Luke 10:30-37
Luke 10:30-37
“And who is my neighbor?”
We often scoff at the Lawyer for asking such a question - trying to categorize who he is required to love and not love, but if we’re honest with ourselves, we struggle with the same issue. We want the same categories. Who do we really need to show love to and who can we just avoid? Jesus, in this passage, sets the record straight. He reminds us that love is from God and should be the defining mark of those who call themselves Christians.
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35
Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus shows that love for our neighbor should transcend social, racial, and relational differences. Jews and Samaritans hated one another! They couldn’t stand one another. Yet the Samaritan proved to love his neighbor by stopping and helping someone that he was supposed to hate and reject.
Loving our neighbor must go beyond simple loving the people we already like - we are called to love those who are different, difficult, and even those who are outright enemies.
The parable also shows us that truly loving our neighbor will cost us something. The Samaritan met the needs of the man who was robbed and left for dead. He bandaged him, carried him, tended to him. The Samaritan paid to have him stay at and inn and cared for until he recovered. Loving our neighbors may not cost us to same extent it cost the Samaritan, but it will cost us time, energy, giving up our own wants/desires, or even status.
When we count the cost of loving our neighbor let us also count the cost of the love of Christ towards us. There we will find all the motivation we need to love even the toughest neighbor.
“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:7-8
So who is your neighbor? Any/Everyone that God puts in your path. Those who others have passed by. Those who desperately need even though they may not deserve it. You and I were THAT “neighbor” to Christ - praise God he stopped and paid the price to love us.
Family Discussion
By: Joe Weaver
“And who is my neighbor?”
We often scoff at the Lawyer for asking such a question - trying to categorize who he is required to love and not love, but if we’re honest with ourselves, we struggle with the same issue. We want the same categories. Who do we really need to show love to and who can we just avoid? Jesus, in this passage, sets the record straight. He reminds us that love is from God and should be the defining mark of those who call themselves Christians.
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35
Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus shows that love for our neighbor should transcend social, racial, and relational differences. Jews and Samaritans hated one another! They couldn’t stand one another. Yet the Samaritan proved to love his neighbor by stopping and helping someone that he was supposed to hate and reject.
Loving our neighbor must go beyond simple loving the people we already like - we are called to love those who are different, difficult, and even those who are outright enemies.
The parable also shows us that truly loving our neighbor will cost us something. The Samaritan met the needs of the man who was robbed and left for dead. He bandaged him, carried him, tended to him. The Samaritan paid to have him stay at and inn and cared for until he recovered. Loving our neighbors may not cost us to same extent it cost the Samaritan, but it will cost us time, energy, giving up our own wants/desires, or even status.
When we count the cost of loving our neighbor let us also count the cost of the love of Christ towards us. There we will find all the motivation we need to love even the toughest neighbor.
“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:7-8
So who is your neighbor? Any/Everyone that God puts in your path. Those who others have passed by. Those who desperately need even though they may not deserve it. You and I were THAT “neighbor” to Christ - praise God he stopped and paid the price to love us.
Family Discussion
- Who is a literal neighbor you can love? How can you show them that you love them this week?
- Who is figurative neighbor you can love? How can you show them that you love them this week?
By: Joe Weaver
2 Comments
So who is your neighbor? Any/Everyone that God puts in your path. Those who others have passed by. Those who desperately need even though they may not deserve it. You and I were THAT “neighbor” to Christ - praise God he stopped and paid the price to love us.
So important and vital to remember. Thanks for your post today, Joe!
Great word Joe!!