Love your neighbor as yourself

Love Jesus Christ

Previous Chapter: Why do you call me Good?

In the previous session, we looked at a wealthy man who desired to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven; the reason he ran and knelt before Jesus was not to acknowledge Jesus as God, but rather to demonstrate his own righteousness—that is, to show himself worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven—and in the end, he walked away with a sorrowful face, failing to receive the Kingdom.

Here, an expert in the law went a step further and asked Jesus questions based on Scripture to test Him; even the Devil, when he tested Jesus Christ, used Scripture to do so - 25.And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26.He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27.So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” 28.And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 29.But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” - Luke 10:25-29

The lawyer, wanting to show himself righteous, quoted the Scripture and asked, "Who is my neighbor to whom I should show love?" The Lord answered his question through a parable - 30.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. 31.Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32.Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33.But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34.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. 35.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.’ 36.So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37.And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” - Luke 10:30-37

It is essential to carefully examine the Lord's response, for the parable He told was addressed to the one who considered himself righteous. By nature, a parable holds an apparent meaning—relevant to the people of this world—while simultaneously containing a hidden meaning intended for God's children; there were six characters in this parable told by the Lord.

1. The man who fell into the hands of robbers 

2. Robbers

3. Priest

4. Levite

5. Samaritan ✔️

6. Innkeeper

This parable is used to advise us to be like the Samaritan, helping others. That is why in many countries it is customary to call someone who helps someone in danger a "Good Samaritan," meaning that we act in a way that makes everyone admire us. This is what the rich man who ran and knelt before the Lord did. He, who had shown himself to be a good person, went away having lost the kingdom of God.

However, the question posed by this parable is: who is the 'neighbor' whom the man who fell into the hands of robbers ought to love? That is, among the three people he encountered—the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan—whom would he love the most? It is undoubtedly the Samaritan, who bound his wounds and poured oil and wine into them.

So, who do we represent in this parable? We certainly cannot be the Samaritan, for he is the very person—the "neighbor"—whom we are called to love. Who, then, are we? Upon closer examination, we are the one who fell into the hands of robbers; our garments have been stolen by the enemy, and our spirit, soul, and body bear countless wounds. Our life resembles that of a person left half-dead. We are in need of a Samaritan—none other than our Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the One who laid down His life for us, washed us with His own blood, anointed us with the Holy Spirit, and grants us eternal life. He is the neighbor we are commanded to love, and this constitutes the greatest commandment.

Regarding the man who traveled from Jerusalem to Jericho—he journeyed away from Jerusalem, the presence of God, towards Jericho, the land of self; the enemy—Satan—stripped him of his garments, wounded him, and left him half-dead.

The priest and the Levite who happened to come by represent the people we encounter in our daily lives—be they friends or relatives—from whom we derive no real benefit; in contrast, the Lord is the One who left heaven for our sake and grants us eternal life.

Furthermore, Jesus Christ—the Good Samaritan who promised to return—has not left us alone; instead, He has entrusted us to the care of the Holy Spirit (likened to the innkeeper), providing the two coins of grace and truth. Therefore, let us repent and abandon the desire to return to Jericho, and instead wait for Jesus Christ to lead us to the Heavenly Jerusalem.

This parable is like a double-edged sword: if pride dwells in our hearts, it counsels us to live like the Good Samaritan and perform deeds that earn everyone's praise; yet, if we humble ourselves, it first points out that our journey to Jericho was a sin, and then helps us encounter Jesus Christ—the Good Samaritan who clothes us, binds our wounds, and brings us comfort - He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty - Luke 1:51-53  

Next Chapter: Washing of pots and cups