Who Is My Neighbor?
Who Is My Neighbor?
Rev. L. John Gable
September 9, 2018
One day as Jesus was teaching His disciples, a lawyer came up to Him and asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Now Jesus knew that this was a test, since as a lawyer or a scribe this man knew the law very well. He had devoted his whole life to studying the Scriptures and interpreting it to others. Sensing that He was being set up, as was often the case, Jesus answered the man’s question by asking one of His own.
“What does the Law say? And how do you read it?”
The scribe was ready with his answer. He said, “In Deuteronomy 6 we hear the words of the Shema, ‘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 in Leviticus 19 we read, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” As a devout Jew he not only had these two commandments memorized, he also had them inscribed in a little leather case which he wore around his wrist.
Jesus answered, “You have answered correctly; now do this and you will live.” End of story, right? Not exactly.
The lawyer pressed on, asking Jesus to define His terms. “What exactly do you mean by ‘my neighbor?’” Seeing that this man wanted to justify himself and show how well he had fulfilled the law, Jesus told him a parable. Now a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, and it went like this.
“One day a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho…”
(Traveler) “’Be careful’, she said to me. That’s what my wife always says to me whenever I go on a trip. ‘Be careful’. I had put off going as long as I could, but I had to go to town that day. There were things I needed to sell in the market. So I got up early, packed my wares, took the little money I had and began my journey. ‘Be careful’, she said, and this time she really meant. She knew that I was traveling on the dreaded Jericho road, the most dangerous and treacherous road you could ever imagine.
I had traveled that road many times before, but this time was different. This was the very first time I was traveling alone, which is a very foolish thing to do, and I knew it, but I had no choice. I had to get to town.
Jerusalem is way up in the mountains and Jericho is well below sea level, so the road is steep and winding, with sharp turns cut through rugged rocks. Not only is it hard to walk on, but it is dangerous because thieves and bands of robbers hide among the rocks, and jump out on unsuspecting travelers, particularly those traveling alone.
I had never had any trouble before, but this day proved different. I was almost there, little more than a mile outside of Jericho and starting to feel myself home free, when I heard something move on the side of the road and then the sound of footsteps behind me.
(Robber) “We heard him coming even before we saw him. He was whistling, probably because he was scared to death, and well he should be. Even we were surprised to see him traveling alone. No one travels alone on the Jericho road; not with people like us out there. But there he was and we knew he was easy pickings.
We hid in the same place we always do. As he passed beneath us, one of us threw a rock on the other side of the road to divert his attention, while the rest of us jumped down on him, all four of us. Believe me, he was hardly worth the effort, and we didn’t put much effort into it. Poor fellow. He hardly had anything with him at all. We wanted money and jewelry, but he had little of either, a couple of coins, that was all. We striped him of his clothes, thinking he may have been hiding some money somewhere on his body, but he wasn’t.
He put up a bit of a fight, but he was no match for us. We beat on him for a little while, kind of out of frustration, but mostly just for the fun of it, and I imagine we would have kept going, but we heard someone coming. So we dragged him out of the way and dumped him in the ditch, then hurried back to our hiding places. We hoped our next prey would be some rich merchant who would make our time worthwhile, but no such luck. It was a lousy priest, and we never jump the priests, so we called it a day.”
(Priest) “I saw the man lying in the ditch. It was a disgusting sight. He was stripped naked and badly beaten, but I couldn’t tell if he was dead or alive. I didn’t know really what to do. Of course I wanted to help the man, but I wasn’t sure whether I should or not. There were so many things running through my mind.
First, as a priest on the way to the temple I was hardly dressed to get down in the dirt and filth to help a man such as this. That’s just not something a priest would do. What is more, there are certain rules that I am called to live by, and one of them is that I must remain ceremonially clean if I am to do my duty in the temple. That means I must not touch a dead person or a Gentile, and from where I was standing, I couldn’t tell if he was either of those. If I tried to help him and it turned out he was already dead, or heaven forbid, if he were a Gentile, I would be rendered unclean for seven days, which would mean that I would not be able to carry out any of my duties. Of course I wanted to help him, but I was faced with a dilemma. Tell me, is it better to help one, even if it means being unable to serve God or the many in the temple? I didn’t think so, and it wasn’t worth the risk. So I uttered a prayer under my breath and hurried on.
I thought about that man all week, and continued to pray for him. I wish I had been able to help him, I really do. As I walked on I happened to glance back and saw another man coming. By his dress he appeared to be a Levite. I thought to myself, ‘Oh good, perhaps he will stop to help him.’ If not him, I certainly hope someone will.”
(Levite) “I’ll admit I was in a hurry. As I walked along the Jericho road I was making a list of all the things I needed to do once I got to the city. As a Levite, it is my responsibility to take care of the temple, and believe me it is no easy job, but it is the service I render to God.
I had seen the priest traveling in front of me, and noticed that he stopped to look at something by the side of the road, but I had no idea it was a man. When I saw him, I could tell that it had happened recently, which, I’ll admit scared me more than a little for my own safety. Like him, I too was traveling alone. I wondered if this was a trick and if those robbers were lying in wait for me. I really didn’t want to be their next victim.
I also didn’t really want to get involved. I thought, if I stop to help this man, I could be delayed for up to an hour, maybe more. I didn’t have time for that kind of interruption. And what was I really going to do for him? I’m a temple worker, not a doctor. It’s not like I could really do much to help him. And besides, if that priest in front of me, that man of God, didn’t think it was his responsibility to help this man, why should it be mine? This is a well traveled road. Surely someone will stop to help him. So I passed by on the other side of the road.” As I looked back I saw a man coming with a donkey, so I hurried on my way.
Now the lawyer listening to Jesus’ story was visibly shocked that neither the priest, nor the Levite, had stopped to help the man, but he certainly understood their reasons for not doing so. Duty to God, issues of safety and other very worthwhile commitments would naturally take precedence in a situation such as this. But nothing prepared him for what Jesus was about to say.
The very next traveler down the road was a Samaritan, a foreigner, an outcast, a half breed, one with whom any good Jew would have no association. “Surely this man is not going to be the hero in Jesus’ story”, thought the lawyer. Imagine his surprise when he was.
(Samaritan) “I saw the man hurry away when he looked back and saw me coming I didn’t know what he was looking at on the side of the road, but I could tell he didn’t want to be around when I got there. I was frightened, at first, thinking he might be a robber, but as I got closer I could tell by what he was wearing that he was part of some religious order. Why is it that religious people think they have to avoid people who don’t look or act or think like they do? You’d think with all they hear about God’s love and forgiveness they’d be the first to show it to others, but that sure hasn’t been my experience.
When I finally got to the place where he was standing, I saw the man lying in the ditch. What an awful bloody mess. They had really beaten him badly. It isn’t at all what I had planned for my day, but, dead or alive, I knew I couldn’t just leave him there. He groaned a little when I rolled him over, so I got some oil and wine from my bags and cleaned him up as best I could. I got an old cloak and wrapped him in it, then picked him up and put him on my donkey. I knew I could walk the rest of the way into town, but I never thought he’d make it.
As I walked I thought about this man and who he might be. From the looks of him, I could tell he wasn’t a rich man, just a poor merchant like me. And I thought, ‘There but by the grace of God, go I.’ It could have been me that had been beaten and left by the side of the road instead of him. I certainly hope that someone, anyone, would stop to help me in the same situation. By the cut of his hair I could tell he was a Jew. I laughed to myself, ‘If he makes it, I wonder if he’ll be offended that he was helped by a Samaritan.”
When we got to town I had my own business to do, so I found an inn keeper who told me that he and his wife would take the fellow in and care for him, but they’d require a down payment on the services they’d offer. I assumed as much and told them that the man had been beaten and robbed of everything he owned. They seemed not to care. So I gave them the only money I could spare, two denarii, two days worth of my wages, and told them I would stay and care for him that night, then when I returned I would pay them whatever else I owed them for his care and they reluctantly agreed.
I would like to have done more for the man, but that was all I was able to do that day. I did what I could for him and hoped that was enough. When I returned three days later, I stopped again at the inn to inquire about my unnamed friend, to see how he was doing, and pay the remaining debt. The inn keeper said, he had improved greatly and had felt good enough to leave just that morning. His injuries were minor, mostly cuts and bruises. Then he said, ‘He asked me to give you this message if you were ever to return. He said, ‘Please tell the good Samaritan, thank you for me. May the news of his kindness be told far and wide, and may we all learn to care for others as you have cared for me.’
I was touched by the man’s greeting and pleased to hear of his good health. To my surprise, when I offered to pay the inn keeper for any additional expenses he may have incurred, he declined, saying he was happy to help. I was grateful to hear that where I had left off, another stepped in to help the man. So I thanked them for their kindness and went my way.
Turning again to the lawyer, Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think was neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” The lawyer had no choice but to say, “The man who showed mercy.” Once again, Jesus answered, “You have answered correctly; now go and do likewise.” It is not enough simply to know the law. You must also do it.
“Who is my neighbor?” asked the lawyer at the beginning of the story. According to the parable, it is that one, anyone who needs your help. The law of God is fulfilled when we show mercy to one another.
Now, that appears to be the end of the story, right? Well, not exactly. Rather Jesus asks the same question of us. “Who is your neighbor?” To whom are you being called to show mercy? It is not enough simply to know the law of God, we also must do it.
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter 10, verses 25-37.
This is the Word of the Lord.