The lawyer failed me.

Whenever we have a court case, we try our level best to get the best lawyer to defend us — one with a proven track record, fair fees (from the heart, not just the hand), and a good report among peers. But sometimes, even the best lawyers can disappoint: showing up late, unprepared, or worse — asking the wrong questions in court.


In Luke 10, we witness such a moment when a lawyer asks the ultimate Judge a misplaced question.


“Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? 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 wanting to justify himself, he asked, “And who is my neighbor?”


That moment set off one of Jesus’ most famous parables — the Good Samaritan.


In this ‘courtroom’ exchange, we see five questions: three from Jesus, two from the lawyer.

The lawyer’s questions:


1. What must I do to inherit eternal life?

2. Who is my neighbor?


Now, lawyers don’t just throw words around. Every question is deliberate. But Jesus’ responses are pure brilliance. To the first, He fires back with two questions of His own, essentially asking, “Do you actually know the law you claim to defend?” The lawyer nails his answer — and Jesus acknowledges it. 👏👏👏


Then comes the second question: “Who is my neighbor?” The writer, Luke, adds that he asked this to justify himself — to shield his conscience from conviction. Because deep down, after quoting the law perfectly, the man realized he wasn’t living it. He wasn’t a good neighbor.


So Jesus tells a story — about a stranger, a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. The lawyer listens carefully. He sympathizes with the wounded man. He shakes his head at the priest and Levite — “What kind of people are these?” And then comes the twist — the hero is a Samaritan! The very kind of person Jews avoided.


When Jesus finishes, He asks,


“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”


Notice the shift? The lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus flips it to, “Are you a neighbor?”


That’s the heart of the matter. It’s not about identifying when you qualify to receive kindness. It’s about becoming the kind of person who shows kindness. The question is not “Who is my neighbor?” but “To whom am I a neighbor?”


The lawyer grudgingly replies, “The one who had mercy on him.” He can’t even bring himself to say, “the Samaritan.” - Get me a gun!


Then Jesus ends it with a line that echoes through generations:


“Go and do likewise.”


In other words, don’t just expect love — demonstrate it.


The gavel falls. Case closed.


Let’s go and do likewise if we want eternal life.

Not like Wise — #JimWise. Find him on Facebook.😁 https://www.facebook.com/james.w.warui

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