Love thy neighbour, who is he?

[Hevosmies]

I read something online and I started wondering, hmm, WHO actually is our neighbour?

Lucky for us:
Jesus answers this question of WHO is our neighbor.

Luk 10:29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
Luk 10:30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
Luk 10:31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
Luk 10:32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
Luk 10:33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
Luk 10:34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Luk 10:35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Luk 10:36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
Luk 10:37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

If we were to play this out in today's society: the robbers would be the neighbors that we need to take care of, and sympathize with their rough upbringing or whatever, NOT the man who was robbed in the story.

I wrote this just to ask: Has anyone else noticed this?

 

[eternally-gratefull]

Our neighbor is anyone we cross paths with, Be it the robber, or the one who was robbed. Or even our worse enemy

 

[Embankment]

The lesson is that we were once enemies to God and yet God sacrificed for us. We are to show that same spirit.

 

[Exegete]

I taught this passage a few years ago and concluded that our neighbor is anyone who needs mercy - especially the mercy of God.

 

[mystic7]

Your neighbour is "Mercy" when you have mercy on others, you are "loving your neighbour" for Mercy is God's love
Mercy is a Christian who knows their God is a merciful God

 

[p_rehbein]

If we were to play this out in today's society: the robbers would be the neighbors that we need to take care of, and sympathize with their rough upbringing or whatever, NOT the man who was robbed in the story.

I can't be understanding you............the neighbor would be the Samaritan who helped the man, not the robbers. How did you get that our of the Scripture?

I have to disagree strongly with your conclusion........

Here is an Article to consider:

Who Is Your Neighbor? Well, Who Are You? | Desiring God

(excerpt)

The neighbor is the object, the one of whom the three other characters encounter. But in the end, Jesus says the Samaritan who helped his man "proved to be the neighbor" (Luke 12:36–37).

 

[p_rehbein]

Another Source to consider

Neighbor Definition and Meaning - Bible Dictionary


This profound parable of Jesus, with its teaching on the importance of showing love for anyone within one's reach, along with Jesus' command to love one's enemies ( Matt 5:43-48 ) and his overt friendliness to Gentiles become foundational for the early church's missionary efforts and for interpersonal relationships within the largely Gentile churches of Paul. Paul urges the Galatians to love their neighbors as themselves and here the implication is that it involved both Jewish and Gentile Christians ( Gal 5:14 ) and we find in Matthew an emphasis on loving one's enemy (=Gentile Matt 5:43-48 ). Once again, while this idea is not new to Judaism, the emphasis of seeing neighbors as Gentiles as well clearly expanded the Jewish horizons.

 

[JaumeJ]

I can't be understanding you............the neighbor would be the Samaritan who helped the man, not the robbers. How did you get that our of the Scripture?

I have to disagree strongly with your conclusion........

Here is an Article to consider:

Who Is Your Neighbor? Well, Who Are You? | Desiring God

(excerpt)

The neighbor is the object, the one of whom the three other characters encounter. But in the end, Jesus says the Samaritan who helped his man "proved to be the neighbor" (Luke 12:36–37).

If I understand correctly what H is saying is today to be politically correct we jump to help the unworthy before we help those who are truly in need. I know there are so many occasions when the law abiding are penalized while the worst of thieves and assassins seem to be rewarde......but that is the corruption of this age, and it always brings to my mind that

When Jesus returns He will have justice in His hands, oh what a glorious moment that will be. All glory to God, amen.

 

[Lanolin]

The good samaritan is the neighbour.

I dont know what society the OP living in but thats a bit twisted.

 

[JaumeJ]

PS...yes, a true neighbor is always the image of the good Samaritan...

 

[Lanolin]

Thinking on this..

God rescues Lot out of sodom and gomorrah by sending his angels. But actually its abraham who convinces God to save Lot, so, abraham is being a neighbour to his nephew Lot. Nobody else in sodom and gomorrah will help them, they are all corrupt, they even want to defile the angels.

 

[GraceAndTruth]

I need a new "emoji"........one that groans.

 

[KALYNA18]

When I was first saved, long time back, it took a lot of time to grow in the Lord, we are all babies at first, drinking it says, the milk of the word, as we mature, and get rooted and grounded, we now are able to spiritually digest the word, with understanding, and learn much wisdom. When were new believer's we want to save the entire world. There's a problem with this. The devil knows your strength, and your weakness, and just as those who went out talking about Jesus, in the book of Acts, those brother's were beaten up, striped naked and thrown, out on the street. The demon in the man who did this, spoke and said, to them, Paul, I know, Jesus I know, but who are you. Or who do you think you are. The dangers of this, is getting involved, as was once said, a man cannot just have a friendship, or just be a friend with another women. Satan knows how to suck you into a relationship, first listening to her problems, or his, and using your emotions as a weakness. The next thing, let me hold your hand, and the sign on the do not disturb door. Loving your neighbor dosn't mean, you go and partake of things that are forbidden, to a believer. Next thing, the new believer is overwhelmed, and emotionally involved, and dosn't know left from right, and instead of growing in Christ, he is growing into a full blown, ungodly relationship with the opposite sex. Loving your neighbor to me, is Pray for them. Or if a brother, is in need, to help, or get help. How many pastors, have turned a counceling session into an affair. This is the first step of a dangerous step away from standing of the Chief corner stone of Christ. Getting into the wrong affairs, is not from God. We are to proclaim the good news, and those seeds, of accepted, in the heart, will either, flourish, of be discarded, passifying another, is playing the Holy Spirit, this is not our job, this is the Job of the Holy Spirit, to convict, lead, and be with that person, after they recieve Jesus as their personal savior. Sorry I made this long, but recently someone said, they were overwhelmed trying to bring people to the Lord, this is the Job of the HOly spirit, not in our own, natural ability, but of the supernatural strength, of the God head. Loving your neighbor dosn't mean going on a affair with them.