Who Is My Neighbour?

Cal Sullivan

It’s been another week in the world filled with stories of a lot of angry people expressing their views. All believing they are correct but, more importantly, being angry at a person or group of people.

In times like these it is important to remember that we follow a loving God, who loves and sacrificed His only Son for all.

I am reminded of what Jesus said when asked what the most important commandment was. His reply:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”
(Mark 12: 30-31)

He was then asked ‘who is my neighbour?’ at which point He then told the parable of the Good Samaritan:

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. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 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. The next day he took out two denarii 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.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
(Luke 10: 30-36)

He gives three examples of different people and their behaviour towards a man who had been robbed and injured. The first two are holy devout followers of the law who choose not to engage, whether it be for fear of also being robbed or simply just unwilling to get their hands dirty and get involved.

The third is a Samaritan, someone who was despised by the Israelites of the time and who probably had the most valid reason not to help, and yet he has pity and helps the injured man.

So Jesus is telling us is that firstly loving our neighbour means loving people who we do not necessarily agree with or like – but more importantly, it’s not just a feel-good kind of love – it’s a love that requires action.

In the parable the Samaritan helps the injured man’s immediate needs, however he does not stop there. He then takes him on his donkey and sets him up in an inn and cares for him overnight, and then helps him further by providing money to the innkeeper to look after the injured man before going on his way.

We are called by God to love our neighbour; not ignore them but to reach out to them in His name in love and compassion; to provide for them in their need. By doing so we show Jesus’s love for them through us.