In today’s Gospel, a scholar of the law approaches our Lord and asks the question that everyone inevitably asks: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” In response, Jesus asks him a question about the law. Jesus says, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” And the man says in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus validates the answer of this legal expert: “do this and you will live.”
But then comes a fascinating Gospel detail. Saint Luke records that, “because he [the expert] wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” Interestingly this question shows, it reveals, the scholar’s focus and preoccupation. The scholar of the law is embarking on a project of self-justification. Self-salvation.
Although there is, seemingly, a fundamental agreement—at least initially—between Jesus and the scholar of the law. Jesus confirms and validates what the man says. Unfortunately, however, in what follows, we see evidence that the scholar of the law has not yet fully appreciated the profundity of even his own answer to Our Lord’s question: What is written in the law? The reason why this man misses the profundity of the law is Jesus himself. In other words, the man does not view the law in relation to God. Jesus transforms, elevates, and perfects the law. This is what the scholar of the law fails to notice.
The signal that the scholar does not fully understand the law is the fact that the scholar’s attention is focused on the law in relation to the identity of his neighbor. The scholar frames the law—and his salvation—around his neighbor rather than around Jesus. This is the grave error. Jesus is the beginning and end of human salvation. The law possesses saving identity and saving power in Our Lord.
Wrongly, the scholar begins with the question of his neighbor’s identity rather than with the identity of Jesus himself. The scholar’s understanding of salvation is that of self-justification. He begins with a false starting point: another human being. If he understood properly that justification and salvation do not begin with ourselves or with human resources— but, rather, with Jesus—then his question would have been oriented around Our Lord.
Quite often, we too can frame our reflections of salvation around those things which lie within our purview. It’s easier to envision a quid pro quo relation and dynamic. But this is not the essence of salvation. Salvation is much more than how we relate to our neighbor. Rather, salvation is ultimately about how we relate to God—and to all others in relation to God.
Obligations vis-à-vis even a thousand neighbors cannot produce even an ounce of our salvation. But loving union with the single savior, Jesus, is salvation itself. And the one Jesus is powerful enough, good enough, loving enough, and holy enough to transform our interactions with all neighbors—all peoples—from all backgrounds and in all places.
Relating well to our neighbors is, therefore, an effect of salvation. It is not the cause of salvation. And all those who lovingly find their identity in Jesus love their neighbor and their very selves because they love Jesus (and, therefore, all that Jesus loves).
Much like this legal expert, we too can frame our reflections of salvation around those things which lie within our purview. It is easier to envision our justification within a quid pro quo relation and dynamic. But this is not the essence of salvation. Salvation is much more than how we relate to our neighbor our ourselves in isolation. Rather, salvation is ultimately about how we relate to God—to all things because of God.
Jesus tells us and the scholar of the law: “do this and you will live.”
