Be the Good Neighbor

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)

{Read the full Parable of the Good Samaritan here.}

Hello friends! I’m so glad you’re here reading my blog today. I hope that as we look at a familiar parable from Luke, you will learn something and feel moved to live the calling to which you have been called (Ephesians 4:1).

When someone says “calling,” we often think there is something specific to each individual that we are supposed to do. But as we read God’s Word, there are jobs we are all called to do.

Your first calling:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” Heart, soul, mind – these are all part of our internal world. No one can see what’s in there, except God. Maybe you can fake love and faith in God to those around you, but you can’t fake it to God.

Your second calling:  “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This is no longer an internal, private relationship between you and God. Now you must show others how great your love for God is by loving others. According to Jesus, your heart determines your actions (Matthew 15:18-19) and you’ll know someone by their fruits (Matthew 7:16). If you have great love for God on the inside, you’ll show it on the outside by your love for your neighbors.

Here are some things to consider as you read this well-known parable.

SAMARITAN DOES NOT MEAN GOOD

For us today, it’s harder to understand what being a Samaritan really meant to the Jews. When I hear the word “Samaritan,” I immediately think “good.” Because that’s what this parable has been named and now we have organizations that use the word “Samaritan” in a kind, helpful, friendly way.

But John 4:9 says that Jews did not associate with Samaritans. While the two Jews that walked by surely looked the part of loving, God-followers, the Samaritan in this parable is the last person you would expect to help. Maybe for you that is someone from a different religious background, a different skin color, or simply a person with whom you do not get along.

FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD

Faith has the power to move mountains (Matthew 17:20) and the power to heal (Matthew 9:22). But faith on the inside that doesn’t propel you to action on the outside is dead (James 2:17). It is no longer the powerful force it could be. Faith isn’t just something we hold onto in our hearts. It moves you to do something.

LOVE IS A VERB

If loving God with all our hearts, soul, and mind was all we needed to do to fulfill the law, then Jesus would have stopped there. But he continued with love your neighbor. Whatever we receive from God is for us to share with others (1 Corinthians 12:7). God’s love should be flowing out of us into loving action.

WHO IS YOUR NEIGHBOR?

When the man ask Jesus this question, Jesus doesn’t tell him the specific person to go help. Instead he tells him a story about how to be a good neighbor. The “neighbor” in the story was not the man who needed help, but the one who did the helping. To be a good neighbor, you show love, kindness, and mercy. You don’t just keep all that God has given you hidden in your heart.

WHAT KEPT THE PRIEST AND THE LEVITE AWAY?

We don’t know the exact circumstances of why the two Jewish men walked past their brother without stopping to help. But I do know what has stopped me from helping – fear. Fear of doing the wrong thing, fear of not knowing how to help, fear that there would be more robbers (not my fear, but maybe theirs).

However, we do know that love compelled the Samaritan to action. Just like our actions, our inaction also has consequences. When you feel the love of God in your heart, you feel moved to show that love to others. So, is love your guide or is fear your big bully?

Jesus tells us how to be a good neighbor, now “go and do likewise.”

FREE PHONE WALLPAPER!

I created this graphic to remind you of Jesus’ words on how to be a good neighbor!

Simply save this photo to your phone then save it as your lock screen. If you’re on a computer, save it to your computer, then text or email it to yourself. Then you can save the photo to your phone and add it as a lock screen. If you need more detailed instructions, email me (natalie@nataliehilton.com).

Photos used are from unsplash.