But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Luke 10:29 (NIV)
We all have our own comfort zone, which we call our private space, we don’t want anyone trying to come in and disrupt our comfort. Many people in a neighborhood don’t know all of their neighbors. They are more open to certain social, religious, and political groups than others. This sometimes causes them to get stuck in their comfort zone, especially when they are new to a neighborhood. How can we truly love our neighbors as Jesus taught if we avoid opening up to them. Sometimes, if we do, we don’t even know their names.
When the lawyer asked Jesus who his neighbor was, notice the answer He gave him. Instead of giving him a simple answer to satisfy him, Jesus told him the story of the Good Samaritan, a member of a religious group that was despised by the Jews. When all the other religious leaders in the Jewish community passed by a man who had been beaten and left for dead on the side of the road, the Samaritan stopped and helped the man he didn’t know at all.
Jesus’ response to the lawyer challenges us to know what love really is and how to love those around us. The good Samaritan could have simply said, “I don’t know this man” and walked away. But instead, he chose to help him. He bandaged his wounds and took him to a place where he could be cared for. The Samaritan even asked to pay the extra costs. As Jesus tries to make clear to the lawyer, it is not the one you love who is your neighbor. Rather, your neighbor is the one you meet on your journey who needs your help and to whom you must extend your support.
May the grace and peace of God be with you all.
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