Who is my Neighbor?

He answered, “You shall 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.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:27-29

The parable of the Good Samaritan is well known not only within the church but in our broader culture as well. As any Seinfield fan can tell you the series ends when Jerry and friends are arreated for breaking the "good samaritan law" which requires bystanders to help someone in need. Like Jerry, many of us turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the needs around us, asking "who is my neighbor anyway"

The Pharisee, after Jesus turns his question back on him, tries to save face by asking Jesus who exactly should be considered a neighbor. Jesus of course responds with the well known parable that points out the hypocrisy of the religious elites and the goodness of the samaritan. What strikes me today is not Jesus' response but the pharisee's question. He wants to know who is neighbor is not so that he can go out and serve, but so he knows who he doesn't have to serve.

The question of: "well who is my neighbor anyway" suggests that he is looking to do the least amount possible. The question is looking for an answer which limits and qualifies his moral responsibility to care for the needs of others. Jesus' response is that we must help all people, everyone is a neighbor because everyone is a child of God. Everyone counts!

The parable concludes with a samaritan performing acts of love and compassion for a Jewish man. In others words, the ultimate non-neighbor in Jewish culture turns out to be the most neighborly. Because he showed mercy and compassion and love, the samaritan proved to be a neighbor, while the priest and the levite do nothing.

For us the question is whether we are more like the samaritan or the levite and priest. Do we look for ways to serve others or do we fail to even see the needs around us? Who are we showing mercy to? Who needs care, love, and compassion in our lives? Would we be praised by Jesus for our acts of kindness or arrested for standing by while others suffer?