Wednesday, April 6, 2016

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.  “Teacher,” he asked,  “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  “What is written in the Law?” he 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?”   - Luke 10:25-29

This expert in the law has asked Jesus a very profound question and Jesus has given him a very clear and straightforward answer. Well, okay. Technically Jesus answered his question with a question. But either way, He brought this “expert” to the heart of the matter.

I want you to focus on the final sentence in the above passage.  He (the expert in the law) wanted to justify himself.  Don’t we all?!?  What is it about us human beings that we are prone to look for loopholes or the exception to the rule?  Why couldn’t this expert lawyer simply take Jesus’ reply that he is to love God and to love others at face value?  Why did he (why do we) feel that he needed some justification?

Perhaps he was trying to put Jesus to the test.  He might have been trying to catch Jesus on some technical matter of interpretation of the law (after all he was an expert in it).

Perhaps it was because he expected Jesus to say that his neighbors are his family, his friends and his fellow faithful Jews.  Perhaps he really thought that he was keeping the law and fulfilling his obligation to love God and others, and he wanted to hear Jesus tell him “good job!”

Maybe he was just trying to put on a show for those in the crowd.  He might have been more concerned with his reputation--more worried about what others were thinking of him than what Jesus thought of him.

But maybe there was a part of him, somewhere deep down inside, that knew he was not living up to this law of love (after all he was an expert in it).  Maybe he was trying to find some way that he could wriggle out from under the weight of its conviction.  Maybe, just maybe, he (like all of us) knew in his heart that he could not keep the law the way that God commanded.

If we are honest with ourselves, we all must admit that we fall far short of the standards God sets for us in His word.  The truth is that we fall short not only of God’s holy standards, but also of our own concept of basic human decency as well.  I know I do. I say that I believe in forgiveness, but I often withhold forgiveness from those who need it.  I say that I believe in humility, but I harbor pride and arrogance in my heart.  I say that I believe in honesty, but I am too often prone to spin or color the truth in my favor.  I say that I believe in the high ideal of love, but I do and say unloving things nearly everyday. 

Who am I, and who are you--who are any of us--to try and justify ourselves before Jesus?  The whole point of the gospel message is that we cannot justify ourselves!  Only Jesus can justify us before God!  The only proper response is to fall on our knees before Him, confess our failures, and beg for his mercy.

Take a few moments to reflect on your own heart. Consider what areas you feel the need to justify yourself before God. Where do you tend to make excuses for yourself?

Oh Lord we know that we cannot hope to justify ourselves before your holy standard.  We can only cast ourselves upon the mercy of the only one that can justify us – Jesus Christ. It is in His mighty name that we pray, Amen.

Pastor Jeff Frazier