My Neighbor

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37

This familiar parable is recorded only by Luke, but seems to be universally known and is frequently taught as Christian principle. It is an impressive story. The "expert" in the Mosaic Law was attempting to entrap Jesus, as was a common practice among the scribes who watched Him. His question was: "what shall I Do?" Seeking self-justification. Thinking he had the goods, already.

Well, scribe, you know the Mosaic Law. Can you love God totally, with your entire being? No exceptions. No hesitation. No excuses. If you can do that, you're in.

We see once again that religion cannot meet the requirement of the Law. Religion cannot produce that kind of love. One cannot love whom one does not know. We can only know God the Father through God the Son. That kind of love comes from God Himself. "We love because He first loved us" (I John 4:18). God the Holy Spirit produces that love in those who are His. Then we are equipped to reflect God's own love back to Him and project God's unconditional love to others.

When I (humanity) lay wounded and dying in the ditch (from sin), in no position to even ask for help, the priest (representing religion) passed by on the other side. He is not my neighbor. The Levite (representing the Law) also avoided contact and went on his way. He, too, is not my neighbor. Religion is indifferent to my helplessness and the Law is incapable of helping. The Samaritan demonstrated God's grace to me, no questions asked; cleaned me up, tended my wounds and payed in full all my obligations. That kind of compassion reflects the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son. He's the neighbor who showed mercy. We who are His, BECAUSE we are His, can show that kind of mercy for our fellowman.

"The only way I can love my neighbor as myself is by having the love of God shed abroad in my heart, then I can love others with that same love." "The measure of our growth in grace is our attitude toward other people." Oswald Chambers

What must I DO? What the Law requires, only Jesus Christ has provided. For you, for me, for the scribe. "Christian living is not our living with Christ's help, it is Christ living His life in us" (J. E. Conant). We can appropriate the love of God, and share it with our fellowman, by one means only: by abiding IN CHRIST and allowing His mercy to flow through us.