Post by Micheal on Apr 6, 2008 20:38:17 GMT -6
OK, I know it's been awhile but I am going to continue where I left off.
Last time I talked about loving our neighbors as ourselves and now I am going to define a neighbor. Last time I talked about the religious expert who asked what he had to do to receive eternal life and Jesus told him. So now lets look back in on that religious guy.
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
The point of this story is that if someone needs your help, they are your neighbor. It has nothing to do with physical boundaries. Everyone is your neighbor, so go out of your way to love them. Even those deemed "unlovable".
Last time I talked about loving our neighbors as ourselves and now I am going to define a neighbor. Last time I talked about the religious expert who asked what he had to do to receive eternal life and Jesus told him. So now lets look back in on that religious guy.
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
The point of this story is that if someone needs your help, they are your neighbor. It has nothing to do with physical boundaries. Everyone is your neighbor, so go out of your way to love them. Even those deemed "unlovable".