Who is your neighbor? Have you asked that question? Do you know your neighbor? Who do you consider your neighbor? Have you thought about it? Have you asked others who they consider to be their neighbors? Have you discussed this question in a group?
In our individualistic society, we don’t often think about our neighbor. We may not know our neighbor’s name. We may not view the stranger we encounter in the department store as our neighbor. We may not have any desire to know anyone other than family and close friends.
An expert in the law had been shamed by Jesus. He wanted to vindicate himself. He wanted to limit who he was required to love. He was hoping Jesus would tell him his neighbor was just those he chose to be his neighbor. Jesus did the opposite. Jesus effectively told him everyone was his neighbor, even his enemy.
I have preached on the Good Samaritan a couple times. It is one of my favorites. I like to have everyone put themselves in the shoes of each character in the story. Imagine being the person attacked by the robbers and left for dead. Imagine being the priest walked on the other side of the road to avoid being made unclean. Imagine being the Levite who did the same. Imagine being the Samaritan who stopped to help.
To drive the point home, I like to imagine each character being in the crowd Jesus is telling the story to and Jesus looking directly at them when He states what they did. How did each of them feel? Were the priest and Levite shamed? Did the Jewish man who was helped change his mind about Samaritans? Think about that. How would you feel if you were one of them?
I pray we all think about how we might feel if we were one of the characters. I pray we think about the Good Samaritan. I pray each one of us consider everyone to be our neighbor. Consider each character. Consider being injured. Consider helping. View everyone as your neighbor.
Luke 10:29 But wanting to vindicate himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Marty Pressey 