This teaches us that our neighbors are not those who simply look, act and think like each of us. Yet, Jesus was not merely teaching the expert a moral lesson to be kind to others; He was also pointing to Himself as the Messiah.
His description of what happens to the Jewish man on the side of the road were foreshadowings of what would happen to Him in His sacrificial death attacked, stripped, beaten, left for dead.
Jesus also told this parable within the broader question of eternal life and the law; Jesus replies that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love others. So in order to truly be a good neighbor, to love others deeply, you have to love God.
Jesus made this possible for both Jews and Gentiles with his life, death, and resurrection. Now that we have analyzed who our neighbor is, through the examples given in the Old and New Testaments, we can focus on what it means to be a good neighbor.
To bring the Lord glory, we must act upon the teachings He has given us. It can be intimidating to know where to start.
How do we go from looking only to our own needs and preferences to helping those around us? The truth is that we cannot do it on our own, nor does focusing on others obsessively allow us to love them better. To be a good neighbor, we must first love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. This is the greatest commandment. God placed this as the first commandment, and not the second for a reason.
In Matthew it says,. To love others well we have to be filled with the love of God first. Our hearts, souls, and minds must be transformed and focused on the Lord before we can ever love our neighbors selflessly and intentionally. It delights the Lord when we strive to love our neighbors, His children. At Good Samaritan Ministries, we believe that everyone has something to contribute, and it may be the person we least expect that will help us in our time of need.
Our job as good neighbors is to be there for one another and to work together to affirm the dignity entitled to every person as a child of God. May I never lose sight of how to love.
May Christ renew me each time I lose sight of His commandment of love and bring me back to the path He has prepared for me. May the people I meet on this path become opportunities for me to live the teachings of Christ.
Lord, I ask that you open my heart to receive genuine love for Your commandments. Teach me, Lord, to love You first above all else, and to love my neighbors as I love myself.
May I always keep sight of the very core of your commandment of love. Allow me to desire the best for my neighbors just as I desire the best for myself. Grant them peace of mind, success in their endeavors, and happiness in seeking Your love. May I do everything with love. May it be the driving force for my obedience to the Commandments. Share this. Learn more about this famous Bible phrase and the greatest commandments of Jesus. What Does the Bible Say about the Poor?
Today on Christianity. Is Thanksgiving Truly a Christian Holiday? About Christianity. A man traveled down the Jericho Road, a most dangerous place for travelers. Thieves regularly lurked on the road to attack unsuspecting travelers. Jesus said that the man was attacked on the road, robbed, and then left for dead.
Jesus tells us about two individuals who saw the injured man and did not help. One of the men was a priest and the other was a Levite. Why did these two religious men refuse to help a man who was in desperate need? There are several possible reasons. Perhaps they reasoned that they were engaged in important religious work and thus not responsible for the injured man.
Perhaps they were afraid that the thieves were still closeby. Whatever the reason they left a man bleeding and badly injured and went on their way.
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