“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:36-37
These are the last 2 verses of the parable about the good Samaritan. Jesus told this parable because an expert in the law wanted to test Him. The interaction between the expert and Jesus started out as a test and ended in a lesson for the expert. That seems to be how most of the conversations surrounding parables in the Bible end, and this one is no different. There are several lessons that are contained in this parable, but I only want to look at one during this post.
The expert asks Jesus 2 different questions, the first one was a question that the expert hoped was going to catch Jesus off guard but it didn’t. After the expert then answered a question from Jesus, he goes on to ask a second one because he was feeling like he had to justify himself to Jesus. He was looking to figure out a way that he could get around what the law says, justify why he didn’t have to really do what the law was saying he had to do.
I know I have tried to justify myself to Jesus before by giving reasons that I haven’t done something that He has been leading me to do as well as reasons as to why I did what He asks but only partly. I have tried to justify what I have done, but there is no justification because I have none.
The one lesson I wish to look at is that we can’t justify ourselves to God. We can’t try and limit what God wants us to do only to the things that we want to do or feel comfortable doing and expect God to be ok with that. As Christians who have read the Bible and studied God’s word, we know what God wants, He wants us to do His will.
In the end of the parable, Jesus was talking about showing real love. Love that isn’t controlled by a law or social custom but love that is from deep in our hearts. Love that is so deep and pure that we can’t help ourselves but express it. Love that no law or custom could stop us from showing. God wants all of us to show this kind of love to everyone including those we have deemed to be our enemies. There is no justification for not following through.
We have no justification for not doing what God wills for us to do and we have no reason to not show the kind of love to others that Jesus has shown to us when He died a horrific death on the cross so that we wouldn’t have to experience Hell.