But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
Many are familiar with Jesus’ story of the “Good Samaritan” — a foreigner proves himself neighbor to a man in need when others don’t — but few notice why Jesus told it.
Luke noticed. A man who already knew the Bible law was trying to justify his views by asking “Who is my neighbor?” — just who was he required to love?
His culture distinguished between people groups.
His people kept their own as hard luck slaves no more than seven years but foreigners forever. His people couldn’t charge their own loan interest but they could foreigners. His ate no unclean animals but sold them to foreigners. His called foreigners “Dogs”. This man was seeking justification for his cultural view of justice.
But Jesus told of a foreigner who held no such distinctions — He had compassion on anyone in need, not just his own. As a Samaritan, that man’s religious beliefs were way off target but his heart was spot on.
This tells us at least two (2) things:
1. Everyone deserves compassion, not just our own;
2. Jesus doesn’t justify our views on anything — he offers forgiveness, healing, and change of heart.
fritz@langgang.com
Patrikin - Kinship through The Father 