Saturday 3 December 2011

Who is Our Neighbour?

Luk 10:21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 
Luk 10:22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." 
Luk 10:23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 
Luk 10:24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." 
Luk 10:25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 
Luk 10:26 He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" 
Luk 10:27 And he answered, "You shall 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 your neighbor as yourself." 
Luk 10:28 And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." 
Luk 10:29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" 
Luk 10:30 Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 
Luk 10:31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 
Luk 10:32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 
Luk 10:33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 
Luk 10:34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 
Luk 10:35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' 
Luk 10:36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" 
Luk 10:37 He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise." 


In this passage of Luke, a lawyer asked Christ what he must do to inherit eternal life. Christ then turned to asking what the law said. Now the law that Christ was referring to were those laws that were part of the phylacteries chanted every day. It was a law not unknown to the lawyer. Christ then relays the story of the Good Samaritan, a story that we are all familiar with, but what does this story mean? When read as a whole chapter, Christ gives the answer in verses 36 and 37. So in light of the post where I posed questions, and got some terrific answers, in the light of my working things through, how does this passage apply, or does it apply? I would also ask the same question the lawyer asked Christ. Who is our neighbor?

Believe it or not all the answers I have gotten from my last post, are those I have deeply taken into consideration(which is why I asked for scripture, I'm pounding it through for myself) and each answer has helped me immensely.