Isn’t that what we all want to do? Justify ourselves? Justify why we are actually a bit better than others are thinking of us? Granted, he was a lawyer and he knew how to put forth an argument.

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  

He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”  

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.”  And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?

The man answered all the right answers. He could pass the test, get an “A” on his paper, and receive the praise of his fellow scholars. But it wasn’t enough.

There is only one test and it is the test of life. Theory and ideas and knowledge are important but insufficient.

This man was likely not doing the Word. Knowing the Word? Yes.

So he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

Coming from a theological background myself, I recognize this question. It’s a question to keep theological discussion ongoing. Because theology without practice is a safe place. Good theology and the actual doing of it is rather risky.

So Jesus told this ever famous story.

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.  

Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.  

So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  

But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.  He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.  

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.’  

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”  He said, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Here was a man who needed help. It was dangerous, there were robbers around and he was dying.

The priest should have been the one to stop and help the man. But he didn’t. Maybe he said to himself it was “unwise.” That’s the excuse used today. Just too dangerous and the man was likely to die anyway.

Then a Levite came by. He of all people should have been one to help. But again, the man turned and looked the other way. Maybe someone else can do it.

But a Samaritan stopped. Samaritans were the HATED people. They were compromisers who historically had intermarried and not kept the Jewish race pure. There was significant racial tension there. If he did not stop to help the man, everyone would have understoo.

He did stop though in this story. He put medicine on his wounds. He took him to an inn. He gave the innkeeper money to make sure he was well taken care of and his bills were covered.

Then Jesus asks the lawyer, who was the one who was the neighbor? You see, the lawyer was looking to others to see if they qualified as “neighbor” to determine if he had a responsibility and a duty of care. If a person wasn’t a “neighbor,” then the lawyer did not need to intervene and help.

But Jesus turned the tables on him. It’s not those outside of yourselves who are the good neighbors. It is the one who is neighborly. The one who takes care of others. It’s not about whether others qualify for help. It’s about you being the one who helps.

And when that’s the case, it doesn’t matter who the other person is. It matters who you are.

And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Love costs. It costs reputation, money, time, safety and more. The lawyer wanted to talk theology to get himself out of the responsibility of sacrificial love. But Jesus did not let him off the hook.

He told him not to just talk about love and know all the answers, but to do the work of love. To care for one another.

Talk is easy.

Love is intentional