LOVE IS KNOWING AND DOING

Love, as human beings want to define, is very different from how God, the Creator of all the universe, defines it. We wish to exclude people, so that we love whomsoever we like. God, on the other hand, wishes to include the entire world, past, present and the future, and loves everyone the same – John 3:16. We wish to exclude, and God wishes to include – what a world of difference.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan, as found in Luke 10:25-37, and also seen in Matthew 22:34–40; Mark 12:28–34, enlightens us, about God’s heart, and His unconditional love. At the same time, the parable reveals the heart of human beings, as seen in the way, the Pharisee and the “Chosen” people of YAHWEH, wish to define and practice love and neighbours. The Church, sadly seem to be walking blindly behind such prejudiced and biased “love” for the “other” people, who are not our own, while pouring unlimited, unconditional, unfettered and unquestioning love for our own.
– “25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and your neighbour as yourself.’ ” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” 30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.” – Luke 10:25-30

1- The lawyer, a Pharisee, is a religious person, who is well trained in the matters of God’s law.
2- He wanted to test Jesus’ knowledge on matters, that he considers himself, an expert.
3- The Pharisee probably thought, “Who is this Jesus, after all, the son of a poor carpenter, and an untrained individual, talking big about matters well above his intellect?”
4- So, he begins with the fundamentals of faith, and asks a seemingly simple question, to see what would Jesus say.
– “25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
5- Jesus is too good to be caught by a Pharisee. He responds with a question.
– “26 He [Jesus] said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
6- The question of Jesus draws the Pharisee out in the open, to reveal his hand, and thereby, compelling him, to answer his own question.
– “27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and your neighbour as yourself.’”
7- Jesus then sums up with simple, yet profound words. The latter part of Jesus’ response is the key to all our life, as the “Chosen” the “Called Out” Christian disciple.
– “28 And He [Jesus] said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
8- The Pharisee asks his last question, which exposes his prejudiced bias, which is the cause for much hatred and violence…even till date.
– “29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”

There are three mistakes, according to the Enduring Word Commentary that, this Pharisee has committed, and such a view was common, and widely prevalent among the “Chosen” people of God…sadly Church seems to follow in the same footsteps, in many places.
– “His first and perhaps greatest mistake was in assuming that he had fulfilled the first commandment.”
– “His second mistake was in thinking that he could fulfill the commandment to love God with all he had and still possibly not fulfill the command to love his neighbour.”
– “His third mistake was in the way that he wanted to narrowly define neighbour.”

9- Hence, Jesus tells him the Parable of the Good Samaritan – where the hero is the despicable and much hated Samaritan. While the villain are the chosen people – the priest and the Levite. What a choice of characters!!!
– “30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves….”

10- Jesus then, at the end of the parable, asks the Pharisee, a sharp question, which compels the teacher of the law, to arrive at the proper conclusion, to all the questions he was posing to Jesus.
– “36 So which of these three do you think was neighbour to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” – Luke 10:36-37

If we observe the Pharisee, and his response to Jesus’ final question, he does not even want to use the word, Samaritan, but instead, he says, “He who showed mercy on him.” This should demonstrate to us, what is in the heart and mind of this Pharisee, and all like him, down through the ages, even till date. What a tragedy, that we can call ourselves the chosen ones, and have such pure hate, residing in the heart, where we are to enthrone YAHWEH, the LORD God Almighty. Oh, what a pitiable state.
– “Some rabbis taught that a Jew was forbidden to help a Gentile woman who was in distress giving birth; because if they succeeded, all they did was to help one more Gentile come into the world. They often thought that Samaritans were worse than other Gentiles were.” – David Guzik – Enduring Word Commentary

What Jesus says at the very end is, what is at the core of God’s heart for all His “Chosen” people, that includes the Christians – 1 Peter 2:8-10.
– “Go and do likewise.”
– “22 So Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.” – 1 Samuel 15:22-23

Love as seen by God, and that which He desires from us is, to KNOW GOD, love Him with all that we have, and to LOVE our NEIGHBOUR…just as we love God. This is the fundamental rule of love, as prescribed by God our Creator, for all His people. *LOVE is KNOWING God, and DOING all what He asks of us, wholeheartedly, unhesitantly and immediately.* Even so the LORD help us to love like the LORD our God.