Being a Neighbor—the Question Is Not “Who?” but “How?”

One of the characteristics that most impresses me about Jesus during his ministry in Galilee is his pedagogical shrewdness. In the Gospels we can read how Jesus’ opponents were always setting “theological ambushes” for him, hoping to discredit him.

Yet, with his divine wisdom, the Teacher not only resolved the controversies put before him but also turned these episodes of provocation into moments of learning for the benefit of all his listeners. This is the teaching pattern we find in the well-known account of Luke 10:25–37, “the parable of the good Samaritan.”

To test him, an “expert in the law” who was in the area tosses Jesus some “bait” in the form of a pious question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Unfazed, Jesus tosses the question back to the expert: “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” It turns out that the “expert” knew the answer to his own question, for he quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 along with Leviticus 19:18 like a true professional in the Scriptures. So Jesus seems to have put an end to the legal expert’s trick question. Surprisingly, the pious scholar still had one little question left to ask:

…And who is my neighbor?…

It is here that Jesus, perhaps a little tired of the provocateur’s impertinence, decides to present a parable as a teaching method, both for the man seeking his attention and for everyone nearby; that includes you and me. To appreciate Jesus’ vital teaching for our lives through this parable, we must pay attention to one very important detail.

It is absolutely essential to recognize that Jesus never answered the expert in the law’s question, “Who is my neighbor?” At the end of the parable, what Jesus asks the man is: Which of these three do you think showed himself to be [a neighbor] to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?

The key here is the phrase “be a neighbor.” Jesus’ concern in this illustration is not whether or not we manage to identify our neighbor. Rather, Christ’s call on our lives is to “be a neighbor” to those who have fallen into “the hands of robbers.”

It is interesting to note that both the priest and the Levite were able to identify “who their neighbor was.” Yet, when they saw the dying man, both refused to “be a neighbor” to the victim and crossed to the other side of the road. Perhaps they felt sorry for the man as they walked away from him. Perhaps they questioned how effective their actions would be in such a desolate place. Or perhaps they simply fell prey to their fears. The Samaritan, by contrast, was moved by compassion and took the risk of being a neighbor to the stranger.

We, in our role as “experts in the law,” sometimes confuse our task. We have devoted ourselves to “identifying our neighbor,” whether through our judgment or our “pity.” Through this parable, Jesus wants to transform our question from “Who is my neighbor?” to “How can I be a neighbor to those lying along the desolate roadsides of life?” In other words, Jesus invites us to be the kind of neighbor he was.

Obviously, it is impossible to be like Christ through our own morality or determination! When Jesus tells us, “Go and do likewise,” he is inviting us to recognize how distorted our human actions are. Without the Teacher’s guidance, even our questions need to be transformed. Therefore, the task of being a neighbor is a charge we can fulfill only when we surrender our lives at the feet of Christ. It is only through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit that we can be good Samaritans, women and men (2 Corinthians 5:17). Without the power of Christ’s resurrection within us, our acts of charity are acts of hollow morality.

Therefore, I invite you to reflect on the importance of [being a neighbor] instead of feeling the need to discover who our neighbor is. It is only by recognizing our inability and accepting Christ’s power in our lives that we can move from “who?” to “how?”