Looking for Benefit, Missing the Responsibility.
NOTE; From my New Testament devotional reading on April 10
Luke 10:25 (NIV) On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ “28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Most “experts” and religious leaders at that time didn’t know what to do with Jesus, so they tested him. To the man’s credit, he knew what the Scriptures said.
The expert asked Jesus how he might receive a BENEFIT, but heard about a RESPONSIBILITY. This is where we find many people today, looking to God for benefits, but not prepared to accept responsibility.
Jesus Christ is THE expert in knowing people! The man accepted the things over which he could have control, but that part about “Love your neighbor as yourself” challenged his status quo.
He asked, “Who is my neighbor?”
The text goes on to state that Jesus told a story about “a certain man” who was injured and needed assistance. A priest and a Levi looked at the injured man, but avoided him. They did not consider him a neighbor worth helping.
Then Jesus stated that it was a Samaritan that ended up loving the injured man like a neighbor. To religious Jews, a Samaritan was THE LAST PERSON one would consider a neighbor.
So, who is YOUR neighbor? He or she is your responsibility.
