Being a neighbor - The question is not Who? but how?

SUMMARY: Jesus' pedagogical sagacity is impressive during his ministry in Galilee. In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus uses the parable of the good Samaritan to teach that it's not about identifying who our neighbor is, but rather being a neighbor to those in need. The priest and Levite identified who their neighbor was but didn't act on it, while the Samaritan was moved by compassion and took the risk of being a neighbor to the stranger. Jesus invites us to be the kind of neighbor he was, but it's only possible through the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit. We should focus on being a neighbor instead of identifying who our neighbor is.

One of the characteristics that most impresses me about Jesus during his ministry in Galilee is his pedagogical sagacity. In the Gospels we can read how the opponents of Jesus always tended 'theological ambushes' with the desire to discredit him. However, with his divine wisdom, the Master not only resolved the controversies presented, but also which also turned provocative episodes into learning moments for the benefit of all his listeners. This is the pedagogical pattern that we find in the well-known account in Luke 10: 25-37; "The parable of the good Samaritan."


As a test, an "interpreter of the law" who was in the area, threw a "bait" to Jesus in the form of a pious question: "What will I do to inherit eternal life?" Cured of terror, Jesus bounces the question to the interpreter: “What is written in the law? What do you read in it? " It turns out that the “interpreter” knew the answer to his own question, quoting Deuteronomy 6: 5 along with Leviticus 19:18 as a professional scripture. Thus Jesus seems to have put an end to the trick question of the knower of the law. Surprisingly, the pious lawyer still had a question to ask: