Neighbor?

“He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

~Luke 10:27 HCSB

The teachers of the law wanted to test Jesus when he asked him, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  The teacher of the law answered back with the verse above.  Jesus was impressed by his answer and tells him to go and do what he said and he would live.  But the teacher of the law wasn’t finished, he wanted to justify his actions and pressed the question “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus tells him the parable of the “good” Samaritan, and tells him to go and show mercy in the same way. 

Who is my neighbor?  The Samaritan’s where hated by the Israelites.  They were a mix of people both Gentile and Jewish.  They lived in the area between Galilee and Judea.  Jewish people would take the long way around Samaria to avoid them.  Jesus used a Samaritan in the parable as the person who helps the man robbed and left for dead is profound.  In the parable the man left for dead.  A priest and Levite passed him, in fact they went to the other side of the road in a effort to avoid him.  So the man least likely to help him did.  The very person who was treated the worst did the most.  Back to the question “Who is your neighbor?”  Your neighbor is everyone.  Your neighbor isn’t just the people living next to you, but is the one you don’t want to talk to.  It is people everywhere, even your enemies.   The message of the gospel isn’t for a selected few, who we think is worthy.  The gospel is for every person.  As Christians we are used by God to share His love, mercy and grace.  We don’t save anyone.   God does the drawing and the saving, we are his couriers.  We carry the good news and we are to proclaim Christ to everyone, everywhere!

Lord help me to be like the Samaritan.  Who didn’t pass by someone in need, but helped.  Give me a heart for all people, to share you with everyone.  Lord thank you for your love and forgiveness.  Thank you for Jesus Christ, Amen.