Luke 10   A lawyer, an expert in Jewish law, offers Jesus a test... "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"   Like any good teacher, Jesus first assesses what the student already knows.. "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?"

The lawyer gives a good answer... " 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."  This man had listened !  He had grasped the essential and central truth!   Jesus said, " You have answered correctly; do this and you will live." 

But, the man is not focused on doing what the Word has said,  he is focused on justifying himself,  in proving his own righteousness. So he asks, " And who is my neighbor?"  Who is it that I must love?

That is a good question, isn't it?  Who do I need to love? The people next door? The people down the street?  The person on the pew next to me?

Jesus answered this question in a whole different direction... the parable of the Good Samaritan is well known.. among unbelievers as well as believers.  We know:

A man was attacked by robbers and left to die.

A priest, a man of God,  a man who is intimately knowledgeable of God's Word.. passes by on the other side of the road.  No compassion, no love, and not even a second look.

A Levite comes by.  This man works at the church!  He has a responsible position. He knows all about serving the Lord! But, he also crosses the road and doesn't look twice at his fellow countryman in great need.

"But", Jesus says, "a certain Samaritan.. came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion...."  This despised and hated half-breed, the most unlikely one... not only felt compassion, but he acted. 
He helped the dying man, treating his wounds, taking him to a place where he could be helped, and paid for his care out of his own pocket.  This man, " proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands.."  Reluctantly, the lawyer admits that "the one who showed mercy.." is the one who was a true neighbor.

" Go and do the same, "  Jesus tells him.

It's not about who I must love and who I don't have to love.  It's not about who is my neighbor.. but who can I be a neighbor to!  Who should I show mercy to?  Who needs me to help them along the way?  Jesus is telling us that our neighbor is anyone along the way... anyone who needs someone to care.. someone to show him compassion and mercy.

The lawyer knew God's Word, but he didn't grasp it or understand that it was meant to change his heart... to change the way he lived, the way he thought, the way he felt, and the way he acted.  To truly love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind... will change the way we live and the way we treat others along the way. 

I hope that the lawyer listened to what Jesus taught him.  I hope he repented of just doing the rituals and turned to truly loving the Lord.  We are not told what happened to him.  It will be interesting to learn about that one day when we are walking the streets of gold.. perhaps we will see him there.

Father, You are the Almighty God, and we love You.  We love you with all our hearts, our souls, our strength, and our minds.  We love you in our thinking, in our feeling, in our actions, and in the center of our lives. We choose to love you in those ways, for You are altogether wonderful!  I have to admit Lord, that I sometimes wonder what that really means.. and I'm sure I don't grasp but one small particle  of it.  But, I know that I want to live in total agreement and submission to Your Word.. so help me to truly love You with all my being.  And help me to love and show compassion to those who I come into contact with.. to be a neighbor to the one who is in need.  Fill us Holy Spirit with the love and compassion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as we ask this in His holy name. Amen.