Message: Jesus is engaging individuals, a lawyer wants to test His knowledge on scripture and the Law. Lawyers were scribes, specialist n the religious law, interpreters and teachers of the Law of Moses (Pentateuch), questioners of difficult and subtle details. They were considered to be wise and prudent, highly esteemed, so much so, people stood to ask questions. The scholars of the time debated eternal life, focusing on obedience to the Law. The lawyer sought to trap Jesus into an answer which would counter the Law by definition of neighbor. Jesus' answer relates the segregational interpretation of the neighbor law to anyone in your proximity. The lawyer knows the religious cultures definition, but wants to know "who else", in order to know where his obligation ends. Jesus gives the parable of the good Samaritan. In the parable, a man's identity, affiliations, religion, nationality and status are unknown, only he's half dead and 3 travelers see him. Jesus' answer to the lawyer was simple, a neighbor was the traveler who showed unconditional mercy to the unidentified man. Jesus had identified love for the lawyer. Love fulfilled the Law. The traveler's mercy was love. "To love on another" can be related as "to love one and others". Christ died for the one and others. We fail to love everyone out of a tormenting fear. We are reminded in 1 John 4: 18 "there is no fear in love, perfect love casts out fear" Love enables us as it shines in and through us, with the question, "Who Am I A Neighbor To?" Keep yourself in the love of God.
Scripture: Luke 10-25-29 "And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
