RABBONI...which is to say, Master

I have taught the above verses many times through my years in ministry. When I did I always seemed to feel the need to put qualifications on each of these challenges given by Jesus. Not to do so would have caused Him to appear radical and uncompromising was the thought in the back of my mind. Yet there has always been apart of me that wondered, really wondered, what would happen if we just took Jesus at his word.

In the story of the “Good Samaritan” told by Jesus he tells us that two religious types saw the plight of the wounded man on the side of the road, but did not stop. We have all speculated as to their reasons for not doing so, but we are not told. I wonder if stopping on such a dangerous road would have seemed a little radical. Sure we are to be compassionate, but...you can fill in the blanks. Brennan Manning in his book, “Ruthless Trust” gives the following quote from Thomas Cahill as he comments on the story of the Good Samaritan, “As we stand now at the entrance to the third millennium since Jesus, we can look back over the horrors of Christian history, never doubting for an instant that if Christians had put kindness ahead of devotion to good order, theological correctness, and our own justification—if we had followed in the humble footsteps of the heretical Samaritan who was willing to wash someone else’s wounds, rather than in the self-regarding steps of the priest and the immaculate steps of the Levite—the world we inhabit would be a very different one.” “Desire of the Everlasting Hills”.

The challenge given by Jesus following this familiar story was simply, “go and do likewise.” The question I must ask myself is, do I trust Jesus enough to take Him at His word. Please don’t get me wrong, I know Jesus used figures of speech from time to time. Otherwise we would have those who really trusted his word cutting off hands and plucking out eye balls because they could not control them. But Jesus seldom used hyperbole or metaphor to get His point across. Yet His message was still radically different from the accepted norm of the day. I just don’t want to be found guilty of trying to explain it away or water it down.