Daily Reflections From Higher Things®

Today's Reading: Luke 10:23-37 Daily Lectionary: 2 Kings 4:8-22, 32-37; Ephesians 5:15-33 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The man wanted to justify himself. Don't we all? We want God and everyone else to know why we do what we do, why we behave the way we do, why we should be excused for anything we do wrong and rewarded for anything we do right. We want God to think we are good people and therefore deserve to go to heaven. This young man wanted to justify himself, too. Easy! Just do what the Law says. Love God and love your neighbor. No problem, as long as my neighbor is someone easy to love, right? I mean, I don't have to love people I don't like, right? The story of the Good Samaritan is the way that Jesus turns the tables on the guy who wants to justify himself. Priest? Didn't help the guy. Levite? Didn't help the guy. Samaritan? He helped. There you go, right? Be like the Samaritan and help others. Except the gu