One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Luke 10:25-29
TODAY’S DEVOTIONAL LINK
Our Daily Bread - 10/18/06
Do you ask Jesus the same question as the ‘religious expert’ did? Maybe not verbally. Maybe not even consciously. By being apathetic to the needy are you asking the question of Jesus, “Are those people my neighbor?”
By parable Jesus answered the question of the ‘religious expert’. The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37 - NLT) teaches us that the ‘religious’ may ignore the needy while those who are classified as the ‘enemy’ may be the very ones who act more neighborly.
I think I would prefer to have Jesus say to me, “You were a neighbor.” Being religious without being a neighbor might not count for much.
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