“Who is my neighbor? “ (Luke 10:29)
THE QUESTION IN TODAY’S TEXT—“Who is my neighbor?”—was asked by a teacher of the law to Jesus as the Lord taught the multitude. The Lord answered him with the parable of the Good Samaritan.
On his way from Jerusalem to Jericho, a man was assaulted, savagely beaten, and abandoned by assailants. A priest who was passing by noticed the event but continued at a distance. The same thing happened with a Levite. Only a Samaritan stopped, took pity on him, bandaged his wounds, and took him to an inn to take care of him. Before he went on his way, he instructed the innkeeper to provide the injured person with everything he needed and charge it to his (the Samaritans) account.
Then the Lord returned the question back to the expert in the law, but with a “slight» change: “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? (Luke 10:36).
Do you notice the difference between this question and the one the teacher of the law originally asked? The Andrews Study Bible correctly points it out when it says that, with that question, Jesus “turns the lawyer’s original question, “Who is my neighbor?» into the more important question, “Am I a good neighbor? In other words, the teacher of the law wanted to know who should act as a neighbor toward him, but Jesus made him see the responsibility he had to be a neighbor to someone in need.
In the account, this neighbor had indisputably been the Samaritan; the only thing was that in answering the Lord’s question, the teacher of the law did not want to use the word “Samaritan.» He preferred to say, “He who showed mercy on him” (v. 37). “Go and do likewise,” Jesus reminded him.
That emphasis can almost be detected in the Lord’s words: “Do likewise.» “Whether it’s a Jew or a Samaritan, you do likewise.” Since then and forever, the question of the teacher of the law has been answered: You and I must be neighbors to every person who is in need of help. No matter what your race, your color, or your faith, we must extend our hand to everyone who needs us.
Today is a good day to remember that true compassion means action; doing something to relieve other people’s pain, no matter who the people are or where they come from. It is also a good day for you and me to ask ourselves the question: What kind of neighbor am I?
Dear Lord, I want to serve everyone who needs me today. regardless of race, color, or class. I wait to follow Your footsteps and thus glorify Your holy name.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
