Luke 10:29,36
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among thieves?
Today’s devotion goes together with last night’s message. If you have not watched it and you have time, please do. I encourage everyone to read the verses in Luke 10:25-37 in order to get the full understanding of what kind of person the lawyer is, the parable of the Good Samaritan, and the principle that Jesus wants us all to realize.
Two questions are before us.
- Who is my neighbor?
A. Asked by a man seeking personal justification
B. Reveals human nature and natural thinking
C. Demonstrates our need for excuses or “loopholes”
D. Teaches us that compassion is always stopped by pride
E. Shows us the danger of a selfish world view
- Who was neighbor unto him?
A. Asked by Jesus, the source of all justification
B. Reveals a divine nature and how our thinking should change
C. Demonstrates purposeful opportunities to minister
D. Teaches us that true compassion must be active
E. Shows us the delight of a servant world view
In summary, we can ask one of two questions concerning neighbors. We can ask the human, natural, selfish question – “Who is my neighbor?”, or we can ask the question that Jesus wants us to ask – “Who am I a neighbor to?” If we will look for opportunities to be a neighbor to others, we will know the joy that comes from living a life a service for our King.
photo credit: Tammy Brown
Bell Creek Baptist Church 