But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise. Luke 10:29-37
Who is my neighbor?
One of the biggest arguments I hear from pro-choicers is, “what about all people? Who‘s caring for their needs?” It's a legitimate question. Unfortunately the cultural mantra of this generation is, “you do you.” Meaning, I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone. But that is the very opposite of what we are called to as Christians.
A few days ago I was perusing Facebook and came across a video of a President Trump supporter and an anti President Trump supporter. The man filming the video was irritated because the woman he was filming stole his “Make America Great Again” hat. They were on a college campus and she was going to turn it into the Campus Life office. On the surface she is presented as a thief and he is presented as an upstanding citizen. The language in the video was choice and passion for each side was running high. She was made to look like a fool. He was made to look like a victim of the “liberal agenda.” But I think there is more going on here.
This video is a shining example of how we have forgotten our neighbor. Not once in the video did anyone bother to ask the other their name. For some reason that was really on my heart. I wanted to know her name. I wanted to know where she came from. I wanted to know her hurts, her fears and why she thought the way she did. She should not have stolen the man’s hat. However, he should not have filmed the video and for that matter I should not have been indulging in someone else’s pain, by making it my entertainment.
Our world has a way of making us forget that we are all made in God’s Image after His likeness. We may be vastly different from the people at arm's length around us in skin color, language, social class, religion, and political views. This does not change the fact that we are all God’s children. Are the people you tend to disagree with so different from you, really?
The next time you are tempted to be angry or judgmental about something you see someone doing or saying take a moment and stop. Ask; who is this person? What is their name? Who are they in God’s eyes? I am not telling you to turn a blind eye to sin. I am simply suggesting that you become a prayer advocate for your neighbor regardless of circumstance. Give life to someone’s soul everyday! My hope is that we begin to see ALL people as our brothers and sisters in Christ. That we remember they too have a mighty purpose that God has given them. EVERYONE is your neighbor.
To Jesus through Mary-Maggie Ness
