Text: But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29).
If someone was to ask you: “And who is my neighbor?” what would you say?
Most people think of their neighbor as the people next door, the people across the street or perhaps the people in their subdivision or development.
Story: “The Homeless Woman’s Poem”
A homeless woman once approached a preacher for help, but because he was busy and helpless, he turned her away and offered to pray for her instead. The homeless woman, it is said, wrote this poem as a response to the insensitive minister:
“I was hungry, and you formed a humanities group to discuss my hunger.
I was imprisoned, and you crept off quietly to my chapel and prayed for my release.
I was naked, and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.
I was sick, and you knelt and thanked God for your health.
I was homeless, and you preached to me the spiritual shelter of the love of God.
I was lonely, and you left me alone to pray for me.
You seem so holy, so close to God but I am still very hungry – and lonely – and cold.”
Author unknown
How would you feel if you were in the shoes of this woman? How would you feel if you were homeless, hungry and cold and in the process of seeking help you came upon a professed Christian or preacher who responded to you in this manner?
I would venture to say you would not think too much of Christianity because of the lack of compassion, caring, understanding and love shown by this person.
It is easy to pray for someone in need, but when physical hunger is the issue, real food is the only thing that will satisfy this hunger. Jesus fed four thousand people with seven loaves and a few small fish and when all had eaten, there were seven large baskets full of fragments left over (Matthew 15:36, 37).
Jesus didn’t just pray for them, but He took action and provided them with what they needed at the time and that was real food to fill their stomachs.
It is easy to pray for someone who is homeless, but what is really needed is a place to rest and relax. In this day and age it is not safe to bring people we do not know or who are strangers to us into our homes, but we can help them find a shelter, mission, or an organization like the Salvation Army who may be able to help.
The point is we should not just turn away from them on the other side of the street. This is our neighbor who is in need.
It is easy to pray for someone who is shivering from the cold damp weather, but what the person really needs is warm clothing. As a Christian who shows forth the love of God, we should, without a second thought, give them the coat off our back. God the Father gave all He had for each one of us and that was His one and only Son.
As Jesus walked upon the face of the earth, he never hesitated to help someone in need. Jesus healed the centurion’s servant who was paralyzed and tormented. Jesus said, “I will come and heal him” (Matthew 8:7). He did not ask the centurion any question or put for any stipulations, Jesus just did it.
Two demon–possessed men were healed when Jesus commanded the demons to enter the herd of swine. These two men were healed and Jesus asked no questions. He knew all man-kind are the Father’s children; therefore, each child is a neighbor to the other.
Matthew was a tax collector and like other tax collector took advantage of the people. He was a sinner and Jesus knew that sinners needed to repent and change their ways if they were to spend eternity with the Father in his kingdom.
The Pharisees saw what Jesus did and said, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11). I like Jesus response to this question.
He said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Matthew 9:12). Jesus was neighborly to all people. He would not turn away from anyone in need any more than a modern-day physician would turn away from anyone needing treatment.
Scripture tells us, “Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them” (Matthew 15:30).
Jesus did not walk around these people or pass by them on the other side of the road. He didn’t say “I don’t have time or I can’t be bothered with their problems.” He showed intense compassion and love for these people and did not consider if they were Jew or Gentile. He treated these people as His next-door neighbor although some had traveled many miles to be with him.
As a child of the Almighty God, we are all neighbors to one another. We are neighbors to people on the other side of town, in another state, in another country or anywhere in the world. God’s love extends throughout the universe. The love and compassion He extends to us should reflect from us to other people.
If we profess to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, we need to do as Jesus would do. WWJD is what we need to ask ourselves in all situations. What would Jesus do if He faced what I am facing? How would Jesus handle the task before me? If we are true and sincere followers of Jesus, we would do just as Jesus did in days past, in the present day and in the days to come.
Our Scripture reading tells us that a lawyer approached Jesus with a question to test Him. The lawyer asked Jesus, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25). This was a question to tempt Jesus. The lawyer was not really looking for a truthful answer, but instead, the lawyer was putting Jesus on trial.
This lawyer was one who knew the Jewish law. He might have been a theologian, a scribe or even a rabbi, but nevertheless, he knew the law. When the lawyer asked Jesus this question, Jesus answered with a question. Jesus asked, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
The response given by the lawyer was a Scriptural response as found in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, which states: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and your neighbor as yourself.’”
Jesus agreed with the lawyer that this was the correct answer. Jesus said, “…do this and you will live” (Luke 10:28). The lawyer figured he was on the right road because he did all of these things.
When Jesus said, “…do this and you will live” He was indicating that those who live up to or fulfill this great law of love are born again and will live forever in the Father’s kingdom.
The law is saying that there are several necessary constituents involved in living eternally in the Father’s mansion. These four items are: repenting; believing; obeying, and loving. These four items go together. It is not possible to really love God unless we repent, believe and obey.
Jesus’ message was one of repentance. He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). His mission was to give sinful man another opportunity to form a right relationship with the Father. Jesus said, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Matthew 9:13). Repentance is necessary if we are to love God.
To love God, it is necessary that we believe His Word. Here are the words from 2 Chronicles 20:20: “…Believe in the LORD your God and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
To believe is to be firmly persuaded or firmly convinced that the Word of God is absolute truth. You can’t believe today and not believe tomorrow. You can’t believe just when it fits your fancy. You must believe God’s Word as it stands and at all times. You can’t pick and choose.
Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24). You will receive what God deems better for you and what he deems better is much more than you could possible ask for.
Repentance and believing are necessary to love God, but obeying His Word is also necessary. Throughout the Bible, man’s obedience is linked to his faith. For example, when God instructed Abraham to take his one and only son and offer him as a sacrifice, Abraham obeyed God because of his tremendous faith in the Father.
Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tall you” (Genesis 22:2). Abraham followed God’s instructions.
When Isaac questioned his father concerning the lamb to be offered, Abraham through faith said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:8). God did provide the necessary offering which was in the form of a ram caught in the thickets.
Abraham’s faith led him to obey God, so God said, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Genesis 22:18). Obedience is linked to faith which in turn enables us to love God.
The apostle Paul told the Romans this: “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name” (Romans 1:5). We accept God’s grace and forgiveness of sins through faith in Him and obedience to His Word.
Jesus was obedient to the Father. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians we find these words: “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). The perfect man died the most shameful death so that you and I would not have to face eternal punishment. Jesus’ obedience to the Father gives us an opportunity to spend eternity with Him in His kingdom.
We show our love to God through repentance of our sins, believing His Word, obeying His Word and loving all his children who are our neighbors. As Christians, we are called “children of obedience” (1 Peter 1:14). We are “children of obedience” because we follow God’s Word and obey His commands.
As God cares for us and takes care of our needs, we are expected to follow His example and takes care His children in the same manner He takes care of us. We need to keep in mind our neighbor who is anyone in need.
As our Scripture reading indicated, the lawyer asked Jesus the question, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asked him what was in the law. After the lawyer quoted the Old Testament Law, Jesus said, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
The lawyer should have stopped here, but he didn’t. He should have been pleased with Jesus’ response, but he posed another question to Jesus. The question was, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). I believe the lawyer was trying to determine where his responsibility to love was to stop. In other words, just whom am I supposed to love? Who is this neighbor I am to love?
I don’t know about you, but if I were Jesus I would be getting tired of listening to this lawyer as he picked apart the law he just quoted.
At this point, Jesus decides to teach the lawyer a lesson by telling him a story or a parable. He is going to answer questions relevant as to who one’s neighbor really is. Jesus will answer questions like:
1. whom am I to love as much as I love myself
2. whom am I to reach out an help
3. whom am I to give my time
4. whom am I to care for
5. whom am I to rescue
Jesus says to the lawyer, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead” (Luke 10:30).
This certain man Jesus mentions was probably a Jew who had been to the Jerusalem to worship and was now on his way back to Jericho. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a constant decent of over 3000 feet over 18 miles.
Please bear in mind this road was not like roads we have today. The road was not a nice paved road with street lights, rest areas, wide lanes, constant traffic and free of barriers close to the right-a-way. This road was narrow, dark, and desolate and ran through passes where robbers and thieves could hide. This was not a road that one would want to travel alone.
This certain man apparently made the trip by himself and was attacked by robbers or thieves who not only stripped him of everything he had, but beat him to the point of near death. They left the man wounded and bleeding on the road.
This almost sounds like what we read in the Orlando Sentinel. We have read stories about people getting in fights and being beat up in the presence of other people who just stand around and watch.
Today, people do not want to get involved. They don’t want to help someone in need because they may not know the person, or the person may be of a different skin color or of a different race.
To go a step further, when help does arrive the onlookers do not want to step forth and tell officials what really happened or describe the people who did the beating. They would rather move on down the street and forget the whole incident.
Who is going to help the victim who lay wounded and bleeding in the road? If this happened today and you came upon the wounded person, would you stop and help or would you pass by on the other side of the road?
Jesus continues with the story by saying, “Now by chance a certain priest came down the road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side of the road” (Luke 10:31). I believe Jesus said a priest came by because Jericho was a city of many priests. In addition, a priest is a holy man who knew the law. As we know, the law commanded love and mercy to a neighbor in need.
The priest decided to ignore the law and decided the situation at hand was one to be avoided. He passed by on the other side of the road. We don’t want to condemn the priest because maybe he thought the man was dead and if he got near or touched a dead man he would be considered unclean for seven day. If this were the case, he would not be permitted to serve his turn in the temple.
Jesus said, “Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side” (Luke 10:32). A Levite was a temple minister. The Levite knew the law just as did the priest. The Levite did go just a little bit further than the priest in that he did go over and look at the wounded man. His curiosity was aroused, but his love for his neighbor was lacking.
Perhaps the Levite just reasoned in his mind that God would take care of this issue. He would take care of the wounded man maybe by sending someone else to administer aid. Maybe the wounded man did not want help from the priest or the Levite. We don’t know because Scripture does not tell us.
There are times when people are who are in need do not want help from people who could help them. It might be pride or something else whereby they refuse and decide to continue on their own. We have probably experienced times we wanted to lend a helping hand in some way but we were turned down. Listen to this story.
Story: “The Flood Story”
During a severe flood in a Midwestern community, the water had covered the streets several feet deep.
A man was sitting on his porch, where the water was up to that level.
Two men came by in a rowboat, pulled over to his porch and said, “Hop in, Brother, we’ll take you to safety.”
He replied, “Not me, thanks, the Lord will help me.”
The water continued to rise to the level of his porch roof, where he was perched.
Two men came by in a motorboat.
They pulled over to his porch roof and said, “Hop in, Brother, we’ll take you to safety.”
He replied, “Not me, thank you. The Lord will help me.”
The water rose to the roof of his house, and he was sitting up there when a helicopter came by.
The pilot hovered above and let down a rope ladder.
“Climb in, Brother, and we’ll take you to safety.”
The man answered, “Not me, thank you. The Lord will help me.”
The water continued to rise and the man drowned.
When he got to heaven, he spoke to the Lord.
The man said, “I’ve always gone to church, read my bible, given my tithe, and said my prayers. There I was in great need of your help. Where were you when I needed you?”
The Lord replied, “Where was I? I sent you two boats and a helicopter. What more do you want?”
The man had failed to realize that when God touches people he takes the nearest willing hand (or rowboat or helicopter) and uses that.
Author unknown
Then Jesus said, “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion” (Luke 10:33). Here is a Samaritan who sees the wounded man and steps in to lend a helping hand.
Remember the man was a Jew and the Jews did not have anything to do with the Samaritans. When Jesus was talking to the woman of Samaria the woman said to Him, “How is that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (John 4:9) For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
If any of the three had reason to pass by on the other side of the road it should have been the Samaritan. This Samaritan was different. He had compassion and love in his heart.
His compassion and his love led him to care for the wounded man. He did not consider it an inconvenience of his time or effort. The Samaritan denied himself of time, effort and money to take care of the wounded Jew.
Jesus said, “The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him” (Luke 10:35). The Samaritan considered the Jew his neighbor and it was his duty to show his love by taking care of his needs.
“On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you’” (Luke 10:35). One denarii was one day’s wages and the Samaritan left two denarii with the innkeeper.
How many people today would give up two days wages to someone they did not even know? If they did give up two days wages, how many people would be willing to give up more if needed?
This was not a problem or an issue with the Samaritan. He considered the stranger or the wounded man his neighbor who was in need of help and through compassion and love fulfilled that need.
After Jesus finished the story, he asked the lawyer this question: “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” (Luke 10:36).
The lawyer responded with the words, “He who showed mercy on him” (Luke 10:37).
I believe the real question should not be “Who is my neighbor? The real question is “Am I a neighbor?”
A person who claims to be a Christian will have the love of God within him and will show love and compassion to any of God’s children in need.
Story: “The Secret of Our Power to Love”
Legend has it that a wealthy merchant traveling through the Mediterranean world looking for the distinguished Pharisee, Paul, but met Timothy, who arranged a visit.
Paul was, at the time, a prisoner in Rome.
Stepping inside the cell, the merchant was surprised to find a rather old man, physically frail, but whose serenity and magnetism challenged the visitor.
They talked for hours.
Finally the merchant left with Paul’s blessing. Outside the prison, the concerned man inquired, “What is the secret of this man’s power? I have never seen anything like it before.”
“Did you not guess?” replied Timothy. “Paul is in love.”
The merchant looked bewildered. “In Love?”
“Yes,” Timothy answered, “Paul is in love with Jesus Christ.”
The merchant looked even more bewildered. “Is that all?”
Smiling, Timothy replied, “Sir that is everything.”
Author unknown
The Samaritan set a splendid example for all mankind.
He put into action the words of Almighty God.
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and your neighbor as yourself.’”
Jesus said, “Do this and you will live” (Luke 10:28)
Amen.
