Justify Thyself

Luke 10:25-37

I find it interesting that the lawyer in today's story not only tries to test Jesus as to whether or not he is knowledgeable in scripture, but also tries to justify himself even after the correct answer was given. Not only was the right answer given, it was given by the lawyer himself. What was there to justify? Is it that the lawyer was correct, or that Jesus didn't know the answer. Perhaps, maybe, the Lawyer was asking to be justified in the knowledge of who the neighbor really is.

Leading up to today's reading I have commented that I've been thinking about the phrase Christian Quietism more and more over the past few weeks. Today's reading gives us a great insight into just what the opposite of Christian Quietism, Progressive Evangelism, would look like.

Jesus tells a story which is meant to make those hearing the story take notice of the injustices occurring in their communities. A man is in physical pain, lying by the side of the road, and is passed by those who should have, at the very least, stopped to make sure he was alright. Instead, an outsider of the accepted Jewish community stops to make sure the man laying in pain is okay. This unacceptable outsider then goes the extra step in taking the man to a safe place in order to become healed.

The question I think Jesus should have asked at the end of today's reading is not "Which do you say is the neighbor?", but "What kind of neighbor are you?" Will you be the one who passes by those in pain, or will you be the one who stops and takes the time to help others heal?

Progressive Christianity is the idea that the teachings of Christ show the unconditional acceptance of God's love to all people, and therefore as followers of Christ we are to do the same. Evangelism is the outward sharing of that which one believes. The time is now for Progressive Evangelism.