Who is My Neighbor?

Jesus answers this question with a famous story ~ He shares about a man who “was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead” (Luke 10:30) A priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan all saw the man lying on the road in need of help, but only the Samaritan stopped to help him. 

Matthew Henry reflects, “He was slighted by those who should have been his friends, and was cared for by a stranger, a Samaritan, of the nation which the Jews most despised and detested, and would have no dealings with.”

While his own people deserted him, help came to this wounded man from a most unlikely source. 

This story suggests to us that anyone God puts on our path in life should be considered our neighbor.

Not just the folks we go to church with…

Not just the folks our kids play with…

Not just the people who live beside us…

Not just the people who look like, act like, talk like, and think like us….

Preparing Our Hearts to Love Our Neighbors

Whenever the children in my daughter’s class stopped listening to their teacher this past year, they had to sing this little song:

“My eyes are watching , My ears are listening ,

My hands and body are still, and my mouth is quiet (shh!)“

We will only notice our neighbors and their needs if we do a few things:

1) Keep Our Eyes Open – I’m sure that the Good Samaritan story plays itself out numerous times every day in this world and lots of people are so distracted they never see the person in need. Let’s keep our eyes open to the people around us. That might mean putting our smartphones away for awhile.

2) Keep Our Ears Open – When people talk to you, really look them in the eyes and listen to them. We live in a very distracted culture. Many of us are juggling several balls at once. I know I am often looking at my almost-two-year-old out of the corner of my eye just to make sure she doesn’t drown at the pool…and that’s okay! But I can still focus on what the person in front of me is saying.

3) Don’t Judge Them – As Matthew Henry says, we should love them “without regard to nation, party, or any other distinction.”

4) Ask Yourself, “What can I do?”and Then DO IT! – What is in your hand? You may be able to provide groceries or a meal to someone who is hungry. You may be able to open up your door (and schedule) to someone who needs a friend. You may be able to watch someone’s child to give them a much-needed break. Like Nike says, “Just do it.”

5) Pray for Them – Spiritual needs are just as important as practical needs. Praying for your neighbors – those whom God puts in your path each day – points them to the True Provider who can supply all their needs (spiritual, emotional, social, physical). 

How can you better recognize and meet the needs of those in need around you? What do you think “loving your neighbor” really looks like?

Image Credit: Love Colour by Thor