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WHO IS MY NEIGHBOUR?
Bible
references are to the Anglicised New
International Version (NIV-UK) unless noted otherwise
O brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother;
Where pity dwells, the peace of God is
there;
To worship
rightly is to love each other,
Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a
prayer.
J.G. Whittier (1807-92)
THE ‘GOOD SAMARITAN’,
the character in Jesus’ simple story prompted by
a lawyer’s question, has through the generations become the figure of those who
voluntarily offer help or sympathy to others in times of trouble – examples of
true neighbourliness. Often the
description is used by those who have no idea of its origin, yet there is an
indication that deep in the hearts of many there lies a consciousness that the attitude taken by the Samaritan of Jesus’ parable exemplifies the
true duty of mankind to one another.
An
expert in the Law, a man well versed in the books of Moses, one who might today
be called a Doctor of Theology, had purposed to put the teachings of this
revolutionary new preacher to the test, and his opening question aroused the
keen interest of the surrounding witnesses. ‘Teacher . . . what must I do to
inherit eternal life?’ (Luke 10: 25). A vital question! Was it intended in part
to educate the listening crowd? Or did the learned lawyer have some personal
misgivings as to his own standing before God?
The Scriptures do not indicate his motive, and he may or
may not have been sincere in his interrogation. In his position of authority he may
have resented the popularity of an upstart itinerant preacher and resolved to
stumble him. On the other hand, the new teaching of Jesus of Nazareth may have
intrigued and interested him, and if it proved
to be in harmony with the Mosaic Law, then
he would be prepared to give it further consideration.
As on other occasions, Jesus answered the question with
another question – one that immediately established His own loyalty to the
Mosaic code:
‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ (Luke 10:
26).
The
answer came readily. Quoting from Leviticus 19: 18 and Deuteronomy 6: 5, the
lawyer replied:
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and,
‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus replied.
‛Do this and you will live’ (Luke 10: 27, 28).
Is That It?
Even
some of the bystanders might have given what seemed a ‘stock answer’. Schooled
by the Priests and Levites in the letter
of the Law, they were for the most part lacking a more profound understanding
of its deeper meaning and its practical application. But his years of debate
and analysis among his theological colleagues prompted the lawyer to probe
further, and anxious to hold the advantage in argument against the unlearned Nazarene,
he put a supplementary question: ‘And who
is my neighbour?’ (Luke 10: 29).
Was
he a little mortified when Jesus responded by telling the simple story of a
certain man’s misfortune in being attacked and robbed on a lonely road? (Luke
10: 30-35). Today we might say that the man was mugged and left for dead. The
bystanders listened eagerly. Of course this must be for them! And the portrayal of the two religious men who hastily looked
the other way and walked on probably struck a chord with the ordinary folk,
while the lawyer, one purporting to live the religious life, might have felt a
measure of discomfiture.
But
when it proved to be a Samaritan who came to the rescue of the victim, almost
without exception Jesus’ audience felt surprise – and perhaps something akin to
shame. Who were the Samaritans? Held in contempt by the Jews, they were a
mixture of a few apostate Jews and many Gentiles, settled in an area some 35
miles north of Jerusalem after the captivity of the Israelites of the
ten-tribed kingdom. God evidently regarded them as Gentiles, excluded from
citizenship in Israel, foreigners to the covenants and the promises of God. And
when sending out the twelve apostles, Jesus had specifically cautioned them:
‘Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans’ (Matthew 10:
5).
Who is my Neighbour?
The
story Jesus told set out the answer to that question with unmistakable clarity.
Transcending the proper concern for family, for friends, for compatriots, there
is a brotherhood of all men that demands a serious regard for the needs and
well-being of all humanity. The Apostle Paul states that ‘No man liveth to
himself’ (Romans 14: 7, King James
Version), and as the 16th-century poet John Donne expressed it, ‘No man is an island, entire of itself . . .
any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore
never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.’[fn1]
These principles have been rejected by many today, and the extent
of that rejection is evident in the chaotic
conditions both in individual human relationships and in international affairs.
But while such conditions were foretold by St. Paul when writing to his young
companion (2 Timothy 3: 1-5), there is nevertheless ample evidence that the
loving, compassionate spirit does live on in the hearts of men and women
everywhere, regardless of religious affiliation – or lack of any such external
driving force.
Touching accounts of kindness, of generosity and sacrifice
for the sake of the suffering world, for victims of cruelty, and even for
victims of their own foolishness, are sometimes published, reminders that ‘where pity dwells, the peace of God is
there’. But today’s ‘Good Samaritans’ are not necessarily religious. They
may call themselves agnostic, or even positively atheist, but the quality of
mercy persists even in fallen humanity. It is an element of that image and
likeness of God in which man and woman were created (Genesis 1: 27), and which
survives the ravages of time, springing into action instinctively when need
arises. It is often called ‛common grace’.
Samaritans
Today
In 1953 a London vicar, Chad Varah, founded an organisation dedicated initially to the support of people on
the verge of suicide. He had conducted the funeral of a girl of fifteen who had
killed herself, mistakenly believing she had contracted a repugnant disease. Varah’s deep concern for those in anguish prompted him to ask for
volunteers from his own congregation to extend a listening ear and a hand of
friendship to such people.[fn2]
The
work aroused much interest and the movement grew rapidly. There are now more
than 200 branches in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with some 15,500 trained
men and women volunteers. The main objective is to be a hearing ear to
potential suicides and help to reduce the numbers resorting to such drastic
action. Recognising no boundaries of creed or colour, nationality or political affiliation, like the good
Samaritan of Jesus’ parable the compassionate instinct is to hasten to the
rescue of the afflicted.
The name ‘The Samaritans’ was not originally chosen by Chad
Varah, but was part of the headline to a newspaper feature on the work of the
movement.
Looking
the Other Way
The Priest in the parable might well have justified himself
in hastening by. The man was probably dead anyway, he might have reasoned;
besides, a priest must not defile himself by touching a dead body. His duty to
God required that he keep himself ceremonially clean for the Divine service.
The Levite was also a servant of God under the Law, more in matters bringing
him into contact with ordinary people. He hesitated briefly, but perhaps
reasoned that he could not be expected to disrupt his regular duties to attend to
a stranger, even a fellow Jew.
That it was a despised Samaritan who took pity on the
robbers’ victim was embarrassing, not only to the learned lawyer, but to most
of the others standing around. And when Jesus asked him ‘Which of these three
do you think was a
neighbour to the man who fell into
the hands of robbers?’ The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on
him.’ Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise’ (Luke 10: 36, 37).
That was the answer to the lawyer’s question, and it is
essentially our own guide to attaining a place in eternity. Having the
confident expectation of Christ’s Kingdom on earth and the eventual blessing of
all mankind, it is all too easy to close our
eyes to human distress in these last days, persuading ourselves perhaps that prayer is enough. Yet we have positive
assurance in another parable that loving one’s neighbour is the criterion by which
all are tested – for life or death – at the final judgement: ‛I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of
the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’(Matthew 25: 40).
The Neighbourly World to Come
The Samaritan, Jesus taught, was the one whose conduct
manifested the essence of the Law,
qualifying him for eternal life. There was no question of reluctance or
impatience on his part. Loving one’s neighbour is not merely an obligation – not something paid in
anticipation of a reward or favour. It is the human
reflection of the divine quality that prompted the Heavenly Father to send His
only-begotten Son into the world, that all might have the opportunity of
gaining eternal life.
As Jesus’ disciples we are committed to continuing the work
He began on earth doing good to all, as we have opportunity, a part of our
training for our future work of world conversion. Not all are gifted as
ministers, expounding the Divine Plan to eager listeners, but our sympathy
toward human distress and our willingness to render practical relief will help
to shape our characters into the likeness of Christ.
The plan of God envisages
a world where all men are brothers – and all women sisters, a world in which
the welfare of all will be the individual concern of each. Not until all people
love God supremely and their neighbours as themselves, will they find peace, security
and happiness. And it will only be as a man or a woman comes willingly
and intelligently into harmony with
such principles that the former
process of sin and death
will be
destroyed, and the inheritance of the faithful human family will be life everlasting.
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[fn1] John Donne (1572-1631), Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII: Nunc Lento Sonitu Dicunt, Morieris.
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[fn2]
<http://www.samaritans.org/> retrieved
March
14, 2011
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Copyright
March 2011 ukbiblestudents.co.uk
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