1/8/19

An Answer To A Question From A Friend

Luke 10:29-37  

²⁹ But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. ³¹ And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion,³⁴ and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ ³⁶ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” ³⁷ And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

The question:  Who is my neighbor?

The question, vs 29, is answered rather subtly by Jesus.  Note vs 36.  He says you have three who are confronted with great need.  Two, with adequate reasons, do nothing.  One, with no external requirements, moves to satisfy the need.

Note these conditions of his help:

A.     He does this immediately without regard to himself.

B.     He continues his ministrations until the need is met.

C.     He meets the need without concern for his personal expense.

The answer is one of comparison.  Two who have a religious obligation to be merciful for they have been shown mercy are concerned only for themselves.  There is a conclusion here.  Being a neighbor reaches beyond self-concern.

When that is established the concern of the third man is considered. And the question is asked, when these three men are considered who gives us the answer to your question?

The answer is a neighbor is someone who thinks of others before himself.  He is considerate, self-sacrificing, fearless, and generous in his concern for others.

So the answer goes to the issue.  “What is love?” “What is “and your neighbor as yourself?”

The neighbor is one who knows how and does the deeds of love.