“Who is my neighbor?” Remember that question? The expert in the law (Luke 10:25-37) thought he had his responsibilities before God taken care of. He knew what he had to do, and of course he did it. Certainly he loved God, and he loved his neighbor. He thought he had done everything necessary to “inherit eternal life.” So Jesus told a story.

There was a man—beaten, robbed, and stripped—who needed some help. Those you would assume would help—the priest and Levite—didn’t. But then, the Samaritan—yes, the good Samaritan—came to where the man lay in the road and did something. He bandaged him, gave him a ride, and paid for his recovery even though the victim probably wouldn’t have given him the time of day before. He was a Samaritan after all. The expert in the law caught that. The expert’s description of that Samaritan was “the one who had mercy.”

Suddenly, all the barriers between Jew and Samaritan vanished. All that hatred Jews felt for those rivals to the north, the ones who had caused them so many problems and tried to usurp their heritage, suddenly disappeared when he saw love. Now, the Samaritan was not the half-breed. He wasn’t the scum. Now, he was “the one who had mercy,” the one who loved. To which Jesus responded: “Go and do likewise.”

Who is my neighbor? You probably noticed that the Samaritan hadn’t gone on his journey with helping the poor and unfortunate on his agenda. But he had his eyes open. And he had mercy. Do we? Do we go through life looking for opportunities to love, even at inopportune times? Or do we try to avoid the inconvenience?

Another parable

Now a modern-day parable, which, in fact, is a true story: Don is a man I had the privilege of taking through adult instruction classes just about four years ago. He’s a southern gentleman, and he takes care of his family through a small business he runs. “Outgoing” is not the first word anyone who knows him would choose to describe him. He’s not on the evangelism committee, or any standing board or committee for that matter. Yet, through his personal connection to his community and his open eyes, I’ve had the privilege of talking about God’s grace in Jesus with