A teacher of the law once asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. The answer summed up the whole law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart… and thy neighbour as thyself.” (Luke 10:27). Then the man asked a question that concerns us all: “And who is my neighbour?”
An unexpected story
Jesus answered with a parable. A man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked by robbers and left half dead by the roadside. A priest and a Levite, religious men, passed by without stopping. But a Samaritan, from a people despised by the Jews, stopped, bandaged his wounds and took him to an inn, paying for his care.
Jesus deliberately chose as the hero of the story someone His listeners did not like. True love crosses the boundaries of nationality, religion and social status.
Go and do likewise
At the end, Jesus turned the question around. Not “who is my neighbour?”, but “to whom am I a neighbour?”. The teacher of the law admitted that the neighbour was the one who showed mercy. Jesus told him simply: “Go, and do thou likewise.” (Luke 10:37).
Faith is not measured only by what we know about God, but by our willingness to stop for the wounded person by the road, even when it is not convenient.
For reflection
Who is the “person by the roadside” in your life? What sometimes stops you from stopping? Think of one concrete act of mercy you can do this week.
Bible verses are quoted from the King James Version.