But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Luke 10:29 NIV
In this passage, Jesus had been asked by a Jewish scholar about what a person must do to inherit eternal life. But Jesus turned the question back to him, asking him what he thought. His response was what Jesus elsewhere identified as the two greatest commandments. First, to love God with all that you are. Secondly, to love your neighbor as yourself. In response, Jesus challenged the man to actually live like that.
Who Is My Neighbor?
But this scholar clearly felt some guilt here and sought to justify his own life by asking Jesus to define what was meant by neighbor. Is it limited to one who lives nearby? Does it include your peers? Or, does it have a broader application?
I believe it is safe to assume that this “expert in the law” would have been comfortable with a narrow interpretation of who his neighbor was. But Jesus responded to him with the parable of the Good Samaritan. And in it, He removed any thought of limiting a neighbor to those who live nearby or to my friends.
Jesus’ definition of who constitutes my neighbor is essentially everyone I encounter. When I turn my back on someone with a need, a need that I can help with, then I have failed to love my neighbor.
