Who is my neighbor? That isn’t always an easy question to answer. An neighbor is one that my life is connected to in some way. Whether it be a short encounter or a relationship of long term. It can be our courtesy to a fellow traveler on the highway. It could be a server at a restaurant, or a maintenance provider that comes to work on our home.
We usually think of a neighbor as one who lives beside us or in our neighborhood or a near co-worker who we see almost every day. To be sure, getting along with those near us is a plus for both, but what about a time our neighbors needs might cost us time and energy to meet that need? Perhaps a grave financial need or physical needs has occurred that they cannot possibly meet and to help them out would disturb our comfort zone considerably. How do we define neighbor then? This is the dilemma that causes failure in all kinds of relationships. This is why marriages fail, friendships sever, or even business fail. Someone begins to make demands that another cannot or will not provide,.
The Bible actually defines a neighbor as the person whose need you see and are able to meet (Luke 10:29-39)
The story is told of a learned religious leader who wanted to test Jesus and ask him,”
What must I do to earn eternal life?
His answer: 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 your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus told him he had answered correctly.then added, “Do this and you will live.”
But that didn’t satisfy the expert in the holy law. So he ask, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus then told the story of a man making a journey from Jerusalem to Jericho, this was a rocky way, lined with caves that made good hideouts for robbers and bandits. This traveler had met up with those and lay beaten near death by the road side. A priest traveling by saw him, but passed by on the other side, hurrying along his way, A Levite, also a man of religious conscience, chose to do the same, but a Samaritan, a common ordinary traveler, when he saw the victim, stopped, bandaged his wounds, then put him on his own animal and took him to the nearest inn and gave them money for his care. He also promised to pay any addition cost needed when he returned. Then Jesus asked the expert in the law,
“Which of these, do you think, proved to be a neighbor?”
The one that showed mercy to the man.” the expert replied.
“Go and do likewise.” was Jesus’ reply,
This is where we often fail; this is the hard part. It seems much easier to rationalize our way to take an easier path than to bear the burden of helping one in need which might jar our comfort zone a bit. But we are told that this is essential and our Christian duty. Of course the story is better known as The Good Samaritan. It’s a potent illustration that requires serious consideration. So how do we measure up? Do we pass the test?


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