Loving Your Neighbor
The parable of the Good Samaritan is probably Jesus' best known parable. It focuses on the questions "what does it mean to love my neighbor?" and "who is my neighbor?". In response, Jesus' offered an illustration in the form of a robbed and wounded outsider, on a steep and dangerous Jericho road, and the responses of three persons who came into contact with him. Ironically, this week, I found myself injured because of a bicycle accident on a steep road. Like the wounded man in Jesus' parable, I too was blessed to receive the help of a stranger who was passing by. I experienced the meaning of this parable in the most intimate and real way. I pray that as you study this scripture (Luke 10:25-37), that you too will experience the essence of the principle that Jesus is teaching us, in a very real and intimate way in your life.
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall 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.’ ” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” (Luke 20:25-28) No matter how intelligent or knowledgeable we think we are, we need to remember that true wisdom comes from God. This teacher of the Mosaic Law approaches Jesus to "test" Him, but he ends up being schooled instead. Jesus asks him to cite the relevant law that would lead to eternal life and then Jesus challenges him to live out the law in his own life. Jesus challenges each of us to live out the overarching law of love through our own lives.
But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 20:29) Here, this legal scholar piles the error of his vanity on top of his error of arrogance and his sense of superiority by pressing Jesus further. He attempts to shift the focus away from what Jesus has told him to do, to who Jesus defines as a "neighbor". It is difficult for us to embrace and live out Jesus' teaching on love. We try to equivocate about who we should show love to, and want to target our love to small circles of acquaintances or people we feel comfortable with. As followers of Jesus, we are called to let go of our "justifications" for who we love and don't love.
Then Jesus answered and said: “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. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he 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. 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.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:30-37) Jesus' parable begins with a man who was robbed and lay dying, in need of help to save his life. 3 differnt men encountered him at separate times, but only one stopped to help him. The other two had their justifications for why they couldn't help. But the one who did stop, showed mercy and personally sacrificed to save the man who would otherwise have surely died. Jesus lets us know that real love is willing to extend itself beyond boundaries. It is willing to sacrifice to save others.
Jesus' parable was intended to teach His followers that they must be willing to embrace and put into action, the principle of Godly love. Jesus showed himself to be different from the Jewish religious leaders who were too pious and ritualistic to be of help in saving anyone. Jesus showed Himself to be the only one who is compassionately driven by love to save us. We were robbed of life by satan and left dying in this world. Jesus sacrificed for us, provided us with spiritual healing, and paid all of the debt that was owed to give us the opportunity for renewed life. He is our Good Samaritan. He is our Good Shepherd. Thank God, that Jesus didn't consider heaven to be too far away... to consider me His neighbor!
Blessings,
Rev. Glenn
