One thing that is constant in our society is the insistent demand that we all enough insurance. There is an insurance agency that will handle every kind of insurance need from driver insurance to fire insurance to hurricane insurance, which is separate from flood insurance, to burglary insurance to medical insurance and the list goes on and on.
Every insurance agent always seeks to evaluate you so as to set a proper premium a yearly amount to pay in order to insure the coverage. Every one who seeks to get insurance always looks for the best bargain, the good deal, the lowest premium for the best coverage.
The scholar in the gospel today approaches Jesus and ask for eternal life insurance, "what must I do to inherit eternal life."
Yes in deed, what must I do?
Jesus agrees that he simply needs to do has he is already knows, to love God with all is strength, mind, heart, and being and his neighbor as himself.
The gospel tells us that the scholar seeking to "justify himself" ask again who exactly was his neighbor.
Seems to me the Scholar was trying to hedge his bets or at least wanted to make sure he got the bargain, in which he got more while paying less.
Jesus tells the story of the good Samaritan in order to clarify once again what exactly the insurance premium for the eternal life policy was.
"Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?" The scholar answered , "The one who treated him with mercy."
Jesus responded to him, "Go and do likewise."
The premium is settled.
Just a note, Jesus never pointed out which one was the neighbor, he simply pointed to how we ourselves were to be the neighbor. The premium is not so much focused on who but how, thus we must go and do likewise.
Mercy is the premium that guarantees the eternal life policy.
Mercy is loving God with all your heart, mind, strength and being and loving your neighbor as yourself.
Mercy is what Jesus himself exemplifies on the cross. He was neighbor to us; in his life he sets and the fulfills the premium. We must simply imitate him. This is the good news.
"Always speak and act as men destined for judgment under the law of freedom. Merciless is the judgment on the man who has not shown mercy; but mercy triumphs over judgment." James 2:12-13
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