Who is my neighbour ?

Luke 10:25-37

Over the past week (3rd-9th July 2016) we have seen many bombs explode. Many lives have been lost. Many Muslims were deprived the opportunity to celebrate their festival. The grueling video of a black person being shot by a policeman has been seen the world over. All these events within one week continue to show us one thing. Love has grown cold. Our world is becoming a place where everyone is being seen an enemy. It is in this back drop that many of churches throughout the world today will reflect on the gospel passage we read.

            The passage opens with a teacher of law coming to Jesus and asking him a question. These people were more learned than the scribes. They were skilled in the law of Moses and specialized in interpreting it.

He recognizes Jesus as a teacher and asks him “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Knowing that this lawyer knew the law well Jesus asks him, “what is written in the law?” and like all good Jews who knew their scriptures he told him the law of love which is found in Dt 6:5 & Lev19:18. So Jesus says "do this and you shall live". But this lawyer wanted to justify himself. Just like many Christians who use the bible to justify themselves. He wanted to show that he is righteous. He asks Jesus another question. "Who is my neighbor?"

Jesus’s answer is a question. He tells a parable and then gets the answer from the lawyer. He brings the lawyer to a point of realizing the truth.

Once again we see that Jesus uses an ordinary occurrence in his parable.

Going down from Jerusalem to Jericho for that matter travelling alone in Jesus’ time was dangerous. People were poor so even to get some clothes people could get robbed. 

Jesus speaks about three persons who went by that way.

The priest. The law forbade him to touch what would be impure.

The Levite. Was consecrated to serve in the temple.

We also see Jesus bring in the Samaritan into the picture. Samaritans had a defiled origin. There was severe animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans. So the word Samaritan was a word of reproach and contempt.

So such stories from ordinary life was told by Jesus because he wanted life to be ordinary and simple. These stories from daily life helped the listener connect their life with the scriptures.  

So Jesus’ story happens in a situation where people traveling alone would be robbed and left for dead. No one bothered. They would be scared for their lives.

And the lawyer tells Jesus “the man who had mercy on the man who fell into the hands of the robbers is the neighbor". Jesus’ simple response is “go and do likewise”. He says go and be like the Samaritan.

So we see some learning’s from this whole dialogue.

Jesus emphasizes on the actions of the Samaritan. He sees the man fallen. He has compassion. He stops his journey.  Puts bandage to his wounds. Poured oil and wine. Then he put him on his donkey and kept him in an inn and took care of him. Only the next day he pays the inn keeper and says if there is any extra expense I will pay you when I return.  

But this all depends on the choice you make. Just as the Priest and the Levite the Samaritan too had a choice. Do I help or not. These Jews hate me. The choice to help, that action of love is what differentiated the Samaritan who was hated by the Jew from the Priest and Levite.

Then we see that to help your neighbor you have to put your life at risk.The Samaritan also puts his life into danger. Maybe the robbers would have been waiting there. He himself could have been robbed.

To love you also need to make sacrifices. The Samaritan sacrificed all what he had and his journey.

When we look at what Jesus teaches we can draw parallels to the life of Jesus. Jesus coming into the world is the result of God’s and his love. Jesus put his life at risk. He received the cross. Jesus sacrificed his place with the father and his glory. Jesus came down into this world to heal the wounded, to bind the wounds, and to take care of them. that’s what the Psalmist says about God Psalm 147:3 Not just the physical but the spiritual and the emotional. We are called to a Love that moves you to go beyond the boundaries. The same as that of the Samaritan.

So neighbor is not the person you love. Not the one with whom you drink a cup of tea. Not the one on whose shoulder you put your hand and go.

Not the people who belong to your little click or your group. It is those who are beyond. And not just the persons who has fallen, who is wounded and bruised. But the person whom you hate. The person whom you cant see eye to eye. The Samaritan chose to help a Jew who considered him an enemy.

Jesus used the parable to tell the lawyer you have to go beyond your comfort zone. You need to look beyond the law. Come out of your compartment. Expand your boundaries. You have to make a choice. That choice is to bring change.

The choice of the Samaritan brought change. Once you are ready to make the choice, God will work through you to bring change in society.

Today the change is not needed in the hearts of the Samaritans. It is needed in the hearts of all the lawyers. Those who read the bible, know the truth, hold on to it but fail to put it into action.

This whole dialogue emphasizes Jesus teachings and actions. This is what Jesus says in Mat 7:12. Do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets.

In 5:43 he says “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” In Luke 6:27, 28 he says, “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you”. 

Today people are happy with praying for those they hate. But Jesus says first you love them. Love is action. Jesus is searching for action.

And Just before his death Jesus shows what true love really means through his act of washing the feet. Finishing the washing of the feet, Jesus says, I have set you an example, do as I have done for you (Jn 13:15).

And this is what will be asked on the day of judgment too.

so the message Go and be different. Don’t expect others to change. First you change. If every Christian in this world will show God’s love, put others first in their lives. This world will be a better place. So this morning we are called to make a choice. The choice to change. The choice to become the hands and feet of Jesus. The choice to have the heart of Jesus. the heart that reaches out. To love your neighbor.

So let us individually resolve to move out as people with the hands, feet and heart of Jesus.