Title: Wanting to Justify Ourselves

Title: Wanting to Justify Ourselves

"And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?" (Luke 10:28-29, KJV)

In Luke chapter 10, a lawyer questions Jesus about inheriting eternal life. Jesus affirms that loving God completely and loving your neighbor as yourself is the right answer. But then we see something revealing - the lawyer, "wanting to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?"

He was looking to define the limits of who he was obligated to love, likely because he knew he had fallen short. As the commentary points out, this desire to "justify ourselves" is still common today. We want to be the ones who decide if our behavior is acceptable, rather than looking to God's standards. We're seeking to stay in control and avoid feeling guilty.

But the parable of the Good Samaritan that follows makes it clear - our "neighbor" is anyone in need, regardless of circumstances or how the world views them. We don't get to draw boundary lines that keep our selfishness and prejudice intact.

True righteousness comes not from self-justification, but from humbling ourselves before God, admitting our inability to meet His standards on our own, and throwing ourselves on His mercy. It comes from placing our lives under the authority of God's Word and our relationship with Christ.

May we recognize the folly and futility of seeking to justify ourselves, and instead find true justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Then we can love God and others with the freedom and wholeheartedness He desires. Amen.