Jesus is approached by an expert in the law who asks him, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
I have to say, I appreciate the boldness of the lawyer. He knows what he wants. He doesn’t want to mess around in life, and he wants to make sure that he gets his reward of eternal life.
We can’t know for sure what he hoped Jesus would say, but it seems like he’s looking for something to check off his to-do list: recite a prayer, offer a sacrifice, drop off a box of macaroni for a food drive, put a twenty in the offering plate. If he’s efficient, he can inherit eternal life before lunch.
But Jesus avoids the question, turning it back on the lawyer. Jesus asks, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?”
I sort of image that Jesus is appealing to the lawyer’s ego: “Surely sir, you know the answer; after all, you are the trained professional. And so now, you can display your knowledge for all to hear.”
And the lawyer responds, “You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus affirms his answer, “You have given the right answer, do this and you will live.”
Love God and love your neighbor isn’t exactly something you can check off a to-do list. And so, I imagine the lawyer was annoyed by Jesus’ response. So, he asks another question, “But who is my neighbor?”
I find myself wondering what exactly the lawyer hoped to accomplish, perhaps he still wanted something to check of his list, or perhaps he hoped to trap Jesus.
But I think his question is misguided. It’s a polite way of asking, “Who is not my neighbor?” or “Who does not deserve my love?” or “Whose lack of food or shelter can I ignore?” or maybe even “Whom I can hate?”
And I’m sure the lawyer was ready and willing to spend hours discussing the fine points of responsible neighborliness, of what the bare minimum requirement was for eternal life. But Jesus doesn’t take the bait.
Rather than giving an answer, Jesus tells a story, a parable. It’s a parable about love.
And at the end, Jesus says to the lawyer, “Go and do likewise.” The ending could be, “Go and love.”
Grace and peace,
Kimmy
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