Love and Salvation: Love Your Neighbor (Luke 10:25-37)

A bible scholar approaches Jesus and asks Him what must be done to inherit “Eternal Life.” What must one do to be a part of the resurrection into God’s Kingdom blessings? Jesus, as He often does, responds to a question with a pair of questions. “What does the law say? How do you interpret it?” The lawyer answers in the way that Jesus would have. He summarizes the demands of the whole law into two commands,

“You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself.”

When Jesus affirms his answer, the expert asks a follow-up question. “Who is my neighbor?” How far does the demand of this law extend?

Religious people have always struggled with how much is enough. How much do I have to do to be good enough? The current vice president of the U.S. exemplified this recently when he tried to claim that Christianity teaches a hierarchy of loves that allows one to focus on one’s own people, family and friends, over strangers and foreigners. This was a misinterpretation of that concept. However, scripture as seen here clearly teaches differently.

Jesus proceeds to tell a story about a man who is robbed and left for dead. Potential neighbors appear and pass him by in his need. A priest (if told today the story would have a pastor, religious leader, or social justice warrior here) does not help. A Levite (lay church leader, community activist, or some other upstanding citizen) offer no help either. The story then anticipates a good person finally showing up. Someone like the man himself. Perhaps a good Jew, making the story an anti-religious one. However, it is a Samaritan that comes along next. This was the most hated of all peoples for a Jew. The most discriminated against type in a racist society. He helps.

He doesn’t just help. He dedicates time, energy, effort, risk, and money in helping. He sacrifices his safety, his provisions, his journey, and his money to help the stranger on the side of the road.

Jesus then asks, who was the neighbor to the man? The answer is obvious. If you want to love like the law requires, emulate the Samaritan. Don’t try to find the right sorts of people to love. Love those around you. Love those in need. Help where you are able, even if it costs you. Love and care for your neighbor as you should love and care for your own self.