..."what must I do to inherit eternal life?...
"What is written in the Law?" [Jesus] replied. "how do you read it?"
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.' "
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
In reply Jesus said:...
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, ""the one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
I love the way Jesus responds to this man's question. And how in a way he sorta answered him, yet at the same time assisted him to take ownership of his answer. What's more, he ultimately helped the "expert in the law" understand what the law is really all about: mercy. I love the way Jesus helped him move beyond knowledge to mercy--to critically thinking about what it means to be a "neighbor." In the end, it's a good reminder for me that following God/being spiritual isn't just about knowing the laws (i.e. theology), but of being merciful--a lived out demonstration of our knowledge. And secondly, I hope to be able to teach the way Jesus taught-- in a non-threatening, yet poignant way!
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