Read Luke 10:25-37
In the story of the Good Samaritan, there are a few questions that are asked. Two of them are asked by the lawyer and the other by Jesus. The lawyer asks “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” They have a conversation and the lawyer quotes the law. Then he asks another question “Who is my neighbor?” And Jesus proceeds to tell a story which probably shocked all of them. At the end, Jesus says “Now which one was a neighbor to this man?” The lawyer says “The one who showed him mercy.”
I find it interesting that the lawyer started the conversation saying “What must I do?” Maybe he wanted a list, or an item, something he could do to check the box and be done. But in the end, his answer was “The one who showed mercy.” In the TPT version it says “The one who demonstrated kindness and mercy.”
Jesus flipped this so it wasn’t a checklist item but instead, it was something to be. You can’t be a neighbor by checking the box. You can’t love the Lord with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself as a one-time task. It takes investment. It takes sacrifice. Jesus was saying to this man, inheriting eternal life isn’t about how you perform….it is about loving. Better yet, it’s about being love.
The funny thing is, when you love God, you will do the right things. Not because you have a list that you are following but because you are moved with the love of Jesus. I love it that Jesus basically asked the man “Who will you be?” It’s a question we should ask ourselves every day. Who will I be? Will I be a person that puts loving God first? Will I love my fellow humans the way the Jesus loved me?
If I am truthful, I am more comfortable with a checklist. It’s easier to manage. But I am more fulfilled with being what Jesus wants me to be. “Being” brings me more joy. Even though it’s harder, I think I’d like to focus on being rather than doing.
Who will you “be” today?