Who is My Neighbor?
Scripture:
One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied with a story:
“A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
“By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.
“The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
—Luke 10:25–37 (NLT)
This interaction begins with an expert in the law trying to test Jesus. It’s a pattern we see often. The religious leaders knew the Scriptures, but many of them didn’t know God. That becomes painfully clear in the fact that they didn’t recognize Jesus when He showed up. This man’s question sounds sincere on the surface, but his motive is to justify himself. Still, Jesus engages. He brings him back to the heart of the law: love God and love your neighbor.
But then comes the follow-up question: “And who is my neighbor?” With that, Jesus tells one of His most famous stories. A man is beaten and left for dead. A priest passes by. So does a Levite. But then, shockingly, a Samaritan becomes the hero. Jesus could not have chosen a more culturally offensive example. Jews and Samaritans despised one another, and yet it is the Samaritan who reflects the heart of God.
Jesus is doing more than answering the man’s question. He is exposing the real problem: a narrow, self-serving definition of neighbor that keeps love at a safe distance. The neighbor isn’t the one who looks like you or believes like you. The neighbor is the one in need, and love is defined by action, not theory. The Samaritan showed mercy. He got involved. He gave generously. He took a risk. Mother Teresa understood this kind of love. She asked: “How can you love God whom you do not see if you do not love your neighbor whom you see, whom you touch, with whom you live?”¹
Jesus closes with a command: “Go and do the same.” Not believe this, not agree with this, but do this. The Samaritan crossed every boundary, cultural, religious, ethnic, and got his hands dirty for a stranger. That is the shape of Kingdom love. And in more ways than one, the Samaritan reflects the heart of Jesus Himself, who crossed the greatest divide of all to reach us.
Reflection:
- What assumptions or prejudices might be limiting your definition of neighbor?
- Are there people around you right now in need of compassion or care that you have overlooked?
- What would it look like for you to go and do the same this week?
Prayer:
Ask God to open your eyes to the needs around you and give you the courage to act. Pray for a heart that doesn’t just know the right thing but does it. Invite the Holy Spirit to shape you into someone who loves like Jesus.
Footnote:
¹ Mother Teresa, National Prayer Breakfast address, Washington, D.C., February 3, 1994.