The guy really should have known better.  He was a teacher of the law.  He should have recognized Jesus as the authority, the Word Himself.  But, he chose to question Jesus about the requirements for eternal life.  It would seem like a teacher of the law would have already worked through that issue. But, that’s the way it is with religions. They always leave you wondering if you are in or out.

Without warning, Jesus throws the question back at him, “What have you read? What does the word say?  What has God demanded? What is the foundational truth that you religious folks recite several times every day? Is it not clear?” The lawyer stutters through the traditional response and somehow realizes that he has painted himself into a corner.  What must have been racing through his mind?  Did he really think that he loved God with the all-encompassing passion that He deserves and demands?  How arrogant would it be to assume such a standard or settle for such mediocrity?   So, he must skip this part and jump straight to the horizontal relationships.  “Do I love my neighbor? Now, that’s a better question. Of course I love my friends and family. They love me in return, but what about all those other people?  Some are quite rude and hateful.  Some don’t think like I do or look like I do.  Do I really have to love them?” 

So, in his panic, he creates a diversion.  “Jesus”, he says, “just who really is my neighbor?” That is quite the loaded question that reveals too much of the human heart.  “My arrogance and ignorance lead me to believe that I love the sovereign creator of the universe in an adequate manner, so let’s just skip that part of the exam and go straight to my real concern.  Whom can I hate?  Certainly I don’t need to love everybody?”

So Jesus tells a little story, a beautiful story that we have unfortunately used as an example for helping one another.  The story that we have titled “The Good Samaritan” is not a feel-good event.  It is an immaculate indictment against the sinfulness of the human heart.  There is not a single human being (apart from Christ) who could ever love his neighbor to the extent that the Samaritan sacrificed.  The story was perfectly designed to show the teacher of the law that he had missed the point.  He was incapable of loving both God and man.

Without God’s personal indwelling, you and I will never be able to attempt to love God with any kind of real passion, nor will we serve our neighbors with full-out commitment.  Jesus, the great story-teller, creates for us a painful story that reveals the darkness of our sinful hearts and points us to saving faith in Him.  (Luke 10)