When It's Hard to Love Your NeighborNäide

Who is Your Neighbor?

You’ve probably heard the golden rule: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” Or as Jesus put it, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But When Jesus made this statement over 2,000 years ago, he was met with a question: “Who is my neighbor?”

Do you know who your neighbor is? Is it the people on your block? In your church? In your country? We usually think of our neighbors as people with whom we have something in common. Our neighbors are people “like us.”

But Jesus flips this script using a parable: A Hebrew man is attacked by thieves and left for dead on the side of the road. Several fellow Hebrews – including a priest – walk by and ignore his need. Eventually, though, a Samaritan sees the man and takes pity on him. He tends to his wounds and ensures he receives the care he needs. Samaritans and Jews had a hostile relationship, but when Jesus asks which person in the story was a neighbor, we know the answer.

Our fellow human beings are our neighbors – all of them!