When asked ‘Who is my neighbour?’ Jesus Christ replied by telling the Parable of the Good Samaritan instead of a straight answer.
The parable of the Good Samaritan: An expert in the law approached Jesus. Wishing to make it appear that he was a righteous man, and that consequently he was in the straight road to the kingdom of God, asked, “Who is my neighbour?” "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25). Rather than giving him a straight answer, Jesus asked him what was written in the Law. The lawyer replied correctly, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbour as yourself." (Luke 10:27) However, the lawyer asked a second question, "Who is my neighbour?" (Luke 10:29)
The expert of the law threw out a challenge, and our Lord took him up on his own ground. Instead of giving a direct answer, Jesus replied by telling him the story of the Good Samaritan. A traveller going from Jerusalem to Jericho came upon thieves. They took his clothes, beat him, and left him for dead. The man lay there, desperately in need of help. He was passed by two people who were expected to help, a priest and a Levite, religious leaders of the day. Priest and Levite are mentioned here, partly because they were the most frequent travellers on this road, and partly to show that these were the persons who, from the nature of their office, were most obliged to perform works of mercy; and from whom a person in distress had a right to expect immediate succor and comfort. Their inhuman conduct here was a flat breach of the law. If anyone was going to help a dying man, it would be them. But in this case, both avoided the man and passed by on the other side of the road. Later, a Samaritan came, bound up his wounds, took him to an inn, and made sure he was cared for until he was fully recovered. Jesus made it clear that any person who has fallen into hardship is our neighbour as long as he or she is within our reach.
A brief historical background
Under Saul, David, and Solomon, from 1050-930 B.C., Israel had been a united kingdom. But after these three kings, Israel was divided into two, the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
In 722 B.C. Sargon, the king of Assyria, captured the Northern Kingdom. Many Israelites were carried away as captives. People of other nations came and settled in Samaria. Intermarriage took place and this resulted in a mixed race. The mixed people came to be called Samaritans. Their religion was also corrupted by idol worship which was introduced by the outsiders who settled in Samaria.
The Jews despised the Samaritans. As centuries passed by, the Jews and the Samaritans moved farther and farther apart and then they became hostile enemies. There might have been an open war between them during the time of Jesus. But the entire province was under Roman rule, and they were afraid of the Romans. Jews considered the Samaritans as spiritually unclean. Jews will not use or touch any article that belongs to the Samaritans. Jews will not walk in the land of the Samaritans. If they are compelled to set foot on the land owned by a Samaritan, they will take off their shoes and shake off the dust as soon as they have crossed over it.
The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was the most public road in all Judea, as it was the grand thoroughfare between these two cities for the courses of priests, twelve thousand of whom are said to have resided at Jericho. But the road was dangerous. At this time the whole land of Judea was much infested with hordes of bandits and it is likely that many robberies might have been committed on that very road to which our Lord refers. It was narrow and rocky with sharp turnings. It was the perfect hunting ground for robbers and brigands. People travelled in convoys for safety. Even in the 1930s, people were warned to get home before dark because of a certain Abu Jildah who robbed travelers and escaped before the police arrived. So, in a way, the traveler was foolish in traveling alone and has only himself to blame for what happened to him on the road to Jericho.
After telling the parable, Jesus asked the lawyer, "Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" (Luke 10:36). The lawyer answered correctly that it was the Samaritan who had truly been a neighbor to the man. Jesus told him that he should go and similarly conduct himself.
The meaning of “neighbour”
1. Any man of any nation who is in need is our neighbour. It is not the geographical location or living next door that makes one a neighbour.
2. We are to help even those who brought trouble upon themselves instead of thinking they got what they deserved.
3. The priest and the Levite must have felt pity for the wounded man. But that is not enough. Real compassion must issue in action.
Who are our neighbours today? Holdup victims, testifying in a court of law fearlessly for the sake of justice, those affected by natural or man-made disasters, the drunkards, the drug addicts, people dying of hunger due to poverty, girls and women in the sex trade due to compelling situations in their lives, people with incurable diseases like HIV/AIDS, orphans, the neglected widows and the elderly, and the outcasts of the society.
We are called to minister to people’s spiritual needs, but at the same time, we must not be insensible toward their other physical difficulties and needs. In doing these noble things, we may not be appreciated by the world or by the beneficiaries, but to be a good neighbour to another person in need, who too is the image of God, just like you and I, is itself our reward.
Selie Visa