Sermon Cloud

The story about the Good Samaritan is introduced by an encounter with an “expert in the law” who asks, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25f).
    
Jesus did not respond directly to the expert’s query. Instead, he asked two questions that he wanted the expert to answer: “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?” The expert said, “ ‘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.’”
    
Jesus responded to the expert by saying, You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live (verse 28).
    
The expert, however, is unhappy with his own answer. He wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” The story of the Good Samaritan is the answer of Jesus to this question.
    
The expert’s problem with the Second Commandment is not unique. We skip over the First Commandment, like the expert did, because giving God anything is a very internal and subjective matter, difficult to measure. But the Second Commandment is more difficult, more troublesome to our calculating minds. Love your neighbor like you love yourself. That is not easy to do. It may be impossible.