Loophole

Luke 10:25-29 (The Message)

Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. "Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?"

He answered, "What's written in God's Law? How do you interpret it?"

He said, "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself."

"Good answer!" said Jesus. "Do it and you'll live."

Looking for a loophole, he asked, "And just how would you define 'neighbor'?"

I can remember with a smile, the question that used to drive teachers the craziest when I was in school...especially English teachers who had just assigned an essay:

"How long does it have to be?"

At first, I never understood why that question bothered my teachers. I really didn't.

It seemed like a very legitimate thing to ask. How much do I have to write to make you satisfied with my performance on this assignment?

Of course, as time went by, and as I actually trained to become a teacher myself, I understood their frustration.

"How long does this have to be?" is a way for students to search out the bare minimum requirements necessary for completion.

A teacher hopes for more from his or her students.

I remember how my best teacher used to answer that lazy-student question: "as long as it needs to be for you to do your best work. And that depends on how well you want to do and how much you have to say."

A "religion scholar" stood up to question Jesus.

"What must I do to get eternal life?"

"How long does this thing have to be, anyway?"

Like the very best teachers, Jesus turns the question back upon the one who asked it.

Even when he proves that he knows the answer, he can't seem to accept that truth and move on.
Sound familiar? I know I see a lot of myself in this "scholar," sometimes. There's a natural tendency within the human heart to look for a loophole.

The easy way. The shortcut. The way through that no one else has thought of, or been smart enough to exploit. This man even seems to think that he can outsmart God.

But there is a beauty to the story.

While this man may think he caught Jesus by asking him to "define neighbor," the fun was really just beginning. May we learn to trust the truth that we know to be true, and may God give us the strength to take the long way home.

Prayer: Eternal Father, we ask you for forgiveness when we seek loopholes to the faith, and patience to sit with your truth. We need to take the long way, and stop making end-runs around your grace and goodness. Prepare our hearts to learn how you define "neighbor."

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen.