Week 25—Monday Luke 10:25-37
Luke 10:25-37
“DO THAT AND YOU WILL LIVE”
A very telling passage on the Word become flesh is this one: “A lawyer came forward to put this test question to him: ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said, ‘What is written in the Law? What is your reading of it?’ He replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘That is the right answer,’ said Jesus; ‘do that and you will live’” (Luke 10:25-28, NEB).
Note that Jesus did not say, “Believe that and you will live.” He did say, “Do that and you will live.” The belief had to become an act, or it wouldn’t remain a belief. Your creed is what you believe in enough to act upon. So your creed is your deed.
And then comes the vivid illustration of love becoming flesh in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The priest and the Levite were both religious. They would have both said, “We believe every word of the Law.” But it was the word of belief become word. They were both probably on religious missions—on missions where they would interpret the Law, verbally. But they were too busy with the verbalism to respond to human need—they fulfilled the letter of the Law, but not the life of the Law. So they both stand forever as symbols of barren, unrelated religion. The Samaritan is now nearly always called “The Good Samaritan,” though in the parable he is just “a Samaritan”—the ages have judged him “good.” For he was the Word of love become flesh. The other two were the word of love become word. And the ages have judged the word become flesh “good,” and the word become word “bad.” That silent judgment is going on, and that is the reason the Christian faith, embodied in Jesus, the Word became flesh, will be chosen as a world choice and the Word became word rejected. It is inevitable.
O Lord and Savior, we thank you that the final judgment of acceptance will fall on you. It is slowly but surely taking place. For it is in the destiny of things. People are choosing and they are choosing you. If not, they choose their doom. Blessed Redeemer. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Verbalism says: “Believe this and you will live”; vitalism says: “Believe and do this and you will live.”