An expert in the law of Moses came to Jesus and attempted to “test” Him, however, he was the one who got tested. Luke tells us that he was “wanting to justify himself” as a keeper of the law, when he said to Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25-29). Jesus told the familiar parable of “The Good Samaritan” to identify “who” a neighbor is and “what” a true neighbor does.
We hear the word “neighbor,” and we probably think of the person living in a house next to us, but God had a much larger “neighborhood” in mind. The Greek word means, “the one who is near or close by, fellow human being.” This includes our family, our friends, our church family, our coworkers, our doctor, our cashier, our enemies—it includes everyone!
Knowing that everyone is your “neighbor,” what kind of neighbor are you? Do you “do” (10:28, 37) as the Good Samaritan did and as the lawyer was told to do? Do you serve, give, help and “do good unto others” (Gal. 6:10), with a selfless, compassionate spirit? That’s a true neighbor!