Don't Play It Safe #21

One of the most challenging statements Jesus made on taking risks is found in Luke 10:

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

The man was asking Jesus where he should invest his eternity.  Should he trust in his own ability to keep God's Law?  It seemed like the safe bet: just keep the list.  Jesus shook his soul when He narrowed it down from the "whole law" even past the "big 10" to the Reader's Digest Two: Love God and your neighbor to the max. From a human perspective if one broke a few of the multitude of commandments in Deuteronomy it still would be possible to get a passing grade.  One could easily miss even 2 or 3 of the 10 and pass.  But if there were only two, missing one would be a failing grade.  The man shows his fear of making the wrong choice, of taking a risk, when it says:

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 

Jesus was calling this man, and us, to take the risk of trusting in Him, and not our own abilities, to please God and "earn" eternal life.  It's not as "easy" as keeping a list of rules.  It is daily getting up and saying: "I'm going to trust you Lord, no matter what happens, no matter who the "neighbor" is you bring my way, no matter the call you give to live for you today.  Are we willing to take that risk?