Bonhoeffer: Discipleship and the Neighbor

At the end of his chapter on Grace and Discipleship, after discussing the rich young man, Bonhoeffer moves into brief discussion of the Good Samaritan.  The story of the Good Samaritan is told in Luke 10: 25-37, and Bonhoeffer draws a parallel between it and the rich young man, with the key difference being that the rich young man appeared to ask questions with more innocent motivation when compared to the “expert on the law.”  The bible says that this expert “stood up to test Jesus.”   His questions were intentionally a trap.  Bonhoeffer talks earlier in this chapter about how “Doubt and reflection take the place of spontaneous obedience” and “the devil has an answer for our moral difficulties, and he says:  “Keep posing problems, and you will escape the necessity of obedience.””  In that vein, the expert in the law poses problems of Jesus:  what must I do to inherit eternal life and who exactly is my neighbor?

The first question, what must I do to inherit eternal life, is answered by quoting the Old Testament law—love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself.  Jesus responds simply that yes, that is correct, do these things and you will live.  But the expert “wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus “And who is my neighbor?””  As Bonhoeffer imagines Satan saying, this expert does—he keeps asking question so to escape the necessity of obedience.  

We do this all of the time, we pose questions in lieu of obedience, we demand clarity on issues that are really clear enough.  From the beginning the devil was a liar and he taught us to ask the question “did God really say?”   The questions take different forms, but we still ask questions instead of obeying. We ask questions as we seek to justify ourselves.

“Am I supposed to give a literal tithe or am I free to give what my conscience dictates?”  

“What day of the week is set aside as holy; do I have to go to church to keep the sabbath?”

“Are there circumstances where divorce is OK?”

“How can I honor my parents when I really have a bad relationship with them?”

“It’s OK to lie in some situations, little white lies, right?”

“How can it be adultery when it’s just looking at pictures of strangers?”

And so it goes.  “Did God really say?” over and over, in various forms; we ask questions instead of obeying, we seek to justify ourselves like the expert on the law.  “Who is my neighbor?” he asks Jesus.  And Jesus gives him no pat answer but tells a story, possibly just a parable but also possibly a real story which happened to real people.  In 8 verses, Jesus relays a narrative that resonates such that “Good Samaritan” still carries meaning 2000 years later—it refers to someone who goes out of his/her way to help someone in need, and it consistently carries a positive connotation.  “Which of these was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  Jesus asks.  “The one who had mercy on him” the lawyer answers.  “Go and do likewise” is Jesus’ response.  

Go and do. Stop asking questions.  Stop posing problems to escape the necessity of obedience.  The devil has used that ploy from the beginning; don’t question, only obey.  1 Timothy 6:4 describes a person who is “conceited and understands nothing.  He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction.”  This is the voice of the recalcitrant child constantly questioning parental authority until the only answer is “because I said so and I’m the parent.”  In this, the final answer is “Go and do likewise, stop asking questions but be obedient because I said so and I am God.”  Bonhoeffer warns against “Doubt and reflection [taking] the place of spontaneous obedience.”  Jesus is in effect saying “Don’t stop to ask if this person in front of you is or is not your neighbor; if they need something from you that you are able to provide, then give it to them without delay.”  As Bonhoeffer says “Neighborliness is not a quality in other people, it is simply their claim on ourselves.  Every moment and every situation challenges us to action and to obedience….You can only know and think about it by actually doing it.  You can only learn what obedience is by obeying.  It is no use asking questions; it is only through obedience that you come to learn the truth.”

1)      Are there questions that you ask of God which are only the delaying tactics of a disobedient child, questions which split hairs and to which you know the answer?  Examine your heart and your motivation behind these questions.  Look to the simplest answer, the answer that does the most good for other people, for “your neighbor.”  Confess to God your desire to justify yourself and come to Him for forgiveness and a renewed heart.

2)      Are there “neighbors” who need something from you?  Who are they and how might you better serve them?

3)      The answer to the question “Did God really say” is found in Matthew 4, the story of the temptation of Jesus.  Jesus answered Satan’s temptations to sin with this phrase:  “It is written.”  The Word of God is where we clearly hear God’s word, His commands and guidance for us.  The only way to clearly hear what God is saying is to read His word and have it preached and taught to you.  How do you integrate God’s word into your days and weeks?  Where might you insert time for God’s word, so that you are ‘always prepared to give the reason for the hope that is in you’ (1 Peter 3: 15).