Rabbis — like other pastors, only more so — are expected to provide answers to both religious and secular questions. The joke is that rabbis are great at answering questions with questions, as frustrating as that can be sometimes. (The rabbinical comeback is, “So, what’s wrong with a question?”)

Repeated questions to religious leaders include: What does this scripture mean? What am I supposed to do in life? What is the moral choice? What is the right way to do religious activities? When I hear answers that disagree, which one is right?

That last one especially is a tangled one for rabbis and is the basis for the key religious writing called the Talmud, a compilation of various conversations, commentaries, teachings, and debates over the centuries. “Well, this scholar said this, but this great rabbi said this and this seminal teacher put it this way.”

In response to questions, Jesus frequently used the tactic of telling short stories (parables — Mark 4:34) which often turned the tables on the inquirer or revealed more than they wanted to know.

The Gospel reading for Sunday [Luke 10:29-37] is a very famous example. A legal scholar (who had passed the bar?) asked what was essential. Jesus turned it around and asked the scholar… who answered correctly. But the scholar wanted terms defined: “Who is my neighbor?” Was he expecting a classical rabbinical response, such as, “a neighbor is someone who lives within a certain mileage from your home…”?

Jesus answered in an unexpected way, even changing the question along the way. It caught the scholar (and us?) flat-footed.

Why is this parable so well known? Does it change matters for us? Why did Jesus choose a Samaritanhttps://bible.org/illustration/hatred-between-jews-and-samaritans as the hero of the story? Do we live the teaching of this parable out?

I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday at 9:00 am for Traditional worship in the Sanctuary. As always, I would love to get your comments or questions — ahead of time or afterwards. Just click here.