I am Jesus, and a lawyer once stood up to test Me. 'Teacher,' he asked, 'what shall I do to inherit eternal life?'
'What is written in the Law?' I replied. 'How do you read it?'
He answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.'
'You have answered correctly,' I told him. 'Do this, and you will live.'
But he, wanting to justify himself, asked, 'And who is my neighbor?'
This is the story I told him:
A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. The road was notorious - seventeen miles of treacherous terrain, winding through rocky wilderness, perfect territory for bandits. And sure enough, the man fell among robbers. They stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead on the roadside.
By chance, a priest came down that road. When he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. Perhaps he feared the robbers were still nearby. Perhaps he worried that touching what might be a corpse would make him ceremonially unclean. Whatever his reason, he chose to walk on.
Likewise, a Levite came to the place. He looked, saw the man lying there, and also passed by on the other side. The Levite served in the temple, assisted the priests, knew the Scriptures. Yet he too found reasons not to stop.
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where the man was. Now, you must understand - Jews and Samaritans despised each other. Centuries of hatred, religious disputes, and prejudice divided our peoples. The wounded man would have expected no help from a Samaritan. He might have even preferred to die rather than be touched by one.
Yet when the Samaritan saw him, he was moved with compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine. He set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii - two days' wages - and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Take care of him,' he said, 'and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'
I turned to the lawyer. 'Which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?'
He could not bring himself to say 'the Samaritan.' Instead, he answered, 'He who showed mercy on him.'
'Go and do likewise,' I told him.
Do you understand? Your neighbor is not defined by geography, ethnicity, or religion. Your neighbor is anyone in need whom you have the capacity to help. And being a neighbor means showing mercy without calculating whether the person deserves it, without asking if helping them is convenient, without wondering what you'll get in return.
The priest and the Levite knew the Law but did not love. The Samaritan may not have had their religious training, but he understood the heart of God: mercy triumphs over judgment.
Who is your neighbor? Everyone you encounter who has a need. What does love require? That you stop, regardless of the cost, and show them mercy.
Go and do likewise.