July 13, 2025

Pastor Brandon

Reflections on the Sunday Sermon

Linda Waltersdorf Cobourn

ASK A STUPID QUESTION

“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’” – Luke 10:25

“There’s no such thing as a stupid question,” I used to tell my students. “The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.”

It’s a nice saying—something passed around in education courses and staff development days—but until last Sunday, I had never thought about where that phrase actually came from.

Turns out, it didn’t start in the classroom. In 1970, Dear Abby columnist Abigail Van Buren wrote, “There is no such thing as a stupid question—as long as it is sincere.” Carl Sagan once said, “Every question is a cry to understand the world.” Business writer Jerry Weissman echoed, “There is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid answers.”

But as Pastor Brandon reminded us during Sunday’s message on the Good Samaritan, these well-meaning quotes miss something important. Because in Luke 10, we do see a stupid question—asked by a man who should have known better.

The expert in the law—someone trained in God’s commands—stood up to test Jesus and asked:
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus responded with a question of His own:
“What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
The man answered correctly: Love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind—and love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus told him, “Do this and you will live.”

But the man, wanting to justify himself, asked another question:
“And who is my neighbor?”

That’s when Jesus told the story—not about who qualifies as a neighbor, but about how to be one.

Pastor Brandon pointed out the irony:

• The lawyer assumed he was already loving God perfectly.
• He thought he could fulfill the first commandment while skipping the second.
• He tried to limit the definition of “neighbor” to only those he wanted to love.

Even when Jesus turned the question back to him—“Who was the neighbor?”—the lawyer couldn’t bring himself to say “The Samaritan.” He simply muttered, “The one who had mercy.”

Here’s the truth: We can’t claim to love God and withhold love from others. Neighborliness isn’t about location—it’s about compassion. Jesus calls us to love beyond borders, beyond comfort zones, beyond assumptions. The Samaritan was an outsider; Jesus was an outsider. We are all outsiders. And, knowing this, Jesus is always our neighbor.

Call to Action:
This week, ask God to open your eyes to someone you’ve overlooked. Don’t just ask, “Who is my neighbor?” Ask instead, “How can I be a neighbor today?”

Prayer:
Lord, help me to love as You love—not with limits, but with mercy. Remind me that my neighbor is anyone in need of Your compassion. Give me courage to act, not just think. Amen