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Last Friday, I asked a group of people, 'Who is my neighbor?' or 'Who is your neighbor?'
Baffled, they wondered why on earth I asked this question. After giving their answers, I explained to them, 'Your neighbor or my neighbour can be the one staying next door of our house, our colleague or classmate sitting beside us or a total stranger that crosses our path...'
Ah, after that, they knew where I was coming from...
Needless to say, my question was inspired by a parable that Jesus told. The parable is often called 'Parable of the Good Samaritan'. Basically, it is about a certain man who was traveling from Jerusalam to Jericho. On the way, he was attacked by robbers who left him naked and half dead. By chance, a priest came down that road, saw the man and avoided him. Next, a Levite came along. He too saw the man and passed him by. Finally, a Samaritan stranger saw him and stopped to help.
The full version of Jesus' parable as told in Luke 10:25-37 (taken from BibleGateway.com):
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’h]">[h] and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”i]">[i]
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed,j]">[j] he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
(New King James Version)
Baffled, they wondered why on earth I asked this question. After giving their answers, I explained to them, 'Your neighbor or my neighbour can be the one staying next door of our house, our colleague or classmate sitting beside us or a total stranger that crosses our path...'
Ah, after that, they knew where I was coming from...
Needless to say, my question was inspired by a parable that Jesus told. The parable is often called 'Parable of the Good Samaritan'. Basically, it is about a certain man who was traveling from Jerusalam to Jericho. On the way, he was attacked by robbers who left him naked and half dead. By chance, a priest came down that road, saw the man and avoided him. Next, a Levite came along. He too saw the man and passed him by. Finally, a Samaritan stranger saw him and stopped to help.
The full version of Jesus' parable as told in Luke 10:25-37 (taken from BibleGateway.com):
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”
27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’h]">[h] and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”i]">[i]
28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed,j]">[j] he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”
37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
(New King James Version)
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