By Roy Ciampa, Ph. D.
Armstrong Chair of Religion, Samford University
WHO IS YOUR NEIGHBOR?
Luke 10:25–37
What does God expect of us when it comes to addressing the needs of others? An expert in the law of Moses tested Jesus’ abilities as an interpreter of Scripture by asking what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus indicated the answer was found in the law of Moses and turned the tables on the man, asking how he interpreted what the Scriptures said about inheriting eternal life.
Love for others is tied to our love for God. (25–28)
The expert was a pretty good interpreter of the Scriptures after all. In his answer he combined the command to love God (Deut. 6:5) with the command to love our neighbors (Lev. 19:18). Jesus Himself indicated elsewhere these two commands together summarize the whole law (Matt. 22:37–40, Mark 12:29–31), and Jesus tells this expert he has understood the Scriptures correctly.
The command to love God with all one’s being was recited by faithful Jews twice each day and is clearly at the heart of all God’s commandments. Once one remembers God created and loves every person with His love as our Father, it becomes clear anyone who truly loves God must love those He created and loves (and so Leviticus 19:18 is an implication of Deuteronomy 6:5). Our love for God must be reflected in love for those He loves. To keep these two commands, to love God with all one’s being and one’s neighbor as oneself, is to keep all God’s commandments.
Love for others does not ignore them. (29–32)
This expert in the law reminds us even expert interpreters of the Bible can be tempted to interpret it in self-serving ways. He wanted “to justify himself,” hoping for a narrow interpretation of what was required by the command to love our neighbors. He probably hoped it only required loving people who are like us and close to us.
Jesus told a story about a man violently assaulted by robbers and left half dead on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Rather than helping him, a priest and a Levite went around him, leaving him there as they walked by him. These men were assumed to have a proper worship and love of God, but they did not consider the stranger on the road worthy of their time. They undoubtedly had some rationalization for leaving him there. Perhaps they were afraid and just wanted to get away from that area as soon as possible.
Love for others goes out of the way to help and support them. (33–37)
A Samaritan also approached the man. Samaritans were despised by most Jews and were thought to have a defective worship and love of God. Rather than avoiding the man, the Samaritan “had compassion” on him and generously gave time and resources. The Samaritan did everything he could to help the man. In fact he assumed indefinite responsibility for the man’s well-being.
Jesus’ question at the end, asking which of the people had proved to be a neighbor to the victim, transforms what it means to be a neighbor. A neighbor isn’t just someone who lives near us or is like us. Our neighbor is anyone in need we might encounter and be in a position to help through our time, efforts and resources. The Samaritan, identified as the “one who showed mercy,” was a neighbor to the man in need, while the priest and the Levite abandoned that role. Are there people God sees as our neighbors who we have rejected for that role, like the priest and the Levite?
God’s love compels us to reflect His love to others around us because the One who commanded us to love Him with all our being loves our neighbors more than we could ever possibly imagine. Jesus commands us to be like the Samaritan, to “go and do the same.”
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