There was a time our youngest granddaughter loved to use the word “humans” in conversation. As often as she could, the word would be inserted and it rolled off her tongue in a most curious way.
It would cause me to realize the sanctity in the word. Humans are people who share some common characteristics and those very characteristics make us all equal in some way.
“We’re all neighbors. Everybody’s different. And there are some things about everybody that are the same. That’s what’s wonderful. That’s what helps us to understand each other. That we’ve got some things inside of us that are the same as somebody else’s. We’re all humans.” (Mr. Rogers)
Neighbors are those persons who are near another. Maybe that is what became confusing to the lawyer who asked Jesus the question,
“And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29, NASB)
Jesus proceeds to answer the question with the parable of The Good Samaritan. The Samaritans were hated by the Jews. Jesus wisely flips the hero of the story to be the Samaritan. It wasn’t the Jewish people helping the Samaritan, robbed and badly beaten. It was the Samaritan who displayed love to the one who hated him. It was the Samaritan who risked his life and spent his own money to tend to the Jew and make sure he was well cared for as he healed.
It was the Samaritan who defined the word “neighbor” not only for the Jewish lawyer, but for us all.
Won’t you join me at Woman to Woman Ministries HERE as we look at the way Jesus defines “neighbor.”
Image by dlsd cgl from Pixabay
Today I may be joining … InstaEncouragements.
