Day 30: My Neighbor?

 

Luke 10:25-29

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Comments

As was his custom, Jesus answered one question with another, both to avoid being trapped and to help the man encounter the truth in case he actually wanted to do something more than to try to trap Jesus.

The answer of this ‘expert in the law’ was the same one Jesus had given when asked what is the greatest commandment. That was good.

What was not so good was the man’s intent: he hoped to define neighbor as narrowly as possible in order to be confident he could gain eternal life without too much effort.

Reflections

In what ways have you seen people redefine what Jesus said in order to avoid having to make major changes in how they live? Have you ever done that?

Prayer

Confront me, Lord, whenever I try to justify myself by interpreting your requirements in ways that make them fit with what I want to do on my own.