Who is Our Neighbour? 
The Parable of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37)

If I were to ask you about your neighbours, you'd probably mention the family living next door, or perhaps the family across the street or down the street. But have you ever wondered, how far down the street do you go before you can say, "I know that family, but they're not my neighbour? What defines the boundaries of a neighbourhood and who exactly is our neighbour?

These questions may seem trivial, but they have significant implications in our lives. In fact, one of the most famous incidents in the ministry of Christ revolves around a similar question posed by the 1st century equivalent of a laywer. This question led to a discussion about the concept of a neighbours, and Jesus responded with the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan. Let's revisit this famous story today.

The Parable of the Good Samarita.

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 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 neighbour as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”

30 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. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 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. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] 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.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

In the opening verse a lawyer tests Jesus by asking him, what he should do to have eternal life?" Jesus, in response prompted him to say what was written in the law about such things. The lawyer correctly answered that one should love the Lord with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind, and love their neighbour as themselves. Jesus affirmed this response, urging him to live accordingly.

However, seeking to test the limits of this attitude the lawyer then asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbour?" This question prompted Jesus to share this famous parable. 

In the story, a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho falls victim to thieves, leaving him half-dead. A priest and a Levite passed by without aiding him, but a Samaritan, often considered an outsider, showed compassion.

The Samaritan tended to the wounded man, took him to an inn, and ensured his care, even offering to cover the expenses.

After recounting the parable, Jesus posed a question to the lawyer: "Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to him who fell among the thieves?" The lawyer replied, "He who showed mercy on him." Jesus then instructed him to go and do likewise.

In this passage, we have two key questions to answer. 

"What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 

And Who is my neighbour?

In understanding these questions, we see that the lawyer's initial question about eternal life may have been synonymous with entering the Kingdom. This encounter serves as a reminder that our motives matter, and true understanding goes beyond merely seeking information.

In the context of this passage, the lawyer's initial question about eternal life might encompass both entering and inheriting the Kingdom. It seems that Jesus attempted to address both aspects of this question, but the lawyer, perhaps, failed to grasp the depth of the response as we shall see.

First in verse 26, Jesus directs the lawyer to consider what is written in the law, not as a means to salvation but to reveal his need for a saviour. The lawyer has less-than-pure motives, answers with the correct theological response. Drawing from scripture verses like Deuteronomy 6 and Leviticus 19. 

Despite the lawyer's seemingly correct answer, the heart of the matter lies not in theological prowess but in recognizing the need for salvation.

The lawyer's question in verse 27 leads to Jesus agreeing with his quotation about loving God and loving you neighbour as oneself. 
If the lawyer genuinely sought information about entering the Kingdom, he might have recognised the impossibility of fulfilling these commandments completely. Jesus, through this interaction, subtly exposes the lawyer's inability to keep this commandment and thereby his need of a saviour.

Verse 28 sees Jesus saying, "You have answered rightly; do this, and you will live." However, the lawyer, perhaps still focused on justifying himself, proceeds to the second question in verse 29: "Who then is my neighbour?" 

This query reveals the nuances of the lawyer's motives – testing Jesus initially, now seeking justification, and attempting to find loopholes in the commandment to love one's neighbour. By setting limit on who we might define as our neighbour.

The lawyer's question sets the stage for Jesus' response through the parable of the Good Samaritan, emphasizing the broader definition of a neighbour. In the following verses, Jesus narrates this story where a Samaritan, typically considered an outsider, displays true neighbourly love by helping a wounded man.

This man is ignored by the religious people and Jesus concludes by challenging the lawyer to consider who really acted as a neighbour in the story, prompting the response, "He who showed mercy on him." 

Jesus then tells him to, "Go and do likewise," reinforcing the call to love one's neighbour without boundaries.

This passage, rooted in the lawyer's questions and Jesus' responses, serves as a profound lesson on the nature of eternal life, the importance of recognizing one's sinfulness, and the expansive concept of God call on us to love others.

Despite commonly being referred to as a parable, some argue that this story might be a real event, given the dangers of the road from Jerusalem to Jericho during that time. It was a treacherous journey often plagued by robbers, making this narrative a probable reflection of a recent occurrence.

The man in the story was likely Jewish, descending from Jerusalem to Jericho, possibly a priest returning home, some say. His solitary journey made him an easy target, evident in verse 30 when he falls among thieves who strip him of his clothing, beat him, and leave him half dead. This unfortunate event sets the stage for the moral lesson Jesus intends to convey.

Jesus introduces a priest who, by chance, happens upon the wounded man. The use of "by chance" is noteworthy, urging us to consider the priest's response. One can imagine various thoughts crossing the priest's mind – perhaps a desire to rush home after a hard and long days religious activity, fear of falling victim to robbers himself.

The perilous road from Jerusalem to Jericho is described as notoriously dangerous and infested with robbers. The descent of 3600 feet from the mountainous Jerusalem to the valley where Jericho is situated made it an ideal setting for thieves to prey on travellers. 

Historical accounts, even into the 20th century, attest to the ongoing dangers of this route.

The priest opts to pass by on the other side, neglecting the injured man. Here, Jesus subtly introduces the tension between religious obligations and compassionate action. 

The priest, might also have feared ritual contamination and avoids helping the wounded man, illustrating a stark contrast between religious duty and true neighbourly love.

Now, in verse 32, a Levite, a likely assistant to the priest, arrives at the scene, looks at the wounded man, but similarly decides to pass by on the other side. The Levite's actions mirror those of the priest, possibly driven by similar concerns about ritual purity or personal safety.

In the next section we see the actions of another passerby and the unexpected hero of the story, the Samaritan. Jesus deliberately employs this narrative to challenge societal norms and redefine the concept of a neighbour.

This way he emphasizes compassion and selfless care beyond cultural and religious boundaries.

The choice of a Samaritan as the hero is intentional, given the historical animosity between Jews and Samaritans. The lawyer, being Jewish, would have felt the tension in making the despised Samaritan the compassionate figure.

The Samaritan's response is characterized by compassion. Not only does he attend to the man's wounds, but his actions extend beyond mere first aid—he goes the extra mile. Recognizing the injured man's inability to walk, the Samaritan places him on his own animal, likely a donkey, and transports him to an inn.

The mention of the inn is noteworthy, as travellers along the dangerous road often sought refuge in such establishments. 

The Samaritan takes personal responsibility for the injured man's care, spending the night with him at the inn. In a gesture of generosity, he provides the innkeeper with two denarii, covering the cost of the wounded man's stay. Importantly, the Samaritan commits to additional expenses, pledging to repay any further costs upon his return.

The contrast between the actions of the priest and the Levite and the Samaritan is stark. The religious leaders, symbolizing devotion and piety, but still they chose to avoid the wounded man, while the despised Samaritan exemplified true compassion and selfless care.

Jesus concludes the story, challenging the lawyer's preconceptions about who his neighbour really is. 

The lesson is clear: compassion knows no cultural or religious boundaries. The Samaritan, traditionally viewed as an outsider, becomes the model of a true neighbour by demonstrating genuine love and care for someone in need.

This timeless lesson echoes through history, prompting reflection on our own actions and attitudes towards those in distress. It encourages us to transcend biases and religious preconceptions, inspiring compassionate engagement with others, even when it requires going against societal norms.

In 1973 Princeton theological seminary conducted a research project in which students were told to prepare a sermon on the parable of the Good Samaritan to be presented to their fellow classmates the following week.

On the day of the presentation the Samaritans arrived at class to present their talk but when they arrived they were told that the meeting had been changed to the Chapel across campus and that they were to go there and make their presentation.

Meanwhile the researchers had enlisted the help of an actor to play the role of a person who had fallen ill and was in need of assistance and they placed him on the path between the class and the Chapel.

90% of the seminary students went on their way to Chapel ignoring the sick man in their haste to give their talk on the parable of the Good Samaritan.

One literally stepped over the victim as he hurried on his way.

So here, in this parable Jesus poses a real question at the end He asks the lawyer, "So which of these three do you think was a neighbour to him the injured man.

The shift in focus is crucial. Remember it was this lawyer who initially asked, "Who is my neighbour?" but Jesus redirects the question to emphasize, "Who proved to be a good neighbour?"

The lawyer is now faced with the dilemma of recognizing genuine neighbourliness, transcending cultural and religious boundaries., and in verse 37, he acknowledges, "He who showed mercy on him," thus avoiding a narrow legalistic definition and recognizing the Samaritan's compassionate actions.

The essence of the story becomes clear: a neighbour is not determined by proximity but by genuine love and mercy shown to those in need. 

The lawyer, caught between adherence to ceremonial laws and the command to love, recognises the truth and wisely chooses the latter.

The lesson is profound: a neighbour is anyone in need, and love transcends boundaries. The man questioning Jesus is challenged to extend his understanding of neighbourliness beyond the familiar and expected. 

Love is the defining factor that transforms any person into a neighbour, emphasizing immediate help to those in need.

Your neighbour Jesus tells us is anyone whose need you see and can meet. This distinction is crucial because there are instances where one may feel compassion but may not have the resources or ability to meet a particular need.

The Samaritan, equipped with the necessary provisions, time, and compassion, exemplifies this principle.

In conclusion, the neighbour is not confined to those who are familiar or friendly towards us but extends to those unknown or even unfriendly.

This story challenges preconceived notions and urges a broadened perspective on who qualifies as a neighbour. Love, demonstrated through tangible actions and meeting the needs of others, is the essence of true neighbourliness. 

Your neighbour may be someone who may appear in the most unattractive and unexpected way. There's nothing attractive about a man lying in a pool of blood by the side of the road. So, your neighbour may appear as unknown, unfriendly, and unlovely to you.

The definition of a neighbour has nothing to do with location the neighbourhood near your house geography the city in which you live or citizenship the country in which you live.

The concept of a neighbour is more than merely the man next door one the way Jesus defines neighbour now has three aspects to it.

Firstly, we must help people even when he's brought the trouble on themselves, gone down the road by himself, some people walk very danger paths, physical and spiritual in their lives but we should still be there to minister to them when the consequences of their actions kick in.

Number two any person of any nation who is in need is our neighbour our help must be as wide as the love of God. The help must be practical and not consist of mere feeling sorry.
Compassion to the real must mean meeting a need of some sort. 

You can meet it is feeding someone who's hungry it is assisting someone to find a place to sleep. It could even be equipping encouraging and helping someone find a job. It could mean coming to the aid of the broken hearted.

It is encouraging the discouraged it's ministering the spiritual and physical needs of anyone, because that is who Jesus has told us is our neighbour. 

Is anyone whose need you see you can meet is the definition embedded in this story.

Let me close by adding another couple of thought.

Compassion costs, there can be a high cost of caring. It will cost time energy and yes maybe even money.

But there is a higher cost to not getting involved as well. Because you lose the opportunity to become more Christ like. You lose the opportunity to grow in grace you lose the chance to make a difference in someone's life you lose the choice of being a good influence in an evil word.

So, one other observation this story really comes down to your perception, to your outlook, to the way you see any situation.

To the thieves the travelling Jew was a victim to exploit so they attacked him. To the priest and Levite, he was a nuisance to avoid so they ignored him.
But to the Samaritan he was an opportunity, he was a neighbour to love and to help.

So, if you want to really think through this passage the question you want to ask is not just, who is my neighbour, but who can I help?

Do you sometimes see people as problems or interruptions when we should really see them as those who have needs that you can meet, with the love of God.

So, I think probing this story to its spiritual depth we find it is really about how do you see people. Do you see them as a neighbour, because at the end of the parable Jesus didn't focus on the neighbour, he focused on being neighbourly.

So, the real question ultimately is how do you view yourself, and how do you see other people. Are they somebody in need, and if they are then you need to respond in mercy with compassion and help. 

So, I think it really comes how you see yourself maybe we need to change the way we look at ourselves and the world.

So, what I'm suggesting is simply this we need to think of ourselves less and see people and their needs and respond to them in love and grace and then you to my friend can be a not just a good Samaritan, but a truly good neighbour to those God has placed in your path.