Contemplation #166
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29
The one bringing this question is the expert in the law who asked Jesus about how to inherit eternal life. Jesus had simply questioned him about how he read the law, and the expert had answered with the commands to love God and one’s neighbor. Jesus remarked he had responded correctly – so why did he need to justify himself? If Jesus had complimented him on his knowledge and answer, why the desire to justify himself? How would this further question justify him? He was hoping that the definition of “neighbor” would indicate that he was righteous. How often we want the answer to correspond to what we have already been practicing! We want to be justified rather than indicted. Perhaps the two commands of loving God and his neighbor created a sliver of doubt in his own mind about his justification. He hoped that his neighbor was each person he treated well, and none that he did not.
Contemplation # 167
Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? Luke 10:36
Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan in order to arrive at this question. It is a much different question than the expert in the law had asked. “Who is my neighbor” is very different from “who was a neighbor to the beaten man.” The first is who is a neighbor to me, and the second to whom am I to be a neighbor. When the focus of “neighbor” ceases to be what makes others those to whom I am obligated, and rather what makes me a person who is obligated to care for others, then we have captured the essence of how Jesus reformulates the question. It is not “who is my neighbor”, but “will I act as a neighbor to others?”
Contemplation # 168
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Luke 10:37
His answer causes us to admire this expert. He does not reply that the one who was neighbor to the beaten man was the one who took him to the inn, paid for his care, bound up his wounds, or anything like that. He goes beyond the actions to identify what was truly different about the Samaritan: he was a man of mercy. There is no indication in Luke’s account that this expert questioned Jesus in order to trap or test him, as we know happened on other occasions. The man’s insight into the centrality of mercy in the parable was so powerful that Jesus did not need to elaborate, but only to encourage him to practice this way of life. The question that began with how do I inherit eternal life is answered in love God and be merciful to others.
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29
The one bringing this question is the expert in the law who asked Jesus about how to inherit eternal life. Jesus had simply questioned him about how he read the law, and the expert had answered with the commands to love God and one’s neighbor. Jesus remarked he had responded correctly – so why did he need to justify himself? If Jesus had complimented him on his knowledge and answer, why the desire to justify himself? How would this further question justify him? He was hoping that the definition of “neighbor” would indicate that he was righteous. How often we want the answer to correspond to what we have already been practicing! We want to be justified rather than indicted. Perhaps the two commands of loving God and his neighbor created a sliver of doubt in his own mind about his justification. He hoped that his neighbor was each person he treated well, and none that he did not.
Contemplation # 167
Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? Luke 10:36
Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan in order to arrive at this question. It is a much different question than the expert in the law had asked. “Who is my neighbor” is very different from “who was a neighbor to the beaten man.” The first is who is a neighbor to me, and the second to whom am I to be a neighbor. When the focus of “neighbor” ceases to be what makes others those to whom I am obligated, and rather what makes me a person who is obligated to care for others, then we have captured the essence of how Jesus reformulates the question. It is not “who is my neighbor”, but “will I act as a neighbor to others?”
Contemplation # 168
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Luke 10:37
His answer causes us to admire this expert. He does not reply that the one who was neighbor to the beaten man was the one who took him to the inn, paid for his care, bound up his wounds, or anything like that. He goes beyond the actions to identify what was truly different about the Samaritan: he was a man of mercy. There is no indication in Luke’s account that this expert questioned Jesus in order to trap or test him, as we know happened on other occasions. The man’s insight into the centrality of mercy in the parable was so powerful that Jesus did not need to elaborate, but only to encourage him to practice this way of life. The question that began with how do I inherit eternal life is answered in love God and be merciful to others.
posted by Greg at 12:57 PM
<< Home