what does it mean that the lawyer wanted to justify himself

Note it well: His need to justify himself, his need to convince himself that he is in the right forces him to regard most people as not his neighbor. He is forced to regard the needs of most people as not his concern because if he does accept responsibility for meeting the needs of his neighbor he will be crushed by the guilt.

Full Answer

What was the lawyer trying to justify himself to obtain?

This Lawyer was trying to justify himself to obtain eternal life. He was trying to narrow down the definition of neighbor to make it acceptable in his own mind and maintain his justification before God in his own mind.

How did the man try to justify himself in the Bible?

This man tried to justify himself by seeking to limit who would be considered his neighbor. Jesus Christ then told him the story of the Good Samaritan and made it apparent that this man needed to show love to all his neighbors—no matter who they might be.

Do you justify yourself to other people?

“Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God’” (Luke 16:13-15). We all have a tendency to justify ourselves to other people.

What is the meaning of the word justification?

It is a word that can mean “by reason of” or “for the sake of.” The meaning can include “because of,” but in the context here, it might be better understood as “Jesus was raised so that we can be justified.” Godly justification comes through Jesus Christ.

What does justify himself mean?

justify yourself (to someone) ​Definitions and Synonyms phrase. DEFINITIONS1. to explain to someone the reason why you did something, especially when they think you have done something wrong.

What did the lawyer learn from the parable of the Good Samaritan?

The moral is that only when we have had the experience of being rescued by grace can we really become like the Samaritan, and like Christ himself, in showing mercy and compassion.

Why did the lawyer ask Jesus to tell him who his neighbor was?

Perhaps, that's the reason why he asked “who is my neighbor”? Perhaps, he was expecting Jesus to say: “your fellow Jews”, “your relatives” or “your friends”, in which case he can now say that he did that and thus save face. But Jesus was not finished with him. Jesus wanted to teach this lawyer a very important lesson.

Why did the priest and Levite not help the man?

Priests and Levites Priests were particularly enjoined to avoid uncleanness. The priest and Levite may therefore have assumed that the fallen traveler was dead and avoided him to keep themselves ritually clean.

What is the final instruction that Jesus gives to the lawyer who asked who is my Neighbour in the parable of the Good Samaritan?

And the lawyer replied: "He that shewed mercy on him." Then Jesus delivered His final instruction to the lawyer — and to all who have read the parable of the good Samaritan: "Go, and do thou likewise" (see Luke 10:25–37).

What message does the parable of the Good Samaritan given?

Jesus used the Parable of the Good Samaritan as an example of loving those who may not be our friends. Jesus was asked to confirm what he meant by the word 'neighbour'. This is when he told the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), to explain that people should love everyone, including their enemies.

What does Neighbour mean in the Bible?

To be a neighbor, according to Jesus, means to come alongside someone. As Christian Americans, we must remember that we are Christians first, and Americans second.

Who is my Neighbour biblically?

When Jesus asks which of these three – the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan – acted as a neighbor to the robbed man, the lawyer answers “The one who showed him mercy.” As Jesus often does, he turns the question of “who is my neighbor?” on its head and instead answers “who might be a neighbor to me?”

Why should we love our neighbors as ourselves?

Just as you love your self by feeding your self with what builds up your self, so also your love for your neighbor must serve for building up of their self. Love for a neighbor that is of the same skin as love for the self is love that builds up, love that in it's very essence is altruistic.

Who does the Levite represent in the Good Samaritan?

The Levite was seen as representing the Old Testament prophets, whose words the Lord came to fulfill (see Matthew 5:17; 3 Nephi 15:2–5). A lesser class of priests, the Levites did chores in the temple. At least this Levite came close to helping; he “came” and saw.

What is Levites in the Bible?

The priests of Aaron clearly acquired sole right to the Jewish priesthood. Those who performed subordinate services associated with public worship were known as Levites. In this capacity, the Levites were musicians, gate keepers, guardians, Temple officials, judges, and craftsmen.

Why did the Samaritan help the man?

The Samaritan saw the injured Jewish man lying in the road. Unlike the priest and unlike the Levite, he stopped and took pity on the man. He bent down and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He helped the man climb up onto the back of his own donkey and then took him to an inn, walking alongside.

What did the lawyer depend on?

The lawyer depended upon the concepts “love God” and “love neighbor” to remain fixed and stable, a system of religious justification, and, again like most of us, he had found a sweet spot in that religious system that allowed him to be satisfied with himself and his life.

Why does Jesus undermine the lawyer's standing?

Jesus undermines the lawyer’s standing in order to show that the lawyer, like all the rest of humanity, needs not to stand his ground but to see the face of grace, and then to move, to repent. It is important to keep in view that the story Jesus told the lawyer was a parable, not an example story.

What does Luke say about the lawyer?

Luke says the lawyer intended to put Jesus to the test, and to do so, he asks two questions.

Why was Jesus not born to justify the righteous?

Jesus was not born to justify the righteous; he was born, as the angels over Bethlehem proclaimed, to be a savior. In Jesus, the system is not standing still. God is moving toward humanity in mercy and calling humanity to move toward God in repentance. And that is why Jesus throws the lawyer into the ditch beside the Jericho road.

Is the court upside down?

In one breathtaking move, the court is turned upside down. The lawyer is now in the dock; the lawyer is now the one on trial. No longer the solicitor prosecuting the case, the lawyer is now the accused defending his righteousness. So, the lawyer, now suddenly the defendant, seeks to do what every accused person desires.

Who lifted the lawyer up?

Only the Samaritan, the despised Samaritan, the one by whom the lawyer would not want even to be touched, only the Samaritan lifted him up, dressed his wounds, cared for his life, helped him move from a place of death to a place of life.

Did the lawyer want Jesus to confess?

No, the lawyer wanted Jesus to confess publicly that, while he might seem a tad unorthodox, a bit intense perhaps, whatever he was doing as he made his way from village to village, he was really just waving the flag of the slogan we’ve been saying since we were kids – love God and love your neighbor.

What does Jesus say when he says the law has done its work in the heart of a man or woman?

He knew that when the law has done it's work in the heart of a man or women they will come asking for mercy, not for direction on what good things they could do to gain eternal life. We see this quite often in the gospels: If a person comes by the law, Jesus answers them with the law.

Who is the despised one?

One despised... A Samarian. This represents the despised One - the Lord Jesus whom the Jews called a Samaritan. ( John 8:48 ). He is the One who had compassion ( Matt 9:36, Mar 1:41) and went out of His way to heal up the broken and give life to the dying.

What did Jesus say about the robbers?

Luke 10:30-35 NIV In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. (31) A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. (32) So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. (33) But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. (34) He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. (35) The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

Can you inherit eternal life by keeping the law?

No! But here is the point - If someone truly believes that they can inherit eternal life by keeping the law or by being good then they haven't been schooled by the law of God yet, for the purpose of the law was to shut every mouth! Jesus knew their hearts.

American Standard Version

Luke 10:29 (ASV) But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

The Bible in Basic English

Luke 10:29 (BBE) But he, desiring to put himself in the right, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

Common English Bible

Luke 10:29 (CEB) But the legal expert wanted to prove that he was right, so he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

The Complete Jewish Bible

Luke 10:29 (CJB) But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Yeshua, "And who is my `neighbor'?"

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Luke 10:29 (CSB) But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

The Darby Translation

Luke 10:29 (DBY) But he, desirous of justifying himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

English Standard Version

Luke 10:29 (ESV) But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

What is self justification?

Making excuses. On the other hand, Merriam-Webster.com explains that “self-justification” is simply “the act of making excuses for one’s self.”. When we hear the phrase “self-justification,” it is usually in the context of someone trying to get out of something. A person may claim his or her innocence to avoid a penalty.

Where does the true justification come from?

True justification can only come from one place—Jesus Christ! “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life” (Romans 5:18).

Why was Elihu aroused against Job?

Toward the end of his ordeal, “the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God” (Job 32:2). Job justified himself rather than God. “Literally, he justified his soul, נפשו naphhso, before God.

Why do we need the help of Jesus Christ?

We need the help of Jesus Christ and the help of God’s Holy Spirit to come to the point of seeing ourselves as we really are, and being willing to admit our mistakes and sins. Justification involves the acceptance of Christ’s blood; it involves having a commitment to living God’s way of life.

What is Job's example?

Example of Job. “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). Job was a righteous man; and though he was righteous, God allowed him to suffer and used that suffering to teach him a valuable lesson about self-justification.

Who said all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God?

The apostle Paul wrote, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). All have sinned! But thankfully all can, at some point, receive justification. Where does true justification come from?

Who said no servant can serve two masters?

In another example, Jesus said, “‘No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.’. “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.