WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
The question did not come from a seeker with tears in his eyes. It came from a lawyer, a man trained in the law of Moses, sharp in mind and confident in his standing. He rose to test Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered him with a question of His own, directing him back to the Word of God. The lawyer responded well, summarizing the heart of the law: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:25-27). Jesus told him plainly, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live” (Luke 10:28).
But then comes the turning point. Wanting to justify himself, the man asked, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). That question reveals the struggle of the human heart. We are often eager to love God in the abstract, but we want limits placed on love when it comes to people. We want definitions that protect us from inconvenience, discomfort, or costly compassion.
Jesus answered not with a definition, but with a story. A man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho fell among thieves. He was stripped, beaten, and left half dead. A priest came by, saw him, and passed on the other side. A Levite did the same. Then a Samaritan came, a man despised by the Jewish people, viewed as theologically corrupt and socially unclean. When he saw the wounded man, he was moved with compassion. He went to him, bound his wounds, poured on oil and wine, placed him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and paid for his care, promising to cover whatever more was needed (Luke 10:30-35).
Jesus then turned the question back on the lawyer: “Which of these three proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the thieves?” The lawyer could not even bring himself to say the word “Samaritan.” He answered, “The one who showed mercy on him.” Jesus replied with a command that still confronts us today: “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:36-37).
That is the context. Now comes the application.
Your neighbor is not only the person who looks like you, votes like you, worships like you, or agrees with you. The Republican is your neighbor. The Democrat is your neighbor. The conservative is your neighbor. The progressive is your neighbor. The immigrant is your neighbor. The citizen whose family has lived here for generations is your neighbor. The police officer is your neighbor. The protester is your neighbor. The wealthy businessman is your neighbor. The struggling single mother is your neighbor. The person who shares your theology is your neighbor, and the one who challenges it is also your neighbor.
Jesus did not ask us to approve of everyone’s ideas, choices, or actions. He did not call us to blur truth or abandon conviction. He called us to love. Love that sees a wounded soul and refuses to cross to the other side of the road. Love that costs time, energy, comfort, and pride. Love that does not ask first, “Are you on my side?” but asks, “How can I serve you?”
In our fractured moment, it is tempting to sort people into categories and justify coldness in the name of righteousness. But the kingdom of God does not run on tribal lines. The cross stands at the center of history as a declaration that Christ died for sinners, not for a political party, a nation, or a preferred class of people. While we were still enemies, Christ loved us and gave Himself for us (Romans 5:8, 10).
If we claim to follow Jesus, we do not get to choose who deserves our compassion. The command is not to win arguments, but to bear witness to Christ through mercy, truth, and love. We love those to the right of us and those to the left of us, not because we agree with them on everything, but because we belong to Jesus, and He has loved us first.
The question is no longer, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus has already answered that. The real question is whether we will go and do likewise.
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Lord Jesus, You showed mercy to us when we were wounded and helpless. Teach us to see others through Your eyes, to love without conditions, and to walk in truth shaped by grace. Give us hearts that do not pass by on the other side, but move toward others in compassion, for Your glory. Amen.
BDD
