a pericope in perspective

Gospel text follows.

There are two  accounts of rich young rulers seeking to have eternal life in the New Testament (Nicodemus is another case altogether). Here in today's reading of Lk.10:25-37, and Mt. 19:16-31  tells of another ruler.  The text in Mt.  emphasizes the first commandment-  to love God with your whole being, as evidenced by selling all and trusting in God.

This text, in Lk.10, the Lord again  answers a rich young ruler and says,"Love God and your neighbor as yourself. " He then  illustrates who the neighbor is,  and disarms this man of his self confidence of keeping the law.  So  here we have the example of loving your neighbor as yourself.

So the Lord wastes no ink- one pericope-  section  emphasizes loving the Lord,  and how to practically do so- and the second illustrates how to practically love our neighbor as ourselves.  With that in mind  let's practically do so.

Lk.10:25-37:

At that time, a lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" And he answered, "You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live."

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed mercy on him." And Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Scripture passages are complementary.  Some people  doubt their veracity because the details are not the same.  But the details mentioned are complementary to give us a fuller picture-  panorama- or better yet-  synoptic- view of things.