"The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." -Romans 13:9-10
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." -Matthew 22:37-40
LOVE DOES NO HARM TO ITS NEIGHBOR. Those God has placed around me whom I can either harm or not harm by my actions and words or lack of them; these are my neighbors. In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus uses this story in response to the question of an expert in the Law who wanted to justify himself...
The parable doesn't seem to directly give an answer to the question: "And who is my neighbor?" Luke 10:29.
It makes you have to analyze this parable..like other parables, to find the answer. The problem doesn't lie in the answer, it lies in the question. For if Jesus were to define in clear terms who is the neighbor..well than it could be easily used to get OUT of having to love the people who weren't included in that category. So, Jesus uses a parable with the hero being what this expert in the Law would consider an "enemy" or that may be too strong..but this Samaritan wouldn't be a likely first image of someone coming to mind when thinking of a neighbor. When I think of a neighbor..I think of those who are pretty similar to myself. Our neighbors live by us, so therefore must have some similarities. But this Samaritan hero who demonstrates loving his neighbor seems to abolish the notion that there are some who do NOT fit into this category of our neighbor.
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
So if we were to put love in its proper place...we'd see that there is no place where love does not belong.The parable doesn't seem to directly give an answer to the question: "And who is my neighbor?" Luke 10:29.
It makes you have to analyze this parable..like other parables, to find the answer. The problem doesn't lie in the answer, it lies in the question. For if Jesus were to define in clear terms who is the neighbor..well than it could be easily used to get OUT of having to love the people who weren't included in that category. So, Jesus uses a parable with the hero being what this expert in the Law would consider an "enemy" or that may be too strong..but this Samaritan wouldn't be a likely first image of someone coming to mind when thinking of a neighbor. When I think of a neighbor..I think of those who are pretty similar to myself. Our neighbors live by us, so therefore must have some similarities. But this Samaritan hero who demonstrates loving his neighbor seems to abolish the notion that there are some who do NOT fit into this category of our neighbor.
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
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