Who Is My Neighbor?

And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” 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.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.” But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

— Luke 10:25-29

I want to take a moment and speak to the church family today. We have the absolute best family in the world. We have a fellowship of believers who give of their time, give to the financial needs of the church, and with tender love, and compassion demonstrates the true meaning of being a Christ follower.

With that, I would like to show why. When questioned on this very topic Jesus told us a story of a man called the Good Samaritan. In this story Jesus tells us of a man who was beat, robbed, and stripped naked. Jesus in His Devine wisdom shares of the priest, and the Levite who moved to the opposite side of the road to avoid the problem all together. Then Jesus shares about a Samaritan man who the Jews looked upon as less than and hated to be quite honest. This man didn’t have to help and could have walked to the other side of the road just like the Priest and the Levite. But this man chose to do something that he didn’t have too. This man had compassion and helped the man and not only that put him back on his feet. I want to share who Jesus said our neighbors are.

Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

— Luke 10:36-37

Jesus says, our actions determine if we are a neighbor. We do not have to love the way we do or help the way we do. But Jesus says we are to “go and do the same”

This is why our church is being blessed, if we are being like Jesus. If we walk in obedience and according to the word of the Lord. Jesus will go before us and open the doors that no man can open.

Pastor Benaiah Snider