Expanding the Neighborhood

Scripture – Luke 10:30-33: 30In 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. 31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

Reflection: Jesus told this story in reply to the question, “And who is my neighbor?” It’s probably one of the top five familiar stories from the Bible. The “Good Samaritan” is a common phrase in our North American culture.

Here’s where I have to discipline myself to read it as thought I’ve never read it before. It’s not hard to imagine this scene because similar things happen quite often in this metro area. People are randomly robbed, beaten and even killed – often for just a few dollars or a piece of clothing.

While I wouldn’t just walk by someone bleeding on the sidewalk, I do skip over the stories on the news. I don’t let myself be disturbed by them.

What more could I do when I read or hear about such incidents? Maybe this “neighbor” business extends beyond my neighborhood. I’ll see what Jesus says next. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye out for those in need around me.