean during this period has consequences....

What if the Lord has Cursed the man who got attacked and YOU help him?
Check 1st Samuel 15 - where Saul spares King Agag against God's command....

Then... Jerusalem to Jericho was 17 miles - or about a good day's Journey on foot.... If they stopped to care for this fellow for several hours - it may be after sunset when they arrived... Thus they COULD NOT perform the proper washing required BEFORE sunset.... thus THEY would be lawbreakers!

As you can see... You can go on and on and on with rule after rule that COULD cause the Levite or Priest to become unclean....
That sounds just like one of those whiny selfcentered priests.
 
I wonder why the Lawyer sent by the Temple Leadership didn't think of that defense - "Well.. those were just whiny, self centered priests"..... Apparently, he didn't know the Law very well.....

I mean - if it would have been that easy to brush off Jesus - wouldn't they have done it?

Why wouldn't the lawyer just have said...
"Jesus... You DUNCE... Don't you know the LAW? We don't do stuff like that..... See... That's why we don't need your kind helping us out with Judaism....."

I mean if THIS was truly the Torah -
"The ones who passed by the injured man ignored the important Torah command that takes presidence over all others; therefore, they were knowingly guilty. The command is that the work to sustain life comes first in all things."

Then Jesus whole argument is just being whiny about two self absorbed, mean spirited guys who are ignorant of the Law... It would NOT have been any sort of rebuke to a Lawyer.....
 
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