When asked to summarize the teaching of the Old Testament, an expert in the law replied, “’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 neighbour as yourself’” (Luke 10:27).
That is when the trouble started.
This man figured that “Love the Lord” was not that hard, but he was concerned about the “Love your neighbour” part. That did not sound like quite as much fun, so “looking for a loophole” (as a modern Bible translation puts it) the man asked, “And who is my neighbour?” (Verse 29).
Jesus responds by telling him the story that we call “The Good Samaritan” (verses 30-37).
In the story, a man was attacked, beaten and left for dead at the side of a road. Soon a religious man, a priest, came along, but instead of helping the injured man, the priest passed by on the other side of the road. Then another religious man, a Levite, came. He too saw the man, but passed by on the other side.
Then Jesus says that a Samaritan came down the road. Now, the Jewish people of that day would have expected the Samaritan to be the “bad guy” in the story. However, Jesus says that the Samaritan helped the man, put him on his donkey, took him to an inn and paid for his care.
In the end, Jesus asks the expert in the law, “Which one of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” (Verse 36).
“The man who had mercy on him”, the expert replied.
Then Jesus hammers home the point of the story so that no one will miss it. He turned to the man and told him, “Go and do likewise!” (Verse 37).
Note that he does not tell him to “teach likewise” or “think likewise” but to “do likewise”.
The danger for religious people is that we can know more than we do. In other words, our faith can become something to think about and talk about, but not something that we live.
Could it be that faith begins to grow when we stop “looking for loopholes”?
“I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling that you have received” (Ephesians 4:1).
That is when the trouble started.
This man figured that “Love the Lord” was not that hard, but he was concerned about the “Love your neighbour” part. That did not sound like quite as much fun, so “looking for a loophole” (as a modern Bible translation puts it) the man asked, “And who is my neighbour?” (Verse 29).
Jesus responds by telling him the story that we call “The Good Samaritan” (verses 30-37).
In the story, a man was attacked, beaten and left for dead at the side of a road. Soon a religious man, a priest, came along, but instead of helping the injured man, the priest passed by on the other side of the road. Then another religious man, a Levite, came. He too saw the man, but passed by on the other side.
Then Jesus says that a Samaritan came down the road. Now, the Jewish people of that day would have expected the Samaritan to be the “bad guy” in the story. However, Jesus says that the Samaritan helped the man, put him on his donkey, took him to an inn and paid for his care.
In the end, Jesus asks the expert in the law, “Which one of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” (Verse 36).
“The man who had mercy on him”, the expert replied.
Then Jesus hammers home the point of the story so that no one will miss it. He turned to the man and told him, “Go and do likewise!” (Verse 37).
Note that he does not tell him to “teach likewise” or “think likewise” but to “do likewise”.
The danger for religious people is that we can know more than we do. In other words, our faith can become something to think about and talk about, but not something that we live.
Could it be that faith begins to grow when we stop “looking for loopholes”?
“I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling that you have received” (Ephesians 4:1).
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