Let me ask a couple of questions: why are we giving so much attention to the writings of a heterodox, emergent liberal-Christian who discounts the Word of God as the very Word of God (as evidenced by quoting the dangerous paraphrase of the Bible, The Message)? What right does he have to interpret the Scriptures or speak on behalf of Jesus, the Logos who wrote the Old AND New Testaments through His Holy Spirit by His prophets?
Case in point, the parable of the good Samaritan is a standard that cannot be lived up to by us unholy people, and is instead, in fact, the very declaration of what the Prince of all Creation, Jesus Christ, the Son of God in human flesh, gave up for His bleeding, beat-up creation, not what we are to give up. Jesus gave up his throne in heaven for a cross and somehow it's comparative that I give up a little money?? Or some time?? Or a bed to sleep on? Seriously? Seriously.... There's NO comparison.
Jesus certainly says, "Go and do likewise," following the parable in the Lukan account, but, in context (one must ALWAYS put Jesus and all of Scripture into context, this follows Jesus' own statement: “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
We need to see and hear what Jesus then says in the parable, for we are given the keys to understanding it: that which Jesus hides from people who can't hear the keys to the Kingdom of God, that is Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus is ALWAYS the interpretive key. What is the referent to "likewise?" Find a beaten Samaritan? Pay for a guy's medican care? Love our neighbor? Ding ding ding! And can we? NO! That's Jesus' point!
The parable is there to help us realize that even by loving our neighbor, the most hated person to us we can think of, even that's not enough. Can you do what Jesus did? Become man and take on the whole sin of the world to save those you love? No! Jesus is saying that we can't do righteousness; we can't fulfill the Law; only Jesus can and He has and He has given that benefit to you. You are forgiven of all your sins and declared righteous by the One who will judge all people, sending them to either heaven or hell; we do not do righteousness. We can't, because everything we do is tainted with sin and is therefore imperfect and unrighteous. In other words, WE can't DO the Gospel; the Gospel is already done by Jesus for us.
However, the beauty of forgiveness in Christ is that as we are declared righteous, as we are forgiven of our daily and consistent sins and sinning, it gives us the freedom to do good works to our neighbor because it does not merit anything good for us. This does get us closer to heaven. And contrary to Claiborne's declarations, this does not "fascinate" other people and gives them a spiritual example of Christianity, but instead gives Christ-like love to them through Christ's Word, which is always what is delivered through our works, for we do not do them, but Christ in us. They reject our motivations for Christ just as they have rejected Christ.
The Word ALONE is efficacious to bringing people into faith, not me or my works. When the Word is preached to me, when it tells me that I am an unrighteous sinner, this brings me to repentance. And then, when the Word tells me that Jesus has died for my sins and I am forgiven, this works faith in my heart, bringing me to delirious joy in the absolution of my sin. This is the motive and foundation for my Christian life, sinful as it consistently is.
Therefore, it is not my works that bring people to faith, but, as always, the very Word of God that Claiborne discounts completely. And when people don't come to faith, it's not because I've set a bad example (I'm a SINNER!! I'm ALWAYS setting a bad example!!), but because those people are conceived and born and live rejecting the Word of God in their own sinful flesh. It's not a nice message to hear. It won't make them all fuzzy inside, but it's true and it's necessary and it must be preached, in season and out of season, in Christendom and in secular America. I'm not saying street preachers are the best way to do it, nor am I saying that I like them or that they are effective, but let's be honest: despite the trend of pseudo-Christianity towards emphases in mission and community, the Scriptures make it clear, our works won't save ANYONE, Jesus will. And He died for the whole world. And the whole world has rejected Him.
[But] “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. - Romans 10:13-17
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