THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 10:25-28
“He wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “’Who is my neighbor?’” (Luke 10:29)
We want to justify ourselves too, we want to feel better about ourselves.
God’s will for us is radical love for God and people, a God-like love.
We look for limits, excuses, qualifications, to lessen that demand.
This has always been the problem with our focus on the Law.
We can always find a way to justify our preferences.
Christians claim that the bible is God’s Word, and they obey it.
Except when it comes to turning our cheeks, or giving our wealth to the poor.
Then we find hermeneutical justification to not really do what it says.
Jesus is right, if we loved God and people fully, we would live.
But we don’t, and we can’t; we all fall short of God’s full will.
Which is why we need grace, not the law, to help us in our weakness.
Beware of this spirit of self-justification… we all do it.
We use the law to justify ourselves, and to condemn others.
May Jesus save us from this self delusion, and show us our need for grace!
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, forgive me for using the law to justify myself, and to condemn others. Help me to see that only grace justifies. Help me to be as gracious to others as You have been to me!