Well, this morning we find Jesus having a conversation with a lawyer.
And we're in Luke chapter 10, verse 25.
! Have you ever sat down to get help from a lawyer with something?
! It's a fearful business.
I'm always wondering, you know, if I ask just one more question,
how much will that extra five minutes cost me?
Fifty bucks?
Lawyers are expensive.
So we try to stay out of their offices, but sometimes we need their counsel.
Well, today we read about a conversation where Jesus is talking to a lawyer,
and who do you think ends up giving counsel to whom?
Let's read it from Luke chapter 10, starting in verse 25.
On one occasion, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.
Teacher, he asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
What is written in the law?
Jesus replied.
How do you read it?
He answered, love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your strength,
and with all your mind.
And, love your neighbor as yourself.
You've answered correctly, Jesus replied.
Do this, and you will live.
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus,
And who is my neighbor?
In reply, Jesus said,
A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho,
when he was attacked by robbers.
They stripped him of his clothes,
beat him,
and went away, leaving him half dead.
A priest happened to be going down the same road,
and when he saw the man,
he passed by on the other side.
So too, a Levite,
when he came to the place and saw him,
passed by on the other side.
But a Samaritan,
as he traveled,
came where the man was,
and when he saw him,
he took pity on him.
He went to him and bandaged his wounds,
pouring on oil and wine.
Then he put the man on his own donkey,
brought him to an inn,
and took care of him.
The next day,
he took out two denarii
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.
Which of these three do you think
was a neighbor to the man
who fell into the hands of robbers?
The expert in the law replied,
the one who had mercy on him.
Jesus told him,
go and do likewise.
So Jesus has this conversation
with an expert in the law.
Some translations say a lawyer.
Back in Jesus' day,
there were these sort of religious lawyers,
and they weren't exactly like the kind
that we're used to sitting down in the office of
here in town,
or like the classic defense attorney
types of lawyers.
They were sort of religious lawyers.
But that didn't mean that they were just focused
on spiritual things either.
They were kind of like lawyers
who gave interpretations
and rulings based on the law of Moses
as it related to life in the community.
And so they would give rulings
and decisions on ritual purity and impurity,
Sabbath observance,
inheritance,
marriage,
divorce,
business disputes,
tithes,
and more.
Their status and their work as lawyers
depended on knowing the Old Testament law
meticulously.
And so this expert in the law,
this lawyer,
stands up,
and we notice that he has a purpose.
Luke says,
he stands up to test Jesus.
This is an interesting word.
In this context,
to test Jesus means
to subject him to a test
in order to prove something.
Now just what he hopes to prove
or what the lawyer would consider
a pass or a fail,
we don't know.
But what we do know
is that the lawyer asks his question
with an agenda.
The question he asks is,
what must I do
to inherit eternal life?
But his purpose in asking this
is not simply to learn.
It's not to get the answer
to something that he's been
wondering about for a long time.
He asks this question
as a test.
And if we're kind of reading
and understanding,
I think the context here,
it's because he thinks of himself
as someone capable
of grading Jesus' answer.
That's what this man did.
He was a religious lawyer.
He gave rulings
on all kinds of things
pertaining to the law.
And so I think he asks
this question of Jesus
to test him.
And I think he intends
to sort of make a ruling,
to give a grade,
to judge Jesus' answer
and see if it measures up
to his own.
Well, Jesus is the wisest person
who has ever walked
the face of the earth.
Look at how Jesus responds.
Jesus responds
not with an answer
because he knows
that there's an agenda
behind the question.
And so Jesus responds
to the question
with a question.
What must I do
to inherit eternal life?
What is written in the law?
How do you read it?
See what Jesus did there?
I mean,
he basically just asked
the guy
to answer his own question.
He basically says,
you tell me.
How do you read it?
You're the lawyer.
You know,
what do you think it says
in the law about this?
And the lawyer
can't help himself.
He takes the bait.
I mean,
he could have really said here,
well,
I asked you.
I want to hear
what you think.
But no,
he doesn't say that.
Instead,
the lawyer
goes ahead
and answers
his own question.
And suddenly,
the roles
are completely reversed.
Now,
the expert
is answering
his own question,
but Jesus
is the one
evaluating
his answer.
And the tables
are turned.
Well,
how does the lawyer
answer his own question?
What does he think
that he needs to do
to inherit
eternal life
according to
the law of Moses?
The lawyer
recites two commandments
from the law.
Probably most of us
are familiar with these.
The first comes
from Deuteronomy
chapter 6,
verse 5.
Love the Lord
your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your strength
and with all your mind.
And,
love your neighbor
as yourself.
Found in Leviticus 19,
verse 18.
Well,
what do you notice
about the man's answer?
What does it remind you of?
Where have we heard
that answer before?
From Jesus.
When?
Before or after this?
It comes after.
In the week
prior to Jesus' death,
there's another
expert in the law
who asked Jesus,
what's the greatest
commandment in the law?
And,
this is
almost verbatim.
There's a few other
things added in,
but,
this is Jesus' answer.
Love the Lord
your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your strength
with all your mind.
That's the greatest
commandment.
And then he adds,
and the second
is like it.
Love your neighbor
as yourself.
That's found in
Matthew 22,
37.
All the law
and the prophets
hang on these two,
says Jesus.
But,
Jesus says that later.
Did Jesus get the answer
from this lawyer?
Well,
of course not.
I think we kind of
know that.
Here's my idea.
Now,
I can't prove this,
but,
we know from the
gospel accounts
that Jesus often
taught the same things
from place to place.
All throughout
his ministry.
Even within Luke's
gospel,
there's repetition
of the same things
in different places
and different contexts.
And so,
my idea,
I'm betting that
long before Jesus
came to Jerusalem
in the week prior
to his death,
he was telling people
that the most important
thing they need to do
is to love the Lord
their God
with all their heart.
And the second
most important,
to love their neighbor
as themselves.
I'm betting that
this man has
already heard
whether first hand
or second hand,
Jesus
has said this.
Maybe he's even
eager to give
this answer to Jesus
because he knows
it's the right answer.
It's the answer
that Jesus
has given
before.
And so,
I think that
the expert
has the right answer
to his own question
because he has
Jesus' answer
to the question.
Well,
let's keep going.
Verse 28,
Jesus says,
you have answered
correctly.
Do this
and you will live.
Again,
Jesus is so
wise,
he affirms
that the man's
answer is right.
You got it right.
You already know
the right answer
to your question.
But notice that
little bit
that Jesus adds
at the end.
Do this
and you will live.
It's so subtle.
Jesus sort of
raises another
matter here.
Like,
you can know this.
You can have
the right answer.
but are you
actually
doing it?
Are you
loving God
with all your
heart?
Are you
loving your
neighbor
as yourself?
If you are,
then yes,
you will live.
You will inherit
eternal life.
It's just a
subtle statement
Jesus makes.
You've answered
correctly.
do this
and you will
live.
Well,
now,
all of a
sudden,
the man's
attitude
and his
heart
come out.
His agenda
comes out.
We see
kind of where
he's coming
from.
Verse 29,
he wanted
to justify
himself.
So,
he asked
Jesus,
and who
is my
neighbor?
This is
where we
see
things come
into clarity
for who
this man
is and
what kind
of an
attitude
he's bringing
into this
moment.
It's almost
like he just
didn't get
the satisfaction
he was
looking for
with the
first exchange.
I don't
know,
maybe he
was looking
for some
congratulations
and applause
from Jesus
for getting
the right
answer.
Maybe he
was hoping
that everyone
would see
that and hear
that.
Oh,
yes,
he knew
it all
along.
He really
was an
expert.
There was
something,
it seems,
unsatisfying
about Jesus'
response when
Jesus just
kind of says,
yep,
you're right.
Do that
and you will
live.
And so
the man
tries a
second
question.
Another
matter of
the law.
And I'm
guessing that
like the
first question,
he probably
has in
mind what
the right
answer is
or at
least what
his answer
is.
You know,
here's a
tricky one,
Jesus.
Let's see
how you
answer this.
Who is
my neighbor?
Who
exactly am
I commanded
by God
to love?
who qualifies
as my
neighbor?
How many
houses down
the street
does that
extend to?
And the
man's heart
is revealed
in this
second question
because it's
the kind
of question
that asks,
what's the
minimum
required
to fulfill
my obligation
to God?
Who counts
as my
neighbor?
and then
it's here
that Jesus
answers
with the
parable.
Jesus
tells him
a little
story.
The story
starts with
a man
who gets
robbed
on his
way
from
Jerusalem
to
Jericho
and it's
actually more
than just
a robbery.
Jesus
says that
the robbers
attacked
him
and beat
him.
So this
is robbery
by force.
This is
first a
mugging
and then
a robbery.
One of
the details
that especially
at least
to me
is striking
in this
little story
is that
the robbers
stripped
the man
of his
clothes.
Now I
didn't really
look up
what was
typical of
robberies
back then
in those
days but
nowadays
you know
most thugs
they just
were not
really
interested
in the
clothes
they're
just
after
the
valuables
right?
Maybe
some
money
in the
wallet
or
purse
perhaps
some
jewelry
now I
don't want
to pick
apart
Jesus
parable
too much
but we
kind of
wonder
did this
man resist
so much?
Did he
fight back
to the
point that
it made
the thieves
angry?
Is that
why they
stripped him
of his
clothes?
Did they
want to
humiliate
him?
Did they
want to
teach him
a lesson
for not
just
cooperating
in the
first
place?
We don't
know.
It's a
parable.
It's not
even a
real account
but this
one detail
just leaves
us with
quite the
picture.
Can you
picture him
in your
mind there?
Just this
poor man
lying on
the side
of the
road
naked
and
bleeding
and
wounded.
Jesus
says the
thieves
went
away
leaving
him
half
dead.
And
then Jesus
tells of
three different
men who
stumble upon
him while
he's lying
there.
The first
man to
come walking
along is
a priest.
For this
first guy
Jesus chooses
someone especially
religious.
The priests
I mean they
were the
ones who
served at
the temple.
They were
the ones
who helped
the people
offer
sacrifices
to God.
If there's
anyone who
knows God
it should be
the priest
right?
Well what does
the priest do
when he sees
the man lying
there?
He passes
by him on
the other
side of the
road.
And again
it's kind of
subtle here
but it's
here.
The wording
suggests that
he deliberately
chose to
move.
move or
even maybe
stay on
the opposite
side of
the road
because of
seeing the
man.
When he
saw the
man he
passed by
on the
other side.
There is
this sort
of conscious
choice there
to keep
a distance.
Not to
get too
close after
seeing him.
And of
course all
sorts of
people have
you know
kind of
you know
what would
be the
reason?
Why
wouldn't
he help
the man?
But Jesus
doesn't give
any reasons.
this is
just how
it went.
But I
think we
are meant
to be
surprised
by this.
And we
sort of
expect that
the most
religious
people
will be
the most
loving
people.
The most
likely to
stop and
help,
right?
Well next
comes a
Levite.
The Levites
were those
descended from
Levi,
one of the
twelve sons
of Jacob,
one of the
tribes of
Israel.
They were
the ones
that God
chose to
serve in
the temple
and the
priests were
Levites but
there were
also others
who helped
with worship
at the
temple who
were Levites.
So the
second man,
he's another
religious man
and what's
his response
to the man
lying there
bleeding on
the side of
the road?
Jesus says
it's the same
as the
priest.
He too
first saw
the man
and then
after seeing
him pass
by on
the other
side.
Now I
don't think
there's meant
to be too
much of a
difference
between these
two men.
We might
try to figure
out the
difference
between
Levite and
priest and
is that
significant but
they both
stand for
sort of the
really religious
people of
the day.
And I
think here
maybe is the
point.
what are
the odds
that two
highly religious
men run
across this
man and
neither of
them stops
to help?
You know
maybe we
thought the
odds would
be good
that at
least one
of the
religious
guys would
stop.
But no
he doesn't
stop either.
Finally
Jesus introduces
the hero
of the story.
The man who
does stop
to help.
And Jesus
deliberately
throws this
huge twist
into the
story and
he makes
the hero
a Samaritan.
That in
itself is
such a
loaded thing
culturally.
The Samaritans
were despised
by the Jews.
They were
considered
half-breeds
and corrupt.
About 750
years before
this the
people living
in the region
of Samaria
they were
all Jews.
But then
the Assyrian
empire came
in and
conquered them
and when
they did
some nasty
things to
keep that
region from
revolting
again.
They carted
off many
of the
Jews who
were in
Samaria
to other
places in
the empire.
And then
they brought
people from
the other
nations that
they had
conquered and
resettled them
there in
Samaria.
And so
the people in
Samaria were
sort of this
mixture of
surviving Jews
and people
from all
these other
nations.
And over
time they
intermarried.
They had
families together.
there was
even the
blending of
religions.
That's a
really simple
explanation of
it.
And so
for Jesus
to make
the hero
of this
story a
Samaritan
was very
provocative.
The Jews
despised the
Samaritans.
So what does
the Samaritan
do when he
sees the man
lying there
naked and
wounded?
Verse 33.
As he
traveled,
came where
the man
was and
when he
saw him,
he took
pity on
him.
He had
the reaction
that we
all hopefully
did as we
first pictured
that man
lying there
naked,
almost dead,
on the
side of
the road.
The Samaritan
was deeply
moved with
compassion.
And what
did he do
out of that
compassion?
Well, the
first thing
we see is
in verse
34.
He went
to him.
The complete
opposite of
the others
who moved
away, he
goes right
to him.
And he
bandages
his wounds.
Since the
man was
naked and
had nothing,
the Samaritan
may have
even had
to tear
off strips
of his
own clothes
or garments
or outer
garments
to do
this.
Along
with the
bandaging
went the
pouring on
of oil
and wine.
That might
sound strange
to us today,
but it was
actually fairly
standard wound
care back
then in a
place where
vineyards and
olive oil
were present
in abundance.
The wine
acted as a
bit of an
antiseptic
to disinfect
the wound
and then
the olive
oil was
actually used
to soothe
and to
dress the
wound.
The oil
kind of
kept the
bandages
from sticking
and surprisingly
there's even
medical studies
today that
suggest that
olive oil
has other
good health
benefits for
skin.
So the
Samaritan,
he looks
after the
man's
wounds.
He takes
the time
to carefully
wrap them
all up and
make sure
they're done
properly so
that they
won't get
infected.
Then the
Samaritan
puts the
man on
his own
donkey.
Quite
likely the
Samaritan
had been
riding this
donkey
till now
but now
with this
man on
his donkey
the Samaritan
would have
had to
probably walk
the rest
of the
way.
The
Samaritan
takes him
to an
inn
and looks
after him
and took
care of
him.
He doesn't
just dump
him and
run.
He gets
him there
and then he
takes care
of him
and if we
just read
this really
closely with
the next
line he
doesn't even
leave until
the next
day.
So it
seems he
stayed the
night to
look after
him.
And then
the next
day he
pays the
innkeeper
in advance
to look
after this
man.
And even
more than
that,
not just
a set
amount,
but when
I return
I will
reimburse
you for
any extra
expense you
may have.
Think of
that.
He doesn't
just pay for
a couple
days more,
he reassures
the innkeeper
that hey,
do it all
the way.
Make sure
that this
man gets
back on
his feet
again.
Any other
expenses
that are
incurred from
this,
I'll look
after them
when I
return.
You just
let me
know the
day he
checks out.
Wow.
That's
going the
extra mile,
isn't it?
That's what
it looks like
to love
your neighbor
as yourself.
And I'm
sure that
at some
point early
on in
this whole
scenario,
the Samaritan
would have
realized that
this man
lying on
the road
was a
Jew.
The Jews
despised the
Samaritans,
but the
Samaritans
also despised
the Jews.
The feelings
ran both
ways.
And so I
think one of
Jesus' points
here is
surely that
your neighbor
even includes
your enemy.
Just a few
chapters back
in Luke's
gospel,
we heard
Jesus say,
love your
enemies.
This is
like a
picture from
Jesus of
what that
might actually
look like
in a
real life
situation.
Well,
finally we
come to
the end
of Jesus'
story,
and Jesus
asks the
lawyer a
question.
He ends
with this
question,
verse 36.
Which of
these three
do you
think was
a neighbor
to the
man who
fell into
the hands
of robbers?
Here comes
the big
point that
Jesus is
making,
and another
unexpected
twist.
What was
the question
in the
first place?
This
wasn't it.
The question
was who
is my
neighbor?
Who
counts as
my neighbor?
Who exactly
do I need
to love?
But Jesus
kind of flips
it around.
Instead of
who is my
neighbor,
which of
these three
was a
neighbor
to the
man?
in other
words,
it's almost
as if
Jesus is
saying,
you know,
you're
trying to
limit the
scope of
who you
need to
love by
getting me
to define
exactly who
is your
neighbor.
But what
does it
really look
like to
love your
neighbor?
It's far
more about
how you
treat others
than about
how that
person is
related to
you.
it's far
more about
how you
treat others
than about
that person's
relation to
you.
And I
think,
you know,
the more I
meditate on
this,
this is one
of the
wisest
moments of
instruction
I think
I've ever
heard of.
We realize
that Jesus'
wisdom,
I mean,
it's out
of this
world.
It's from
heaven.
We'll come
back to this
question in
a second,
but let's
go back to
the first
question,
the who
is my
neighbor
question.
Think about
the answer
we get to
this question
from the
parable.
Jesus set
this whole
story up
deliberately
to show
us that
my neighbor
could be
anyone.
My neighbor
is really
defined as
my fellow
human being.
regardless
of the
differences
that I
may have
from him.
Whether
Samaritan
or Jew,
that doesn't
matter.
Where you're
from,
the color
of your
skin,
the difference
of language,
even the
social tensions
and conflict
between your
people and
theirs,
that's all
irrelevant.
Your neighbor
is anyone,
it's any
of your
fellow human
beings,
regardless
of the
differences
you may
have to
them.
I mean,
that's not
how we
usually use
it.
We usually
use that
word to
refer to
those who
live right
next door
to us,
or right
on the
property
right next
to ours.
And that's
okay,
that's true.
But Jesus
forces us
to expand
who should
be included.
what about
a stranger
that you
just happened
across who
comes from a
different ethnic
background and
is from another
province?
Is that
person my
neighbor?
Well,
that's exactly
what this man
was in the
story.
Jesus basically
says,
yes,
love your
neighbor applies
there,
too.
And so maybe
that's the first
thing to take
from this.
God desires
that we don't
try to limit
our neighborly
love to only
certain people.
Everyone we
find ourselves
near,
everyone we
come across
is our
neighbor.
And I know
that's not
what introverts
like me
like to hear.
Loving people
who are
different than
us is hard.
But it
could be as
simple as
just meeting
that most
visible and
obvious need
that they
have.
You may
not be a
gifted
conversationalist,
but that's
not really
required to
help that
elderly man
across the
street lift
that thing
into his
car.
Or maybe
you see
someone who
just looks
like they're
overheated
and they
need a glass
of water.
Does it
matter whether
they're young
or old,
tall or
short,
Caucasian,
East Indian,
Filipino,
friend or
stranger?
it shouldn't.
So God
desires that
we not
limit our
neighborly
love to
only certain
people.
Everyone we
come across
is our
neighbor,
is someone
God wants
us to
love just
as we
love
ourselves.
So Jesus
really does
answer the
man's
question.
But then I
think we
really need to
reflect on
the question
that Jesus
asks the
lawyer at
the end
too.
It's a
little different
isn't it?
Which of
these three
do you
think was
a neighbor
to the
man who
fell into
the hands
of robbers?
Which of
these three
do you
think was
a neighbor
to the
man?
And I
love the
way that
Jesus
reverses that
question all
of a sudden
there.
We try to
use the
same sort
of things,
Jen and I,
as we
encourage our
kids.
Sometimes
they've
lamented,
as maybe
we all
have,
that nobody
at a
particular
gathering
or event
was their
friend.
What they
mean is,
you know,
nobody there
initiated with
me.
Nobody played
with me.
Nobody was
the same
age and
gender as
me.
Nobody there
was my
friend.
But we
always try to
encourage them.
We've got to
flip that
around.
Instead,
we've got to
always be
asking,
who is
here that
I can be
a friend
to?
Who can
I initiate
with?
Who's got
nobody else
talking to
them or
playing with
them?
And that's
the same
sort of thing
that Jesus
is doing
here.
You know,
don't worry
about defining
exactly who
is your
neighbor.
Be a
loving neighbor
neighbor to
anyone you
come across.
Don't think,
you know,
who do I
have to
love?
Are there
any of my
neighbors here
at this
thing?
Instead,
think,
who's here
that I can
show neighborly
love to?
Who needs
a neighbor?
I mean,
this is the
sort of thing
that if we
really live
like this
and with
this mindset
and heart,
this will
so change
who we are
as a
church and
what we're
known for
in our
community.
There's
lots we
could meditate
on here.
We could
think about
the things
the Samaritan
did for the
man who
was wounded.
What an
amazing picture
of how it
looks to
love someone,
to really
love someone
as yourself.
It's lavish.
It's such
a giving
love.
It goes
well beyond
the extra
mile to
care for
this man.
Do we
love our
fellow man
like that?
Or are we
just content
to do the
bare minimum?
But then,
what really
astounds me
is that there's
one more
layer to
this whole
conversation.
At the end
of this
conversation,
question,
what is
Jesus'
main
point to
this
man?
Is it
just that
the lawyer
needs to
adjust his
thinking when
it comes to
how he
defines
neighbor?
And be a
little more
broad in
the definition.
I see
another layer
here.
Pieces of
this conversation
which get
to the
heart.
Which
character in
the parable
represents the
lawyer?
It's
probably
both the
priest and
the
Levite.
This man
wasn't a
priest, but
he considered
himself well
versed in the
scriptures,
well studied in
the word of
God, a
religiously
devout man,
just like the
priest and the
Levite in the
parable.
people.
And what is
Jesus demonstrating
through the
priest and the
Levite in the
story?
I think he's
showing that you
can have the
right answers
to the big
questions and
yet lack the
love and
compassion spoken
of in those
answers.
You can have
the right
answers without
having the
right heart.
You can know
the most
important thing,
the greatest
commandment.
You can know
what you need
to do to
inherit eternal
life, to
love God with
all your heart.
You can know
that truth and
yet not do
it.
You can know
that you should
love your
neighbor as
yourself.
And even
what that
looks like.
And at the
same time be a
person who
lacks compassion
and does the
bare minimum
or even passes
by on the
other side of
the road.
I think that's
the main point
of this whole
conversation.
It's as if
Jesus is saying
to this man,
yes, you
have the right
answers, but
go and live
those things.
you aren't
living them
out.
You know
you need to
love God
with all your
heart, so
now do it.
Do this and
you will live.
You know
that you need
to love your
neighbor as you
love yourself
and you know
what that even
looks like, but
you've been like
the priest.
You've been
like the
Levite.
you need to
be like the
Samaritan and
do like he
did.
How easy
is it for
us to be
like this
lawyer and
to take
pride in
having the
right answers,
but do we
have the right
heart?
we can
talk about
how important
it is to
believe the
right things
from the
Bible and
to have the
right doctrine,
but do we
actually love
God?
Do we
actually love
our fellow
man?
In Paul's
letter to the
Corinthians,
1 Corinthians
13, we
won't be here
long, but
he's got this
thought experiment
here.
He poses
this thought
experiment
question.
If I have
the gift of
prophecy and
can fathom
all mysteries
and all
knowledge,
if I know
everything there
is to know,
but do not
have love,
I'm nothing.
What good is
knowing the
right answers if
we don't have
the heart of
love?
described in
those answers.
We have this
tendency,
because of
sin in our
hearts, to
try and do
the bare
minimum.
To try to
be good
enough.
We have this
tendency to
try and be
religious without
truly investing
our hearts in
the relationships
of our
religion.
In a loving,
wholehearted
relationship with
God and
in a lavish,
loving
relationship with
others.
I mean,
that's the
religion we
profess.
We would
all give the
same answer
the lawyer
gave.
Because we
know those
verses,
but is it the
religion we
practice?
we need to
seek the
right answers
and the
right heart
toward God
and man.
Both have to
go together.
let's pray.
Lord Jesus,
I'm not sure
how you will
stir in each
of our hearts
from these
words, but I
do pray that
you would
convict us,
that you
would expose
us, that you
would deal
with us as a
loving God
that you are,
that you would
show us where
we have gone
wrong, just
like Jesus did
with this man,
and that you
would correct us,
and that you
would bring us
back into that
vibrant and
real, authentic
relationship with
you, and keep
us there, and
that that would
spill out into
our relationships
with each other
and with the
people that we
know all around
us here in our
community.
Do that work
in us, we
pray.
In your name,
amen.