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And (look and see!) a lawyer stood up, testing him out, stating, “Teacher, by doing what will I inherit eternal life?” But he said to him, “What has been written in the Law? How do you read it?” But he, responding, said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your life and with all your ability and with all your mind, and the person near to you as yourself.” But he said to him, “You have responded correctly. Do that! And you will live.” (Luke’s AD 60 research report re Jesus: Chapter 10: 25--42) |
It’s around AD 30 in Galilee, some 85 miles from Jerusalem. Jesus has an enormous following – crowds upon crowds – to her his teaching and to be cured and to be freed from mini-gods in their inmost lives. But a focused opposition also has strong adherents. Above it was “a lawyer.”
He wanted an answer to the question he raised – an answer which would condemn Jesus outright in the eyes of the politico-religious establishment in Jerusalem. He expected Jesus to say something like, ‘to get to heaven you must do this: you must join me and my group.’ That would have been quite wrong in their eyes because, in their eyes, salvation was obtained by keeping the Law of God given through Moses.
What then about the answer Jesus gave? Total love-in-action of the Lord God (vertical); plus, that same love-in-action but (horizontal) towards “the one near to you.”
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But he, desiring to righteous himself, said to Jesus, “And who is the one near to me?”
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Those around couldn’t discover whether he was doing the vertical. But the horizontal was a problem. He needed “to righteous himself.”
But Jesus, replying, said, “A certain man was moving down from Jerusalem into Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who also, stripping him and placing blows on him, came away, leaving him alone half dead. But, by chance, a certain priest was moving down that same way and, seeing him, he came past on the opposite side. But also likewise a Levite, coming down the way, seeing, came past on the opposite side. But a certain Samaritan, travelling, came towards him, and seeing, was moved with compassion and coming to him bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. But, setting him upon his own animal, he brought him into an inn and took care of him. And, on the morrow, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you may spend, I myself will give back to you at my coming back again.’ Who, of these three, do you yourself think, came to be near to the one fallen among the robbers?” But he said, “The one doing mercy towards him.” But Jesus said to him, “You go! And do likewise!”
After this, the lawyer knew the teaching of Jesus on what he, the lawyer, was required to do so as to “inherit eternal life.” The horizontal had been clarified. But what about the vertical?
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But, in their going along, Jesus came into a certain village. But a certain woman named Martha received him as a guest into her house. And to this one there was a sister, called Mary, who also, seated down beside the Lord’s feet, was hearing his word. But Martha was distracted about great service. But, standing up, she said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me behind to serve alone? Say to her that she may help me!” But the Lord, responding, said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and distracted about little things, but there is only one necessity because Mary chose the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
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Two sisters. It seems that Martha owned the house. Both were “seated down beside the Lord’s feet, … hearing his word.” At that time – but only for a time - both seemed to be doing the vertical – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your life and with all your ability and with all your mind…”
But, then, Martha recalled her duties. She set about serving them all. She complained that Mary (“the one near to her”?) was not pulling her weight. Was Martha wrong? Jesus said, “…there is only one necessity.” What was this sole “necessity”? Was it the vertical? Or was it the horizontal? “By doing what will I inherit eternal life?”
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