The lawyer had the answer memorized when he asked Jesus “what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 1
0:25-27). He understood that a necessary condition to inherit eternal life was to love your neighbor (Luke 10:27). What this lawyer struggled with, like so many today, was what it meant to love your neighbor. Jesus used a story that we recognize as The Good Samaritan to illustrate to this lawyer what it means to love your neighbor.
Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. “Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. “Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. “So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. “On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:30-37
The story of The Good Samaritan reveals that a good neighbor is one who recognizes someone is in need and helps the person that is in need. Sadly, many today are similar to the Priest and Levite in the story. These two individuals saw the man in need but responded by doing nothing to help him. While we often read this story and apply it to physical distress it is very important to read and apply it to spiritual distress as well. How many Christians are like the Priest and Levite when it comes to those we pass in our lives in spiritual distress? The scriptures read that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Bible teaches that sin separates us from God and that without the reception of Christ’ forgiveness through immersion one will be separated from God for eternity (Acts 2:38; 2Thess. 1:8-10).
How many individuals do we know in our lives that have been spiritually beaten, abused, and hurt by sin? How many people do we see that are in need of help? In keeping with the Lord’s standard of being a good neighbor, we must not be those who merely see those in spiritual agony. We must be like the good Samaritan, those who see someone that needs help and helps them. It is the good neighbor that will inherit eternal life and according to the divine standard, a good neighbor is one who recognizes those who are in need of help and helps them. “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37).
