Who Is My Neighbor

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

You can’t choose your neighbor. They can be any religion, any race, or any nationality. You may notice that Jesus didn’t say love your friends, family, or fellow church members. Luke records this event and tells us that the Pharisee trying to justify himself asks, “Who is my neighbor?” Perhaps a closer look at the word can help him. It comes from two old words, “nae” meaning near and “buer” meaning dwell or residing. The Greek word used is “plesion” which is a derivative of a word meaning “near”. Literally anyone near us is our neighbor.

Jesus responds to the Pharisee by telling the story of the Samaritan. The example Christ used of a neighbor was someone that was found injured on the road. When the Samaritan came near to the man he became his neighbor. The Jews and the Samaritans were at odds over religion, there were plenty of things that could have separated them and they didn’t even know each other. In this story Jesus takes away every excuse that we use to separate us from people. Rich or poor, educated or illiterate, Christian or pagan we must love those that are near.

I have observed some that would give cheerfully to orphans half way around the world but disdain the poor in their own town. It might be easier to love those that are distant. Their faults don’t shout at us over the miles. However, the faults of the man that just cut us off in traffic or the neatly dressed couple that just knocked on our door to share their particular brand of religion can be hard to overlook. I believe that is why Jesus chose the word neighbor. Those that are in close proximity to you. We must share the love of Jesus with those that we happen upon along the road to Jericho. Every day we meet people that have been abused by others, sometimes in the name of religion. It is up to us to pick them up, dress their wounds, address their needs, and love them just like God has loved us.