LOVE WHICH NEIGHBOR?

Spouse, family, friends, brothers and sisters in the Lord, neighbors, politicians, strangers—whom do you find most difficult to love today?

A Bible translator working in West Africa had a translation difficulty; one language had two words for “we,” an inclusive and an exclusive “we.” Obviously, “all we like sheep have gone astray” needed to be inclusive—no human exceptions! However, if Jesus’ questioner said, “We are commanded, by the Mosaic Law, to love our neighbor as ourselves,” he would probably use the exclusive “we!” The verses in Leviticus preceding the command to love our neighbors (Lev. 19:18) include not robbing your neighbor, not hating a fellow Israelite, not bearing a grudge against one of your people; there are injunctions not to ill-treat the foreigners living next door, but the question put to Jesus in verse 29 nonetheless has some validity. Are the laws simply for the Jews, given by a Jewish God about Jewish neighbors?

Jesus’ questioner wanted to catch him. Was Jesus too indiscriminate in his inclusiveness for this legally minded man? As a law-keeper he probably thought he knew the answer—he loved his neighbor, of course, but he wondered just where Jesus would place the limits of neighbor love. So Jesus told the story of the man left to die; the two Temple officials, defenders of the Law, who were in a hurry and couldn’t risk touching a dead body; and the Samaritan, who stopped, did all he could and made sure that the battered man was cared for and the innkeeper was not out of pocket. What are your reactions to this story? For me, there are those who need my love, but I grudge the time. The Samaritan gave days of his time. I walk down a crowded city street; someone collapses near me, then this command comes into force. I can’t practically love them all, but if one of the millions in our world needs me, then I know I have to love.

There are challenges here! What if no one is looking? Then would you pass by on the other side?