A Good Neighbor

Scripture – Luke 10:34-37: 34He 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. 35The 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.’ 36“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Reflection: How interesting! How instructive! The Samaritan didn’t just stop and feel sorry for the man. He went to him. He touched him and helped him. Then the Samaritan went out of his way to care for him. It cost him money and time to put his love into action. That’s a powerful lesson.

Then, after telling this story, Jesus turns everything around with his question to the “expert in the law.” The man’s original question was. “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus asks instead, ‘What does a good neighbor look like?’ Then He told the expert, “Go and do likewise.”

So the question is not about who my neighbor is. It’s about what kind of neighbor I am. Hmmmmm? That’s a powerful question to carry into the day.

An Invitation: A small group will be meeting this coming Sunday morning from 9:45 – 10:30am to share what we’ve learned and seen in this week’s readings. We meet in the Pastor’s office at Bethel Baptist Church, 13330 Trenton Road in Southgate. Everyone’s welcome to join us.