A man and a woman are walking down the street towards each other. When they get close to each other, both turn to walk into the same building. The man, realizing they share the same destination, runs ahead and holds the door for the woman. Somewhat offended by the gesture, she asks him: “Are you doing that because I am a woman?” Without missing a beat, he replies simply: “No. I am doing it because I am a gentleman.” The story is simple, but the point is important. The fellow did not choose to act based on who others are, but rather who he is.
The bigger idea is that we ought to make our decisions and base our actions on our values, beliefs, right, wrong, and other standards rather than the opinions of others. If we sacrifice our standards in the name of expediency, what’s easy, and/or anything else then they aren’t standards at all.
Jesus makes this point frequently in his teachings. One example turns up in response to a question about the 10 commandments. The Old Testament summarizes the commandments with 2 directions: Love God and love your neighbor. Rabbis had spent hundreds of years arguing about who qualified as “your neighbor.” The only thing they could agree on was that Samaritans did not count as neighbors. It’s important to understand that ancient Jews hated Samaritans. They hated them so much that when they crossed Samaritan territory they kicked the dirt off of their feet, lest they contaminate Israel with Samaritan dirt. It was customary to spit when they said the word Samaritan and cross to the other side of the street if they saw one approaching. So, when Jesus answered the neighbor question by telling the story of the Good Samaritan, which forces the listener to acknowledge the Samaritan as their neighbor, it was a terribly offensive thing to say. It was also an argument that the religious experts at the time couldn’t beat. The reason had nothing to do with Samaritans. Rather, it had to do with Jesus’ point that we are to love our neighbor regardless of who they are. We do it because it’s right, not because they deserve it or are the right kind of person. We love others because that’s what God calls us to do and that’s what it means to be a righteous person, not because they earned it or have the right politics or anything else.
The word “love” here is not an emotion. It is a life orientation that sets out to improve the position or condition of the other person. Romans 5 describes God’s love for us: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is the perfect example of this concept: Jesus came and died for sinners. People who didn’t deserve it. He did it not because of who we are or are not, but because of who God is.
