I've been reading Jesus' words in Luke. In chapter 10, his account of
the Good Samaritan is really addressing the
question of "who is worthy of love." This is something we all, consciously or unconsciously, decide and our attitude on giving love has a lot to say about our perception of God and His love.
In chapter 10 lawyer starts it by asking: "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (which, as his first question, like most Christians in some part of their journey, is motivated by salvation of self, and sometimes fear of not obtaining that more than love for God) and Jesus answers with his own question: "What is written in the law? how readest thou?"
The lawyer answered: "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...But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?"
Which, in context, is really asking, 'who is worth loving as much as myself?' Jesus tells him the parable of the good Samaritan and then asks him in response: "Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?" and in verse 37 everything gets answered by getting flipped around: "And he said, 'He that shewed mercy on him.' Then said Jesus unto him, 'Go, and do thou likewise.'"
It seems to me that Jesus is saying "You're asking the wrong question... it's not who is worthy of receiving love, but how much are you willing to give mercy and love yourself." This puts things into a different perspective. Now we are not trying to judge others and whether they are worthy or not, but the emphasis is put on how far are WE willing to go and to grow in character regardless of another's perceived "worthiness" of that effort. Maybe another way to say it is that where the ruler asked "Who is my neighbor" Jesus rephrased it: "Who are you being a neighbor unto?" Perhaps we could say "who is NOT my neighbor?" Our love for God, our understanding of His love for us is demonstrated in how we love the people around us.
This is addressed in 1 John 4:20-21 also: "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."
In the beginning of this same chapter Jesus is sending out disciples to heal and spread the news of his kingdom... but through His power, which comes from God. This is where love comes from as well and it seems to tie into the lawyer's question as we are asked to go beyond what is comfortable and, maybe beyond what is humanly possible sometimes, in showing love and mercy. We are reminded that first of all, no one, not even we, deserve love/mercy/neighborliness, and second, we can't and don't have to do it on our own power.
1 John 4:11 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit."
In chapter 10 lawyer starts it by asking: "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (which, as his first question, like most Christians in some part of their journey, is motivated by salvation of self, and sometimes fear of not obtaining that more than love for God) and Jesus answers with his own question: "What is written in the law? how readest thou?"
The lawyer answered: "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...But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?"
Which, in context, is really asking, 'who is worth loving as much as myself?' Jesus tells him the parable of the good Samaritan and then asks him in response: "Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?" and in verse 37 everything gets answered by getting flipped around: "And he said, 'He that shewed mercy on him.' Then said Jesus unto him, 'Go, and do thou likewise.'"
It seems to me that Jesus is saying "You're asking the wrong question... it's not who is worthy of receiving love, but how much are you willing to give mercy and love yourself." This puts things into a different perspective. Now we are not trying to judge others and whether they are worthy or not, but the emphasis is put on how far are WE willing to go and to grow in character regardless of another's perceived "worthiness" of that effort. Maybe another way to say it is that where the ruler asked "Who is my neighbor" Jesus rephrased it: "Who are you being a neighbor unto?" Perhaps we could say "who is NOT my neighbor?" Our love for God, our understanding of His love for us is demonstrated in how we love the people around us.
This is addressed in 1 John 4:20-21 also: "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."
In the beginning of this same chapter Jesus is sending out disciples to heal and spread the news of his kingdom... but through His power, which comes from God. This is where love comes from as well and it seems to tie into the lawyer's question as we are asked to go beyond what is comfortable and, maybe beyond what is humanly possible sometimes, in showing love and mercy. We are reminded that first of all, no one, not even we, deserve love/mercy/neighborliness, and second, we can't and don't have to do it on our own power.
1 John 4:11 "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit."
