Itchy uncomfortable poeople

Luke 10:25-37

        Lawyers. Bad rap then, bad rap now. What's worse it seems everyone thinks they are a lawyer. From LA Law to Judge Judy, everyone thinks they are an expert at the law. Then there are churches who have their own laws. These are the laws Jesus was speaking of and the justification is what we all seek in the law. 'I didn't do anything that was illegal' someone might say.

         Rather than give the lawyer in this passage ( and the rest of us ) a pass, Jesus turns the tables and asks 'who is our neighbor'?  This question cannot be justified in any law. We are all neighbors and in fact we are brothers and sisters.  Whether they seem untouchable to us, uncomfortable to us and whether or not we are too happy or busy to attend to people, they are our neighbors, our brothers and sisters.

        This message seems especially poignant to us today as there are hoards of people we disagree with, left, right, rich, poor, legal, illegal, liberal or conservative. Our differences seem legion but those differences are man made. There are no boundaries with God. Any boundaries are ones we have created and sadly for us, we are charged with overcoming them.

        Perhaps we had the great idea to give to the poor or some other charitable act this Lent. This passage would have us look at the least likely and perhaps the ones we are most uncomfortable with to help. All I think we need do is think of every strike of the hammer that slammed the nails through Jesus and into that wooden cross and we may decide our discomfort is minuscule compared to that. Jesus endured this agony for YOU yes, but also for every other person, every other brother and sister, every stranger and every uncomfortable neighbor.

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus.‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall 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 your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’