Like A Good Neighbor
Luke 10:25-37
Introduction
In a 2011 commercial, a wife found her husband on the phone at 3 am. When she asked who he was talking to, he said, “Jake from State Farm.” She sarcastically grabbed the phone and asked, “What are you wearing, Jake from State Farm?” At which time, real-life State Farm agent Jake Stone said, “Uh… Khakis”. Since 2020, Jake is now played by actor Kevin Miles. The recognizable commercials feature the slogan “Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is there.” State Farm has used that slogan since 1971. It was part of a jingle written for the company by Barry Manilow. Ok, now that you are ready for trivia night with all that pop culture info… “Like a Good Neighbor” fits in very well with our text for today. What does it mean to be a good neighbor?
Our text begins with a question that was meant to test Jesus, as the Jewish leaders were constantly trying to find some way to discredit him. Also layered in this question is a desire the lawyer had to “justify himself.” This is not a genuine question but one with hidden motives - except Jesus can see them! (Luke 10:25-37)
Luke 10:25-37, NIV
On one occasion, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
One writer said the parable of the Good Samaritan “is one of the most gripping that Jesus ever told…. it has won its way into the heart of humanity as none other…” (Chappell). Though this is a simple story, it has many layers.
What is Jesus teaching us about being a good neighbor? The Samaritan is not called “good”! Nobody in Jesus’s entourage would call him that! We label him as ‘good’ because of his actions. When Jesus said a Samaritan was coming along, it was the natural inclination to think that he was a crummy person no one would want to be around.
What does Jesus teach us about being a good neighbor in this parable?
1. Being a Good Neighbor: Love Others Beyond Our Prejudices
A Samaritan reaches over cultural boundaries to help a Jew. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was known to be a dangerous road. This man was wounded physically - attacked, stripped, beaten, left half dead. Craddock: “The story offers an example of acting in love which is without preference or partiality and which expects nothing in return.”
Daryl Bock informs, "An ancient Jewish book of wisdom, Sirach 12:1 - 4, tells its readers to not help a sinner. Thus, the lawyer’s question is really an attempt to create a distinction, arguing that some people are neighbors and others are not and that one’s responsibility is only to love God’s people. The suggestion that some people are “non-neighbors” is what Jesus responds to in his story.
-There are no “non-neighbors”.
-This includes those we might categorize as “enemies”
-We should love/help even those who may not treat us well.
2. Being a Good Neighbor: Rejects Indifference and Excuses
The priest may have been on his way home from service in the temple. We are not given an explanation for his passing by.
The Levites were not as high ranking as priests, but they were privileged. It seems he actually went up close to the man to see him, then passed by.
The priest and Levite avoid the beaten man, a fellow Jew. Maybe they didn’t want to be ceremonially unclean. Maybe they thought he was dead. Maybe they had someplace they had to be. Maybe they knew this was an extremely dangerous road: to stop and help him would put themselves in danger. They had developed the art of ‘Looking Away’.
The Samaritan (James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven on the Samaritans?). Instead of passing by, he applied ancient first aid. A Good Neighbor would not let busyness, fear, or prejudice stop them from doing what is right.
3. Being a Good Neighbor is Costly
The Samaritan used his own time, resources, and money to care for the injured man.
Loving others often requires personal sacrifice and reflects God’s love.
4. Being a Good Neighbor is What Jesus Wants Us to Do! (37)
*Go with your eyes open: Love sees the wounded.
-Wounded economically - struggling with a lack of finances
-Wounded in body - Health has given way to sickness.
-Wounded in spiritual life - having left our focus on the Lord and His word and family. ?
-Wounds that come from wrong choices.
-Wounds evident to all / wounds that are hidden.
Know that God will place people in your path!
-Be open to new faces!
-Be observant of the needs of others.
-Be a good listener.
*Go with your heart willing
The Samaritan moved into action. No doubt the Samaritan, Priest and Levite were all carrying wine and oil. None of them were medically trained. All of them were on a journey somewhere else. All the Samaritan had that the others didn’t was a compassion that moved him to action. What became of man who was wounded? We do not know. All of us likely have felt the guilt of passing by someone who may need help. Whenever we do reach out to love and help, it changes the course of our day and resources- and it may change someone else's life. We all use our best judgment to help those who are truly in need in the name of Jesus.
*Go with your hands busy
The Samaritan didn’t just feel sorry for the injured man; he took action to help. Love and compassion are demonstrated through tangible acts of service and sacrifice. 1 John 3:17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
*Go in the name of Jesus
The priest and Levite were religious leaders, yet they failed to love their neighbor.
Following God is not just about religious duties; it’s about loving and serving others.
Barclay: "Any man of any nation who is in need is our neighbor. Our help must be as wide as the love of God. …
Compassion, to be real compassion, must issue in deeds."
Conclusion
This story is shocking because the one who actually helped is one the Jewish listeners would have labeled a villain. Even forced to admit the Samaritan was the neighbor, he could not bring himself to utter that word, so he just said ‘the one who had mercy.'
Jesus ends by saying to the expert in the law: Go and do likewise.” We do not know if he does. Will We?
Fred Rogers was a gentle sweater-wearing host of Mr. Rogers's Neighborhood. He was a trained minister who was awarded over 40 honorary degrees. Rogers died in 2003, but one of his quotes that lives on is this: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
Jesus was asked a very pertinent question: Who is Your Neighbor? Don’t be distracted by considering “Who Is NOT My Neighbor?” If anyone can show us the way, it’s not Mr. Rogers … but Jesus!
Like a Good Neighbor, Christians are there!
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Questions for Discussion
1. What did the lawyer who approached Jesus want to accomplish?
2. When the lawyer answered Jesus’ question with the well-known Scripture about loving god and loving your neighbor as yourself, Jesus responded that this was correct. Then he added, “Do this and you will live.” What did Jesus mean by that statement?
3. Why did Jesus include a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan in this story? What did he accomplish in this cast?
4. The priest and Levite look away from the injured man. What dangers do we face by looking away from the hurting?
5. How easy is it to regard certain groups of people as “non-neighbors”? What can we do to prevent classifying people this way?
6. How would you clarify the difference between overlooking certain wounded people and being wise about how/whom we help?
7. How does this text clarify the difference between religious duty and Christian action?
8. What else did you want to talk about today?
