St Luke 10: 25 – 37
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.’
Reflection
Go and do likewise.
Four words. But they’re dynamite.
I’ve just come back from a university visit with my daughter: ‘Design for Performance’. It’s a very hands-on course. We saw workshops and paint rooms, mannequins and dye rooms, theatres, saw benches and 3D printers. The nearest thing to a classroom was the CAD suite.
I do hope she gets in. She’ll have her socks worked off but she’ll have a ball, helping stage dozens of productions each year and working alongside names like the BBC, Badwolf Studios and the Royal Opera House.Because that’s how we learn, isn’t it? By doing. I learned to knit by watching my mum; I learned to use a micrometer by watching my dad. Even if we study from a book, the most useful parts are the worked examples. “Here’s how I’m doing it; now you have a go.”
What’s not so useful is reading the page and skipping the exercises. Or watching someone crochet but never picking up a hook yourself. Or knowing what the spark plug’s gap should be, but never having a go with the feeler gauges. We have to do it to really know it.
So that’s what Jesus is saying to this expert in the law. Jesus knows he’s a good guy – reads his Bible diligently, probably a house group leader – and praises him for his answer. “You have answered correctly,” he says. “Do this and you will live.” But the knowledge is too much theory and not enough practice, so Jesus tells his story with a sting in the tail and ends, “Go and do likewise.”
Jesus doesn’t tell him to discuss the story at Bible study group where they might agree that, yes, having mercy on the less fortunate is good and then pray for the homeless people in their town. “Go and do likewise,” says Jesus. What, actually get off my bum and, like, do? Yup.
What will you do today?
Go and do likewise. It’s dynamite.
Prayer
Dear God,
I am happy in my comfortable chair with my mug of tea and my Bible,
reading about your wonderful words and your marvellous deeds.
I am less happy getting out of my comfortable chair and copying what you did,
because that might be inconvenient or get me looked at weirdly.
Disturb me Lord, I pray.
Shake me from my cosy complacency
that I might do one thing differently because I am yours. Amen.