07132022a – WHO is “MY” Neighbor?
Lk.10. 25- 37
The lawyer answered Jesus, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; AND your NEIGHBOR as yourself.”
But then, the lawyer turned to Jesus and asked him, “WHO is MY neighbor?”
There was a time in this country when we knew WHO our neighbors were—I mean REALLY KNEW THEM…knew them ALL, at least MOST of them.
And I firmly believe that there are still many neighborhoods today, where people TRULY KNOW – MOST of their neighbors.
But I also think this is also becoming “the exception, rather than the rule, a THING OF THE PAST, as it were.”
As you may know, I live in a condo off of Brady Street and have lived there for 221/2 years.
I have no clue “Who is my neighbor” or even “what their names are.” Of the 57 units in the building, 2 of us have been there more than twenty years. The unit next to me has changed ownership six times in 22 years. The unit on the otherside of me, was purchased as a tax write off, with no one living there in over ten years.
So I have to ask myself the question – that the lawyer asks Jesus, “WHO is MY neighbor?”
My neighbors are YOUNG, they are professional, they are business oriented, busy and on the go, many are single, some are first time home owners, or in some cases are renters. I see few, if any, of them, ever!
There are some that DO NOT speak, even when spoken to. SOME barely acknowledge anothers presence. Or if lucky, you may get a “hey.”
You have no idea who lives there, or where, who is visiting, who owns and who rents. It is an “in and out” “kind of community.” These are my neighbors, WHOMEVER they are.
Apparently the definition of “neighbor” IS NOT what it once was…
It is SOMEWHAT in flux.
What seems to NOT BE IN FLUX is how we answer the question as raised by Jesus.
“Now which of these three do you think seemed to be A NEIGHBOR to the guy who fell among the robbers?” Everybody agrees. The guy who showed mercy…
But, there’s another side to the story of the Good Samaritan.
The story is really NOT AS SIMPLE, as it might at first – seem.
And we need to be “very careful” that we don’t quickly place ourselves in a position of “judging the actions of either the Priest or the Levite.” We are not judges.
Let’s talk about these “two men,” who so often are “judged HARSHLY” when the parable is read or heard.
First, who are THE REAL BAD GUYS here?
The “real bad guys” are THE ROBBERS who DID who preyed upon the poor traveler. But they are quickly “awol” and out of the story. Jesus simply says that they stripped the man, beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.
But WHERE exactly did they go? Were they still laying-in-wait, somewhere?
Is it possible that they have left this poor guy there as bait for the next person coming down the road?
This particular road “from Jerusalem to Jericho” was well-known at the time for being populated by “thieves and murderers” who were just waiting to pounce on any and all travelers.
Were those other guys fearful for their lives? What if the injured traveler was “bait?” What if they stopped and became VICTIMS themselves? What if they are on their way to ATTEND or to PERFORM a religious service? What if the victim were bloodied or dead?
Under Mosaic Law, if you so much as touch blood or a dead person you are considered unclean for seven days and must go through “a cleansing ritual” before you can even associate with another JEW, let alone go into the TEMPLE.
“A” key to understanding the story is not the lawyer, not the two guys, but the listener, who ever that is…
“A” key to understanding it is the very last line of the parable.
Jesus asks the Lawyer, “Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to THE GUY who fell among the robbers?” And the Lawyer responds, “He who showed him mercy.”
You have to give the lawyer credit. He knew the RIGHT THING TO SAY! Yay, him!
But then, Jesus says, the ONE THING MORE!
And that is “A” key to the parable, to the whole of the story. Jesus says, “Go and do likewise.”
He doesn’t say, “Go and do likewise unless your own life is in danger,” or “Go and do likewise, unless you’re dressed for a party,” or “Go and do likewise ,unless you can get someone else to help, like a first responder.”
He simply says, “GO, AND DO LIKEWISE (period)”
There is NO CAVEAT and NO QUALIFICATION to what Jesus is saying to the hearer; it is just “GO, AND DO LIKEWISE.” There is no qualification to helping those in need. EVER. Just do it!