Who is my neighbor? That’s a good question! It was asked of Jesus by an expert in Old Testament law. Unfortunately, this question and revealed the lawyer’s real motive (to test Jesus) and his profound ignorance about central issues of the faith—eternal life and the basic command to love one’s neighbor.
10:25 This expert in religious law was a man who had made it his business to know and understand the details of the Jewish religion. He had studied the Scriptures (the Old Testament—the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets). He also knew all the traditions. The fact that this man wanted to test Jesus does not necessarily indicate hostility. He wanted to know what he had to do to receive eternal life.
10:26-28 This expert in the law obviously would have known the law of Moses. In his answer, he quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. He correctly understood that the law demanded total devotion to God and love for one’s neighbor. To love God in this way is to fulfill completely all the commandments regarding one’s “vertical” relationship. But another command from the law says to love your neighbor. This refers to “horizontal” relationships—among people. A person cannot maintain a good vertical relationship with God without also caring for his or her neighbor. The word “neighbor” refers to fellow human beings in general.
The expert in the law had it right. Jesus explained that people only needed to obey these commands; in doing so, they would fulfill all the rest of them. But with these abrupt words, Jesus was subtly making the point that no one can obey these commands. Do this and you will live sounds simple—in reality, however, those commands are impossible to keep in our human strength alone. This would be the lifestyle of Kingdom people—but they would not have to “do” it in order to be saved. Instead, they would be saved and then enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey these impossible demands. Jesus would show this to the man in the following story.
10:29 The expert in the law would not leave the encounter there. He wanted to justify his actions. It is unclear if he wanted to justify the question he had asked by asking the teacher to delve deeper into the topic, or whether he wanted Jesus to give an answer that he could then say he had fulfilled. He may have been attempting to pin down and limit the law’s demand, thereby limiting his responsibility. So he pressed Jesus further, “And who is my neighbor?”
10:30 Jesus answered this legal expert by telling a story. The rest of his listeners could easily picture this Jewish man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. The distance was about seventeen miles on a road that was notoriously dangerous because it curved through rocky and desolate terrain with many hiding places for bandits. As the listeners may have anticipated, the man in this story, who was traveling alone, was attacked and left half dead.
10:31-32 Jesus told a story about three different people, also traveling alone on this road. This priest served in the Temple and probably offered sacrifices. The Temple assistant also served in the Temple. Both of these servants of God saw the man lying there, but both passed by without helping. Perhaps it was concern over defilement, for a Jew would become “unclean” if he came into contact with a dead body. This would render him unable to worship. The man on the road may have appeared dead, so they did not want to risk defilement if there was nothing they could do. Either way, they deliberately refused to help.
10:33-35 The next person to come along was a despised Samaritan. Jews hated Samaritans, so when Jesus introduced this Samaritan man into the story, the Jewish listeners would not have expected him to help a Jewish man. But in great detail, Jesus described all that the Samaritan did for this man. This Samaritan is pictured as understanding what it meant to help someone in need, to be a neighbor, regardless of racial tensions.
LIFE APPLICATION – GENEROSITY
In this story, the Samaritan was extremely generous, and Jesus highlighted his helpful actions. Generosity inspired by God does more than what’s expected. Extend yourself. When you see a job to do, go overboard. Do it to show just an ounce of what God’s care for you is like. Do it with all the joy God has put in your heart.
10:36-37 Having finished the story, Jesus asked the expert in the law who had been a neighbor to the wounded man. The legal expert had no choice but to answer that the one who showed him mercy—the Samaritan—had been the true “neighbor.” The Samaritan traveler and the Jewish man were far apart in distance and spiritual heritage, but the Samaritan had loved his neighbor far better than the hurt man’s own religious leaders. Jesus said that the legal expert had answered correctly and should go and do the same. Jesus taught that love is shown by action, that it must not be limited by its object, and that at times it is costly.
What is Jesus Teaching us?
- Scripture, says “Love my Neighbor as Myself”
- My Neighbor Includes Those Different than Me.
- Loving My Neighbor, will Cost Me.
I have found that I cannot love the way Jesus asks me to love without Him. My love runs low and runs out. I must depend on Jesus in my life to love. The first fruit of the Spirit is “love” Galatians 5:22. With Christ in my life and yours, and with the Holy Spirit producing love as a by product of this relationship; this is the only way to “love your neighbor as yourself”
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Read Along Daily Bible Reading: YouVersion (https://www.bible.com/organizations/370f8a6e-16bc-464f-8c43-0b7623fd2952)
Sources: Life Application Bible Commentary, Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary, Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary, Preaching the Word
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