Chuck Foreman – Teaching Pastor
If I asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”, what kind of story would he make up for me? That’s what he did for the expert in the Law who wanted to justify himself. The custom story was what we have come to know as the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10) Jesus’ answer to the “Who is my neighbor?” question, was not one we would ever expect, let alone like.
You see, the guy the Samaritan stopped to rescue, beaten and bloody lying in the ditch beside the road, was a Jew, his enemy. He knew that had the roles been reversed, that Jewish man, would not have stopped to help him. Jesus’ point? Truly being a good neighbor, loving your neighbor as yourself, means loving the last person on earth who stop to help you. How often are we willing to do that?
I believe this story is a commentary on Jesus’ other teaching, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:16)
If you asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”, what kind of story would he make up for you? If you were the man lying in the ditch, who would your Good Samaritan be? Would you do the same for him/her?
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