POST 35: Being a True Neighbor
POST 35
Being a True Neighbor
We settle for the illusion of separation when we are endlessly asked to enter into kinship with all.
Gregory Boyle
At the start of this book, we said that Jesus was asked hundreds of questions. Sometimes in response to those questions, Jesus would tell a story.
Once, when asked about how to get eternal life, Jesus 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’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27 NIV). Caught off guard, the legal expert who questioned Jesus shot back, “And who is my neighbor?” (v. 29 NIV).
The way Jesus responded to this seemingly simple question was with a profound and meaningful story. You may have heard of this story before. It’s commonly known as “The Good Samaritan” (vv. 25–37), but this designation has its roots in deep prejudice. We could also call it “The True Neighbor.”
To fully appreciate the story of this Samaritan neighbor, it’s necessary to understand the history between Jews and Samaritans. Simply put, they were enemies. While both groups had a shared faith history, somewhere along the way they had veered away from one another. Jews looked down on Samaritans for being of mixed ethnicity: half-Jew and half-Gentile. Most Jews avoided Samaria at all costs and wouldn’t travel through there. They had political and cultural differences that seemed insurmountable to them, so they tried hard to ignore one another.
So you can imagine the surprise on the legal expert’s face when Jesus tells a story in which a Samaritan is the hero! A priest and a Levite, men of honor in the Jewish community, each passed by a Jewish man who had been beaten and robbed. Only the hated Samaritan stopped to help the man—going so far as to pay two days’ wages to ensure the man would be cared for.
The legal expert was forced to admit that the Samaritan was indeed good—that he had been a true neighbor to the man who was robbed.
Why Is This Important?
Jesus illustrates a point here—that everyone you meet is your neighbor. This means we all belong to one another. It doesn’t matter what labels the world may try to pin on someone; they are still your neighbor. It doesn’t matter what part of the city they live in, the type of music they listen to, or whether they like science or sports or comic books.
Every person you come in contact with is your neighbor, worthy of love, respect, and care.
Pastor Miles McPherson has said, “You should never put a label on anyone because you can’t love people above the label you give them. That’s why the only label you should give someone is ‘neighbor.’”
READING GOD’S WORD
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36–37 NIV)
All the Law has been fulfilled in a single statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Galatians 5:14)
REFLECT AND RESPOND
Journaling Questions
What does it mean to be a true neighbor to someone?
Who is someone you might not think of as your neighbor? How, if at all, does the story of the true neighbor change your perspective?
Pray This Prayer
God, you are good to give us neighbors and the opportunity to be neighbors to others. Just as the Samaritan neighbor in Jesus’ story sacrificially loved and cared for the Jewish man who was robbed, help me to do likewise. Remind me even in the most difficult circumstances that we belong to each other. In Jesus’ name, amen.
SOMETHING TO TRY
Make a list of five people who are your “neighbors.”
Next to their names write a way you can show them love.
Pray about an opportunity that is personalized and meaningful to each individual. Pay attention to their needs, and think about something that will make a significant impact.
THE TAKEAWAY
Everyone you meet, no matter who they are or where they come from, is your neighbor.