But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Luke 10:29 (ESV)
Here is a lawyer who has asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Not because he was sincere in his question, but for the sole reason to test Jesus. He was seeking to put Jesus to the test and determine if he had the right doctrine and religious understanding. Jesus answers the lawyer by asking him to provide a summary of the law, which the lawyer easily does by restating the phrase to love God and love people. Jesus simple answer in response is then, “do this.” This response cut the lawyer deeply, as he was obviously not living up to this standard. We see this in his next question to Jesus, where he asks for further understanding of who was his neighbor. It is a seemingly innocent question on the surface, but it is a question that reveals the true bent of the lawyer’s heart. He was obviously excluding some people from his list of neighbors and wanted Jesus to clarify and justify his list.
This interaction with Jesus speaks volumes not only about the heart and mindset of the lawyer but of my own heart and mindset. It is rather easy to go through life picking and choosing who is my neighbor. I want my neighbor to be the ones that I choose. I can readily see and acknowledge the neighbors that I like and get along with. These neighbors are the ones where I need no help from Jesus to remind me. Where I need help is in the same place the lawyer needed help. Those people that I consider “others” are the ones I forget are my neighbors.
Who are these others? They are the people that I find so difficult to get along with. People who live their life 180 degrees in opposition to me. People who dislike what I enjoy and enjoy what I dislike. People who believe and place their faith in what I consider wrong. People who hate me. People who hate Jesus. People who have vowed to destroy all that is good in this world. Are these not my neighbor as well?
When Jesus gives the story of the good Samaritan to the lawyer, what is the point he is making? It is that the one who loved his neighbor is the one who showed mercy. Mercy is to be shown to everyone. Jesus is calling me to be compassionate and merciful to the “others” that he brings into my life. At that time, this was a radical and foreign concept to the lawyer and those listening, and it is still so today.
Our world is filled with the understanding that you love your “tribe” and you hate the “other tribes.” We are taught that mercy is to be shown to those you care for, but is to be withheld from your enemy. Even in the church, we shun and ostracize those that falter and fail in their walk. We often leave no room for repentance and mercy.
This word from Jesus to me is to go and do likewise. To go among the “others,” my neighbors, and show mercy. Why? If I am loving the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, then I have no other desire than to show mercy to my neighbor. That is the definition of loving God with all my being. His mercy extends to all people. There is not one person on this planet that has ever lived or will ever live that is beyond the mercy and grace of my loving Father. Jesus loved all. Jesus engaged with all. Jesus showed mercy to all. When I was an enemy of Christ, Jesus had mercy on me and saved me. His call is for me to extend this same mercy to others. Because in so doing, I show them Jesus. And it is in Jesus alone that they will find true mercy and forgiveness. True healing. Then my neighbor, my “other,” will become my brother and sister, and we will worship Jesus together as one family.