Really, Who Is My Neighbour?

When we look at the world with all its chaos, people who stab others on their backs figuratively, and many other things, we then start to select those we can be nice to by creating justifiable criteria in doing so. But are we to have reasons for helping others?

A lawyer once asked Jesus who his neighbour was. In other words, how was he going to identify his neighbour? Even though the lawyer was testing Jesus, this question was and still is a very good question.

The lawyer asked Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life. And Jesus asked him what the law said about this matter. The lawyer then replied, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbour as yourself.’” (ref.: Luke 10:25-29).

In trying to justify himself, he then asked Jesus how he was to know his neighbours. This was because the law said he was to love his neighbour as himself.

Now, the funny thing is that to those who are under grace, we are not just to love our neighbours as ourselves, but we are to love our neighbours as Christ Jesus loved us (ref.: John 13:34). But the question still stands, ‘who are our neighbours?’

Jesus answered this question using the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Jews were what I would call, “racist” to the Samaritans. They considered them as half Jews, and to them they were unclean. They could not share the same bathroom with them, neither could they eat or do business with them. In short, they had no dealings with the Samaritans. So, if the Samaritans hated Jews, it would be understandable, based on how they were treated right?

According to Jesus, thieves attacked a man who was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. They beat him up, took his stuff and left him half dead.

Now, take note. Three people at different times took that road: a priest, a Levite and a Samaritan. I am placing an emphasis on the three people.

A priest took that road, saw the man and went his. Another time, a Levite took that road, saw the man and went his way. But when a Samaritan took that road and saw the man, he had compassion on the man and went to treat his wound, placed him on his donkey took him to a clinic and paid for his medical bill. Jesus then asked the lawyer which among the three was the beaten man’s neighbour. And the answer given was the man who had compassion for him.

The Samaritan had every reason to walk away just as the priest and Levite did. In fact, he was the most justified of the three to do so, but he didn’t. He wasn’t selective, neither was he biased. The Samaritan acted out what Jesus said we should do to our enemies, which is “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you” (ref.: Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31). He put himself in the beaten-up man’s shoes, to think that he would want someone to come to his aid in time of need. His is a moral code that Jesus expects from everyone.

You may not be able to afford much to come to someone’s aid, but the little you can do to help, do it. Do not look at judge the person before you help. They should be someone you know before you can render help.

The priest and Levite are lessons to the church and the leaders of the church to lead by example because the priest and Levite didn’t lead by example. And whatever the leader does, the followers tend to follow suit.

The parable of the Good Samaritan talks about compassion and mercy irrespective of the person. We should not forget that while we were still sinners Jesus died for us (ref.: Romans 5:8). This is a demonstration of love as we saw the Good Samaritan do. Love and mercy above personality. And remember, do unto others as you would want others to do unto you. Ask God for His strength to live and put love above all things because we know the world we live in.