There is a very significant part of our Lord’s telling of the parable of The Good Samaritan that gets overlooked.  St. Luke’s Gospel account tells is that a teacher of the law comes to test Jesus.  Jesus passes the test, giving a satisfactory answer to the quest for eternal life.  But then, the encounter shifts away from testing Jesus, to the teacher attempting to justify himself.

Most of us have done something similar, if not the exact same thing: asking a question, not from a desire to learn, nor even to test a teacher (in order to see if they are worthy of being followed), but in order to prove ourself and demonstrate our knowledge.  The teacher was looking for the opportunity to show how much he knew about the law and his understanding of who his neighbor was.  He did not realize that he did not need to justify himself.  In truth, the ones who stood before the Lord, like the centurion and the woman caught in adultery, and offered no justification, are the ones who were praised and received His rewards.

In what ways do we seek to prove ourselves?

We often seek to prove ourselves, that we are worthy of the admiration, time, attention, love, appreciation and approval of others by doing something noteworthy.  In our youth, this may be in getting straight A’s, getting elected to a leadership position, reaching 100,000 followers on YouTube, or getting our 2 second of screen time on the local news.  We may try to prove ourselves through our talents, being better than everyone else at something, or taking pride in certain talents that are better than others, like throwing a football or acting are seen as greater than being talented at math or at metal working.  Others offer proof by how much they know, and seemingly by how long they can talk without stopping or that they can take over any conversation; by doing something valuable or by how much they accomplish.  These are all ways that we try to prove ourselves worthy of the Love of God, and of others.  But how does Jesus respond to the teacher’s desire to justify, or prove himself?

There is no need to prove, or to justify yourself.  In theological terms, you have already been justified, that is, deemed worthy of God’s Love through our Lord Jesus Christ.  In more mundane terms, don’t worry about proving yourself, don’t worry about convincing others that you are valuable, because you are valuable.  Life is not about your worth, but about being Good.  Worry, rather, about Loving God and others and He has revealed it to us.  Be and become who you were created to be, because that is already valuable enough and what is most valuable.  “Go and do likewise,” that would be your worry.  Be Good, and allow the Advocate, the Holy Spirit to provide the defense and proof.