The Gospel for the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity is from Luke 10: 23- 37 and includes the famous parable of the Good Samaritan. That parable is certainly an important example and an encouragement to compassion and true neighborliness, but this time, I would like to focus more on the context for the parable in Luke 10: 25-29, "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?"
This context shows us the difference between Jesus and His legalistic opponents. Jesus honors the Jewish Law and its chief principles and intentions. Jesus and the lawyer agree on the two great commandments- love God and love neighbor. However, there is a great difference in the attitudes of Jesus and the lawyer. Jesus sees the Law as a helpful guide to worshipping God and caring for other people. The lawyer focuses on the details of rule-keeping. He views the commandments as a checklist for self-congratulation and self-justification. Perhaps, he hopes that Jesus will praise him and say that he has done enough, or perhaps, he imagines that Jesus will just add some little rule to what the lawyer is already doing. Instead, Jesus tells a parable that shows good attitudes and actions may be found even among people who don't follow all the rules perfectly (Samaritans).
Unfortunately, Christians have often been like the lawyer in this account. We know basic commandments, and we might be able to check off some rules we have followed. But all too often, we try to justify ourselves without looking at our attitudes or at new opportunities to show mercy. Even doing charitable deeds has often been transformed into another sort of self-justifying legalism. So let us remain on guard about our motives and attitudes. Let us honor the principles of divine Law, and through divine grace, let us humbly seek to apply those principles with sincerity and compassion.
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