Scripture
“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbour to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now you go and do the same.”

Observation
An expert in the Law asks Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life. Jesus turns the question back in him to which the man replies “Love the Lord your God and love your neighbour as yourself.”

The man wants to justify himself and asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbour?”, in other words, “Whom do I have to love?” Jesus responds with the story of the Good Samaritan. He tells the man to go and follow the example of the Samaritan.

Application
The lawyer knew what God expected of him, but he wanted to justify himself. He knew what God wanted, but he wanted a reason to limit this in practice so he could live life the way he wanted to live.

We are all like this to some extent. We know Jesus calls us to love extravagantly, but we want to hem this around with exceptions and excuses.

The good news is that, if we let him, the Holy Spirit will transform our hearts so that we learn to love with God's love and to love His holy standards. No need for excuses when we find ourselves delighting in God's will.

Prayer
Father I acknowledge the shallowness of my love for you and others. Please change my heart. Amen.