Luke 10:25-42 Jesus, How This Man Should Live

28. Jesus said, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."

◇ This may be one of the most famous stories in the Bible—"The Parable of the Good Samaritan."

A lawyer asks Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus asks him what is written in the law. The lawyer answers that one should love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love their neighbor as themselves. Jesus replies, "You are right; do this, and you will live."

Jesus revealed to the lawyer how to live. "Do this." The lawyer probably expected to hear "You are right" and nothing more. But Jesus answered both with "You are right" and with "Do this."

What the lawyer needed was not just <knowing> but <doing>. If we stop at knowing without acting, nothing happens. Everyone knows that if you sow seeds in spring, sprouts will grow, and you can harvest in the fall. But only those who plow the field, sow the seeds, remove the weeds, and nurture the plants can harvest. Whether the yield is abundant or meager, only those who act can reap.

As the conversation continues, the lawyer asks, "Who is my neighbor?" The lawyer likely had his own answer in mind. Jesus avoids giving an immediate answer and instead tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, then asks, "Which of these was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The lawyer answers, "The one who showed mercy." Not the priest or the Levite who avoided the injured man, but the one who showed compassion. Did they, like the lawyer, lack knowledge? Did they not know they should love their neighbor and help others?

If we stop at knowing without doing, we are merely noisy gongs.

♧ Good God, do not let me become a deafening gong that makes people cover their ears. Instead, make me a gong that leads the dance, raises spirits, and makes shoulders move with joy. Holy Spirit, make me strong and courageous. Amen.