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?
But seriously – who is your neighbor? Who do you consider to be your neighbors? We live in a world so focused on self satisfaction and personal gain, that often times we lose sight of who Jesus calls us to love.
Who is your neighbor? The people you live next to? Your coworkers? Your clients?
What about the lady in the check out line behind you at Target? Or the staff at the hotel you’re staying in on vacation? Or the stranger on the other side of the world reading your blog posts (thank you!)?
What about that person you judged while scrolling through social media? Or the person you just talked about behind their back?
Who is my neighbor?
When we lose sight of who God is calling us to love, we neglect to see the negative consequences of our actions, or the positives consequences that didn’t happen from our lack of action.
Sitting in Israel, listening to three different perspectives regarding the political and religious disagreements in the area, I realized that both the Israelis and Palestinians are my neighbors. Jesus calls me to love them both.
Who is my neighbor?
It is so easy to read this parable and miss a huge message that Jesus implies. In fact, I wish Jesus had just outright said it, so everyone who reads the Bible from a “God said it, I believe it, and that’s that” perspective without any discernment or deeper digging would get it.
Everyone is my neighbor.
Every single person I encounter is my neighbor. And also, every single person I never encounter is my neighbor.
So how am I supposed show them all love?
Let God be the judge. Think of how your actions can affect those around you, and those far away. Smile. Pray. Support, stand up for and encourage those who are persecuted. Volunteer. Invite people to church.
I don’t know about you, but I struggle with this every day. But if we all work towards treating everyone as our neighbor, I promise you, we can make a difference. We can change the world.
Lord, soften our hearts that we may look at everyone around us, near and far, as our neighbor. Help us to love everyone as You have loved us. Let us radiate Your light in the darkness. Amen.
Abbey Jo
Adventures with Abbey Jo 
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