Global GospelSample

Who Is My Neighbor?

When Jesus affirms the Great Commandment to love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbor as ourselves, an expert in the law presses him further, asking, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). His question sets the stage for the parable of the Good Samaritan.

In the story a man is attacked and left for dead on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. A priest and a Levite—both respected religious figures—see him, but they pass by on the other side. Their reasons are unstated. It could have been fear, ritual concerns, or the risk of being delayed. Whatever the cause, their inaction stands in contrast to the Samaritan man who came next.

The Samaritan was not simply a stranger—he was part of a group viewed with deep suspicion and hostility by Jews in Jesus’s day. Yet he was the one who stopped, tended to the man’s wounds, provided transportation, and paid for his continued care. His mercy is not just a warm feeling; it is a concrete act of help.

Jesus ends with a question of his own: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert answers correctly, saying, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus’s command is simple and active: “Go and do likewise.”

He turns the original question on its head. Instead of asking who qualifies as our neighbor—a question that can lead to drawing lines and setting limits—Jesus invites us to become neighbors ourselves. A neighbor is not merely someone who lives close by, shares our background, or holds our beliefs. A neighbor moves toward need with compassion, even when it costs time, energy, or resources.

Following Jesus means choosing to be the kind of people who notice, stop, and respond—people whose default posture is mercy, living in such a way that others can rely on us for help, encouragement, and care when the moment comes.

Reflection Question

What step could you take this week to live as a good neighbor to someone God has placed in your path?

Prayer

Lord, help me to see the people around me as you do, and to respond with mercy when you provide the opportunity. Shape my life so that being a neighbor is my natural response. Amen.