“But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus…” Lk. 10:29
Oh, how often we hope to justify ourselves! In just one day, how often do we feel the urge to justify our words, emotions and feelings, or our actions as being right. And we speak or act on the urge either privately – in our own thoughts -, or through open confrontation with other people, in hopes of establishing some sense of the moral high ground we crave. So often we convince ourselves that if we conquer the moral high ground, then we are morally superior, failing to understand that too often, that in gaining moral superiority, we have only diminished another person – another life.
People justify themselves, hoping they are setting themsleves free from whatever deficiency that hounds them, but it doesn’t work. They often want to limit their responsibilities which ultimately sets limits on any vision of being righteous in the eyes of God. So, they feel justified but are ultimately inadequate in making a difference. Or they may insist other people take responsibility for whatever situation is creating the need for their self-justification. The result is feelings of inadequacies and aloneness. No freedom, only more burdens
In our passage (Lk. 10:25-37), the legal expert sets out to test Jesus. Whenever we justify ourselves, we are putting Jesus to the test. Isn’t his justification of us enough, even amid our misunderstandings, confusion and pain? Isn’t being “clothed in Christ” fulfilling us much more than any legalistic or moralistic cover we may weave for ourselves? Jesus justifies us to himself. Our relationship with Jesus defines life’s fullness. We have no need of demonstrating or declaring that we are morally right, we only need to walk through life with Jesus, speaking the words he gives us and doing the things we know him to do already.
And if we justify ourselves by judging the moral character of another, aren’t we declaring the work that Jesus is doing in that person inadequate? We may say, “that person is not moral enough. They should be demonstrating a Godlier life by now.” Do you know the work Jesus is doing in that life? Do you know the pace of life needed to bring about restoration? Should you ever justify your life against a life under construction? No. That is why we should never justify ourselves at all, since we are all under the process of being renewed and made whole.
But we are surely called to live our lives in such a way that is right. Without judging ourselves or others, we do know what the right way is to live. The one thing we may always do that will erode self-justification and set us free from the burden of legalism and moralistic demands is to love. Love at all costs. Love, covering a multitude of sins. Love, keeping no record of wrongs. Love, being the epitome of forgiveness and mercy. Love, being the humble servant to all who need and are ready to receive love. Love others when you hurt, and nobody seems to care. Love with limitless love the hurting person. When we love like Jesus loves, we have no need to justify ourselves because in this world we are like Jesus. And Jesus never needs to be justified.
In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as he is, so also are we in this world. 1 Jn. 4:17