The very first lesson, any good lawyer learns is, never ever ask a question that you do not already know the answer to, as is evident in this story told us in the Gospel of LUKE: 10: 25-36 while Jesus is teaching in the temple. A wise guy lawyer,seeks to trick Jesus with a question, but, Jesus answers a question with a question. He does so in order to discover just how sincere this lawyer is in seeking an answer to his question.
A certain lawyer stood up and tempted Jesus saying, "Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said unto him, "What is written in the law? How readest thou?" The lawyer answers Jesus, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." Jesus responds, "Thou hast answered right; this do and thou shalt live."
Then looking to justify himself after being made to look foolish asks a second question. He asks, "Who is my neighbor?" to which jesus gives the following answer in the form of a story.
"A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves which stripped him of his rainment,and wounded him, and departed leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place came and looked on him and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritian as he journeyed, came where he was , and when he saw him he had compassion on him, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine and set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence and gave them to the host and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee."
Jesus then asks the lawyer, "Which now of these three thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?" And the lawyer responds, "He that shewed mercy on him." Then Jesus replies to the lawyer, "Go and do thou likewise."
The wise guy lawyer, when he asked the first question was prepared and answered Jesus by quoting the law as written. He could read it there infront of him, but then he made the mistake of asking a question he did not have the answer for so Jesus, knowing it was a trick question meant to try and trap him, gives the story, making the lawyer look even more foolish.
As Christians there is a valuable lesson in this story for us too. Be careful what you ask of God or Jesus, for you might be asked in return to do something you are not ready for and you might get more than you bargain for.
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