“Who is my neighbor?”

Luke 10:25-37

Life lessons are wonderful and sometimes very costly, even painful, and we have all had our share of them with age.  Jesus’ encounter with a lawyer, brought to mind an encounter I also had with one in Houston, Texas.  We moved into a new neighborhood where the developer and his family had been killed in a helicopter accident, and the silent partner, a savings and loan company became the developer and their actions brought about bankruptcy to the the development.  Only ten houses in a 500-house project were built and three million in bonds at 15% were coming due and with no way to pay, so we looked at being the first municipality in the Houston area to declare bankruptcy.  And that is when a big Law firm offered to do Pro bono work for us.  Let me state it was a bought lesson, never trust a lawyer who calls you and wants to help, they also represented the bond industry and forgot to share small tidbit that with us.

This lawyer also was not honorable, in that his agenda was not to learn but trip-up Jesus.  His question; “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied; “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” Now this is going to blow your doors off, the lawyer 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.”  Jesus replied; “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

But the poor thing was still wanting to make his case an asked this question; “Who is my neighbor?”  Are you glad he asks that question, for I’ve wrestled with it for much of my life in Christ?  Jesus tells a story we have come to know as the Good Samaritan.  This is that story: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii3 and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”  And now the lawyer has the facts and answers; “The one who showed him mercy” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” 

The answer I have come to understand, and my LORD has made clear it’s whomever I encounter they are my neighbors.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice