But Who Is My Neighbor?

AM Psalm 37:1-18 • PM Psalm 37:19-42
Ecclus. 10:1-18 • Rev. 9:1-12 • Luke 10:25-37

“Who is my neighbor; and how shall I recognize him?”

Jesus said: “The one who needs your compassion is your neighbor. In this story, from Luke, the one who needs compassion was a half-dead man who had fallen among robbers.” But the man questioning Jesus had asked: “who IS my neighbor?” We might all ask that. 

The scene of the man must have been horrible, stripped and beaten. As a woman, I don’t want to minister to a bleeding half dead man lying nude in the street. And the people in this story which is called: “The Good Samaritan” all pass by, perhaps too busy to stop, on the other side. 

But a Samaritan, (a person not thought well of) “came and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.” Furthermore, he gave money to the innkeeper and told him “Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.”

We don’t need as dramatic an example of someone needing compassion as that to know when we should be kind. And the opportunity to do so is not rare. Please let me know if you wonder when a person needs compassion. 

Written by Rebecca Newth

Rebecca Newth is a member of St. Pauls and a writer with a new book coming called Blown Off Course, which can be a good thing.