Luke 10:28-36: a reflection

28He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.” 29But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” 30Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, 34came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’ 36Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?”

When a lawyer, seeking to justify himself, asks Jesus, Who is my neighbor?, Jesus answers with the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man is beaten by robbers and left half dead. A priest and a Levite, religious men, see him and pass by on the other side. But a Samaritan, a member of a despised group, hostile to the Jews, sees him and is moved with compassion; he binds the man's wounds, sets him on his own animal, brings him to an inn, and pays for his care. The despised outsider, not the religious insiders, proved to be the true neighbor.

Notice how Jesus reframes the question. The lawyer asked, Who is my neighbor?, wanting to define the limits of his obligation, who counts as a neighbor he must love. Jesus reframes it: not who qualifies as my neighbor, but be a neighbor to whoever is in need, even across the barriers of hostility and difference, as the Samaritan did to the wounded stranger. The question is not who deserves my love, but whether I will be a neighbor, showing costly, practical compassion to whoever is in need before me.

That parable presses us toward a practical, boundary-crossing love. It is easy to limit our compassion to those like us, those we approve of, those within our circle, and to pass by, like the priest and Levite, those who are different or inconvenient. But Jesus calls us to be a neighbor, like the Samaritan, showing costly, practical compassion to whoever is in need, even across barriers of hostility, difference, and inconvenience. Do not ask who qualifies as your neighbor. Be a neighbor. When you see someone in need, do not pass by; show them the costly, practical mercy the Samaritan showed, crossing whatever barriers stand in the way. Go, and do likewise.

Lord Jesus, when asked who is my neighbor, you told of the Good Samaritan, who crossed barriers of hostility to show costly, practical compassion to a wounded stranger, while the religious men passed by. Reframe my question. Keep me from asking who qualifies as my neighbor, seeking to limit my obligation to love. Help me instead to be a neighbor, like the Samaritan, showing mercy to whoever is in need before me, even across barriers of difference, hostility, and inconvenience. It is easy to limit my compassion to those like me and to pass by those who are different or inconvenient. But you call me to be a neighbor to whoever is in need. When I see someone hurting, help me not to pass by, but to show them costly, practical mercy. Give me the compassion of the Samaritan, and help me go and do likewise.