Who’s My Neighbor
Behold, a lawyer stood up to put him 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 it?”
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.”
He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
He, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “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. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal 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 to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”
He said, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”” Luke 10:25-37
INSIGHT
Growing up on a farm with a decent amount of land, I didn't have many "neighbors." The family living next door was a far way off. So, my perspective of what makes someone a neighbor was largely shaped by my grandpa. In his eyes, no one was a stranger; everyone was a neighbor. He was a kind and generous man who invited ANY person to drop by if they had a need or just wanted to say hello. Because of his mark on my life, my definition of a neighbor extends beyond where you live; it is defined by how you love.
Jesus introduced loving your neighbor to a people who held tightly to cultural divides. It broke His heart to see others treating people so poorly. Social classes and positions determined people's worth, value, and standing. There were also laws that people created to justify their indifference towards the needs of others. Edicts that stated that if they touched someone or something considered "dirty", they too would become dirty.
When Jesus began to tell the parable of a Good Samaritan, He wanted people to move out of that Old Covenant mindset. Jesus yearned for His audience to deconstruct their skewed interpretation of people's worth and value. Jesus told us that a priest saw this battered and bruised man and did not help. He couldn't risk lending a hand and becoming unclean. Jesus goes on to tell us that a Levite mimicked the priest's inactivity. The Levite could be used to represent a Christian today, someone who was devoted to their faith. Yet, devotion was not enough to convince the Levite to help the stranger.
Then Jesus drops the most scandalous part of the parable and introduces a Samaritan, someone in that culture perceived as an outcast. Jesus takes it a step further and makes him the hero of the story. The Samaritan not only helps but goes above and beyond to ensure the bruised and battered man heals. The Samaritan would not have had the "faith training," yet something compelled him to respond. He did not consider becoming unclean more important than caring for human life.
Jesus, the only human who can claim to be fully clean and pure, stepped into our messy world and died for it. Jesus perfected loving your neighbor. Jesus was not concerned about positions, labels, titles, or background. Jesus considered every single human being a neighbor worth caring for and loving. He invites us to take the same approach.
Jesus brought us into communion with each other, so we are no longer outcasts to Him. The people we work with, live with, and those we have not met yet are our neighbors. Our devotion to faith and following Jesus is not found in rules and regulations but resides in the love we have for God and others. We cannot live a perfect life, but the way we love our neighbors will align our hearts with the One who died to make us His neighbor.
REFLECTION
What is your definition of a neighbor? How does the call of Jesus expand that definition?
How can you tangibly love your neighbor today?
PRAYER
Father, You set an example that every single human being is my neighbor, and through Your life, I learn how to be a neighbor. Help me to view every single person as my neighbor. When there is a temptation to not treat someone well for any reason, let Your love push through. I pray we all embrace each other as neighbors, and love as You did. In your name, Jesus. Amen.
Port City writer Davy Nance wrote today’s devotional.
