Words of Light
Reflections on God's presence in our lives and world
Who’s Your Neighbor?
Posted by on January 17, 2012
The title of this post is a form of the question asked by a religious scholar to Jesus. The man first asks Jesus what he must to do inherit eternal life, to which Jesus returned with a question about how the scholar understood the way the Hebrew scriptures spoke to this question. He replies wisely: “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” (Luke 10:27). Jesus affirms his answer but adds something to it: “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live” (v 28). You know the right answer; now do the right thing, Jesus says. Love God and love my neighbor – easier said than done.
The lawyer retorts with another question, this time hoping to keep this radical love command tame, to limit the scope of whom he has to show love: “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus then tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, as we know it. And in the story he answer’s the man’s questions (perhaps our question as well) in a surprising way. Take a quick listen to Stephen Sizer’s excellent explication of Jesus’ point in the parable:
God cares about human rights? Of course! He created human beings, created them in his image, and he loves – even cherishes them – all of them. He wants all to be provided for, all to be protected. And here’s the kicker: he wants us to offer this provision and protection for one another. He wants us to offer this love and care, generosity and mercy, without condition, reservation, or qualification – to all.
So: who is my neighbor? That’s a long list, but we can sum it up with one word: everyone. Or perhaps a better word: each one. Each human being is your neighbor and mine. Will we love God with all that we are and all that we have by loving each and every neighbor – every human being – with the extravagant love God has shown towards us? Jesus’ words both challenge and console, provoke and promise:
“Do this, and you will live.”
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