Turn to the Lord in your need, and you will live. (Psalm 68)
The lawyer in today’s Gospel, wishing to disconcert Jesus and, then, trying anxiously to justify himself, did humanity a very good turn, indeed. Jesus’ response was the parable of the Good Samaritan, which remains an inspiration down through the ages. It is also Jesus’ definitive answer to his question: “And who is my neighbour?”
The same lawyer had already received Jesus’ approval for his interpretation of the Law with its twofold command to love God with one’s whole being and our neighbour as our own self, but he wanted to try Jesus further.
We have reason to be grateful to this lawyer, who inadvertently left us these life-giving answers to his ironic question: “Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
We, too, have been shown how to inherit eternal life.
I wonder if he followed Jesus parting advice: “Go, and do the same yourself.”
