“Almighty God, you have taught us through your Son that love is the fulfilling of the law. Grant that we may love you with our whole heart and our neighbor as ourselves; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.[1]
Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 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.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Whenever anyone encounters a follower of Jesus, they should experience love. They may experience other things in that encounter, but if love and caring is not the dominant flavor of the encounter, then I believe that follower of Jesus has failed to represent Jesus in the encounter. Yes, there may sometimes be a call for repentance in the encounter, but if that call to repentance is not clearly and recognizably an expression of love, then, as I said, that follower of Jesus has failed to represent Jesus.
Love is a very slippery word in the way we use it in English. We use “love” to describe our relationship to things like ice cream and to describe our relationship to our spouses and children and parents. Clearly, “love” can mean a lot of different things. When Jesus and the New Testament writers use the word love with regard to how the follower of Jesus is expected to relate to other human beings, they mean something quite definite. In this biblical sense, loving another person means to speak and act and in every way work toward the well-being of that other person. Whether that other person is our family member, our fellow countryman, our friend, a stranger, or even our enemy, Jesus commands us to speak, act, and in every way work toward that person’s well-being.
That’s what this conversation between a religious lawyer and Jesus in Luke 10 is all about. Luke tells us that this expert in Jewish law intends to test Jesus, that is, he wants to try to find out if there is something fishy about Jesus’ teaching. In his first response, Jesus disappoints the lawyer by giving him a pretty standard and generally accepted answer to the question. “‘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.’”
Feeling a little disappointed with the outcome of his first attempt to test Jesus, the religious lawyer asks a follow-up question. He wants to narrow things down some. “But who is my neighbor?” He’s looking for the boundary line. Who is inside the boundaries, and who is outside the boundaries? Who is one of “us”? And who is one of “them”? Who do it have to love, and who do I not have to love?
The parable is a masterpiece, really. Jesus answers the lawyer’s question powerfully without directly addressing it. The answer to that question is woven artfully into the story. Who is your neighbor? Whoever needs your help? Period. There is no “us” and “them” in Jesus’ definition of “neighbor”. If they are there and they need help, they are your neighbor. Samaritan, Gentile, or Jew—it doesn’t matter. Slave or free—it doesn’t matter. Rich or poor—it doesn’t matter. Foreigner or fellow countryman—it doesn’t matter. Deserving or undeserving—what?! Has God giving you help? Did you deserve that help? No? Then stop asking such a shameful question. Undeservingly you have received; give freely without concern for deserving. So much for the question of who my neighbor is.
But Jesus is not finished. He also answers the question that the lawyer failed to ask. How do I love my neighbor? That Jesus addresses also by weaving his answer into the story. It is the much despised Samaritan who serves as teacher to this bigoted Jewish lawyer. To love your neighbor means to care for your neighbor’s needs and provide for his or her well-being with compassion, kindness, and respect, not grudgingly but freely and generously, at the cost of time, money, and personal safety.
If you and I aim to be followers of Jesus, we have the opportunity, no, the calling to represent him in every encounter we have with another person. And it doesn’t matter if our word are the perfection of doctrinal correctness, unless they are clearly and openly accompanied by a genuine demonstration of love and caring. If the other person doesn’t experience genuine care and compassion, kindness and respect from us, then our words no matter how true will be empty.
As those who have experienced the Christ’s love in our lives, let’s make it our mission as followers of Christ that everyone we meet might experience love from us in our meeting.
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV)
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
1 John 4:11-12 (NIV)
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
Colossians 3:12 (NIV)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
[1] The Alternative Service Book, 1980 (Church of England). London: SPCK, 1980, page 713.
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