Who Is My Neighbor?

After World War Two the Allies helped former enemies Germany and Japan rebuild. The hatred did not last forever. Thanks in large part to Allied aid, former enemies became close friends and two of the world’s strongest economies were given life.

Let’s look at how even enemies can become good neighbors? Let’s examine the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 and see how it applies to us.

Who is My Neighbor?

Luke 10:25 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?”

How often do people come to us with feigned questions, setting a trap? Reporters do it to politicians often. Was this just another trap or a sincere question?

Luke 10:26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

How often do reporters tell people they didn’t answer the question? Do we always need to? Naive people may think that we do. Jesus felt no compulsion to answer, but asked another question.

Luke 10:27-28 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 actually gave a good answer. Most of us could give an answer like that, but is that all we need? Is there more?

Luke 10:29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Conservatives don’t want to hear that illegals are our neighbors. Liberals don’t want to hear that unborn babies are our neighbors. Neighbor literally means someone near but, Jesus explains neighbor as any person “irrespective of race or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet”.[1]

[1] https://biblehub.com/greek/4139.htm

A Despised Samaritan

Luke 10:30 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. 31 “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. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. 33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.

Religious fellow citizens ignored the man, but an enemy helped him. It’s a similar disappointment that we all find when confronting the disappointments of church life, where some people in the world seem to have better conduct than Christians. In the end we realize that only Jesus is completely faithful.

Luke 10:34 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. 35 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.’ 36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. 37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

We are saved by faith, but faith without works is dead, completely useless (James 2:18-26). Love is visible in action. We do good works because we love God and our neighbors. Good works are like a bright light on a lamp stand giving glory to God (Matthew 5:16).

Why is it that bad people sometimes do better than good people? That is the story of the Good Samaritan. When we speak out against sin, we ought to do so knowing that we have all failed. The Good Samaritan teaches us that, sometimes non-Christians do good and Christians don’t.

Salvation in Pictures

Origen said Adam is the injured man. The journey is to paradise. The robbers represent hostile powers. The priest and Levite are the law and the prophets. The Samaritan is how we treat Christ. The wounds are from disobedience. The donkey pictures Jesus carrying us to the church. The manager is the pastor, and like the Samaritan Jesus will return.

This parable does not encourage a naïve lack of caution in regard to our enemies. It does not say that we allow our enemies to live among us unchecked, nor allow a false religion in, nor allow Samaritan terrorists or criminals into our land, nor give arms to our enemies.

The law and prophets do not heal our wounds. But, a stranger that our world often considers to be an enemy can. Who are our despised Samaritans? Who would we find it most difficult to help? Jesus teaches us that who our neighbor is crosses all lines.