During Pastor Sam's sermon this past Sunday, one of the Scripture references included the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).
There's an interesting opening to that passage, one that we often gloss over in our zeal to get to the heart of the story. But let's park our mental cars at the opening verses today, found in Luke 10:25-28.
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher", he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the law?" he replied. "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."
"Do this and you will live". It's an amazing thing to consider, this snapshot of what really matters.
In his attempt at testing Jesus, this expert in the law was ultimately the subject of his own test. And, in terms of theoretical knowledge, the lawyer passed the test. He gave the right response, a two-part answer firmly grounded in Scripture: love God, and love your neighbor. Simple enough.
But then there was the practicum, the moment where theory falls to the side and gets replaced with an expectation of performance: "Do this and you will live." In other words, do the uncomfortable thing. Pastor Sam shared an interesting point: The Samaritan set aside his own agenda, delayed his own journey, spent his own money, and risked his own health and safety to help a man he didn't even know. Let's keep that in mind: this business of loving means that sometimes we will need to take risks and face inconvenience.
Friends, our question for today: How many of us get an A+ in theory and a failing grade in practicum?
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