by Ronnie Reese

Created on: August 19, 2009   Last Updated: September 01, 2009

Love your Neighbor as Yourself

Everyone knows the parable Jesus used to teach the lawyer who his neighbor was as 'The Good Samaritan'. Perhaps we've heard it so many times that we should revisit it with a modern twist.

The Good Samaritan Revisited

A pastor was late on his way to speak at a church convention when he noticed a lady stranded on the side of a road with a flat tire. There was no one behind him, so he could have pulled off and helped the lady, but he was late and so he drove on knowing someone else would probably come along and help.

After him a deacon in the church was traveling to that same convention. He too had no one behind him and so he could have pulled off the road easily. But unfortunately, he was even later than the preacher and so he sped on down the highway.

The deacon was followed by an atheist. He didn't believe in God. But he didn't believe in leaving a lady stranded along side the road either. So he stopped and fixed her tire.

The Trap

Now, something that most people don't know is why Jesus told the original story of 'The Good Samaritan' in the first place. Here's why.

As Jesus taught the people he was often tested by the religious leaders of his time. As the leaders witnessed his method of loving and teaching people they realized he was garnering a large crowd of followers. And so using the same method that the news media uses today to trap politicians, with their own words, these leaders tried to stump our Lord.

One young man, a religious lawyer, waited till just the right moment and then asked, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

I can imagine that large crowd of followers leaned forward just a bit so they could hear Christ's reply. As he often did Jesus returned with yet another question.

He asked, "What is written in the law?"

It was like He was saying, "Okay, you're the lawyer. So what does the law say? How readest thou?"

From memory the lawyer rattled off, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself."

"This do, and thou shalt live," Jesus agreed.

It wasn't like Jesus was stating the 10 Commandments were no longer in effect and these two precepts now took their place. No, what Christ was stating was that if we love God with all our heart and we love our neighbor as ourself, then our keeping God's law will be automatic.

Who is my neighbor?

But the lawyer had a bit of a problem

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