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Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" 27 And he answered, "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." 28 And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, 34 and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, `Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" 37 He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
Meditation: If God is all-loving and compassionate, then
why is there so much suffering and evil in this world? Many
agnostics refuse to believe in God because of this seemingly
imponderable problem. If God is love then evil and suffering must
be eliminated in all its forms. What is God's answer to this human
dilemma? Jesus' parable about a highway robbery gives us a helpful
hint. Jesus told this dramatic story in response to a devout Jew
who wanted to understand how to apply God's great commandment of
love to his everyday life circumstances. In so many words this
religious-minded Jew said: "I want to love God as best as I can
and I want to love my neighbor as well. But how do I know that I
am fulfilling my duty to love my neighbor as myself?"
Jesus must have smiled when he heard this man challenge him to explain one's duty towards their neighbor. For the Jewish believer the law of love was plain and simple: "treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself." The real issue for this believer was the correct definition of who is "my neighbor". He understood "neighbor" to mean one's fellow Jew who belonged to the same covenant which God made with the people of Israel. Up to a certain point, Jesus agreed with this sincere expert but, at the same time, he challenged him to see that God's view of neighbor went far beyond his narrow definition.
God's
love and mercy extends to all
Jesus told a parable to show how wide God's love and mercy is
towards every fellow human being. Jesus' story of a brutal highway
robbery was all too familiar to his audience. The road from
Jerusalem to Jericho went through a narrow winding valley
surrounded by steep rocky cliffs. Many wealthy Jews from Jerusalem
had winter homes in Jerico. This narrow highway was dangerous and
notorious for its robbers who could easily ambush their victim and
escape into the hills. No one in his right mind would think of
traveling through this dangerous highway alone. It was far safer
to travel with others for protection and defense.
Our prejudice
gets in the way of mercy
So why did the religious leaders refuse to give any help when they
saw a half-dead victim lying by the roadside? Didn't they
recognize that this victim was their neighbor? And why did a
Samaritan, an outsider who was despised by the Jews, treat this
victim with special care at his own expense as he would care for
his own family? Who was the real neighbor who showed brotherly
compassion and mercy? Jesus makes the supposed villain, the
despised Samaritan, the merciful one as an example for the status
conscious Jews. Why didn't the priest and Levite stop to help? The
priest probably didn't want to risk the possibility of ritual
impurity. His piety got in the way of charity. The Levite
approached close to the victim, but stopped short of actually
helping him. Perhaps he feared that bandits were using a decoy to
ambush him. The Levite put personal safety ahead of saving his
neighbor.
God expects us
to be merciful as he is merciful
What does Jesus' story tell us about true love for one's neighbor?
First, we must be willing to help even if others brought trouble
on themselves through their own fault or negligence. Second, our
love and concern to help others in need must be practical. Good
intentions and showing pity, or emphathizing with others, are not
enough. And lastly, our love for others must be as wide and as
inclusive as God's love. God excludes no one from his care and
concern. God's love is unconditional. So we must be ready to do
good to others for their sake, just as God is good to us.
Jesus not only taught God's way of love, he also showed how far
God was willing to go to share in our suffering and to restore us
to wholeness of life and happiness. Jesus overcame sin, suffering,
and death through his victory on the cross. His death brought us
freedom from slavery to sin and the promise of everlasting life
with God. He willingly shared in our suffering to bring us to the
source of true healing and freedom from sin and oppression. True
compassion not only identifies and emphathises with the one who is
in pain, but takes that pain on oneself in order to bring freedom
and restoration.
The cross shows
us God's perfect love and forgiveness
Jesus truly identified with our plight, and he took the burden of
our sinful condition upon himself. He showed us the depths of
God's love and compassion, by sharing in our suffering and by
offering his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins upon the
cross. His suffering is redemptive because it brings us healing
and restoration and the fulness of eternal life. God offers us
true freedom from every form of oppression, sin, and suffering.
And that way is through the cross of Jesus Christ. Are you ready
to embrace the cross of Christ, to suffer for his sake, and to lay
down your life out of love for your neighbor?
"Lord Jesus, may your love always be the foundation of my life. Free me from every fear and selfish-concern that I may freely give myself in loving service to others, even to the point of laying my life down for their sake."
Psalm 111:1-2,7-10
1 Praise the LORD. I will give thanks to
the LORD with my whole heart, in the
company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied
by all who have pleasure in them.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts
are trustworthy,
8 they are established for ever and ever, to be performed with
faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant
for ever. Holy and awesome is his name!
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of
wisdom; a good understanding have all those who practice it. His
praise endures for ever!
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: God desires to be our neighbor, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"God our Lord wished to be called our neighbor. The Lord Jesus
Christ meant that he was the one who gave help to the man lying
half-dead on the road, beaten and left by the robbers. The prophet
said in prayer, 'As a neighbor and as one's own brother, so did I
please' (Psalm 34:14 ). Since the divine nature is far superior
and above our human nature, the command by which we are to love
God is distinct from our love of our neighbor. He shows mercy to
us because of his own goodness, while we show mercy to one another
because of God's goodness. He has compassion on us so that we may
enjoy him completely, while we have compassion on another that we
may completely enjoy him. (excerpt from CHRISTIAN
INSTRUCTION 33)
Scripture quotations from Common Bible:
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright
1973, and Ignatius Edition of the Revised Standard
Version of the Bible, copyright 2006, by the
Division of Christian Education of the National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the United
States of America. Used by permission. All rights
reserved. Citation references for quotes from
the writings of the early church fathers can be
found here.
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The Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations is in need of on-going development to expand resources and to reach people around the world. If you would like to contribute, you can make an online donation. |