Advent: A 25-Day Countdown to ChristmasНамуна

Who Are My Neighbors?

Yesterday, we learned that Jesus’ two greatest commandments are to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. When you read these commands, you might question or wonder who your neighbor is. And you’d be in good company with people in the Bible.

In Luke 10, someone asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus replies by telling a parable, or story, which became known as the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this parable, a man is attacked by robbers and left for dead. Everyone who should have helped this man—a priest and a Levite—crossed the road instead of helping the man. Then a Samaritan saw the man, helped him find a place to recover, and covered the cost of his stay.

In this culture, the Samaritan would have had many reasons to cross the road and leave the man like the priest and the Levite did. Instead, he went out of his way to help and show mercy to the man.

So, who are your neighbors? Whoever comes to mind, the answer is yes. And this includes people who are harder to love, different from you, or have a social barrier of any kind that might keep you from engaging with them.

Remember, love is following Jesus’ example by treating everyone as valuable and worthy of sacrificial care.

We see this in the parable of the Good Samaritan, and we see it through God’s people in the Old Testament. In the Book of Kings, we’re introduced to a military general named Naaman.

He is described as a great and respected warrior who was famous for his many victories over God’s people. Scripture also tells us that he had leprosy, an incurable disease that would likely disfigure and kill him over the course of a few painful years.

In one of Naaman’s raids, a young girl was captured and forced to be his wife’s servant. This girl was now living in a foreign land away from any remaining family she might have and shared the same roof as the man who likely destroyed her entire community.

Yet, she had compassion on him. Through a conversation with Naaman’s wife, she shared that she knew a prophet who could heal his disease. Instead of taking revenge or holding a grudge, she showed love and mercy toward Naaman.

Ultimately, Naaman would experience healing from this otherwise incurable disease. And it’s because the young girl chose to share the love and mercy of her God with someone in need.

Pause and Pray:

Lord, thank You for the example of love You have shown us, and for the people who are also examples of Your love lived out. Please give me the strength to love everyone in my life the way You have called me to. I can’t do it on my own. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Reflect or Discuss:

Who are my neighbors that I often or easily overlook? How might I show God’s love to them today?