Who Is My Neighbor?

Luke 10:25-37 is one of the most compelling of Jesus' parables, and one of the most difficult it seems for Sunday School teachers and Christian educators to "get right." At the heart of the difficulty lies one of the central doctrines of Lutheranism, the correct distinction between Law and Gospel.

In its biblical context, this account is all Law.  A "lawyer," that is a Jew who was well-versed in the Jewish religious regulations, wants to test Jesus, and asks a law-based question: "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" We are quick to condemn the priest and the Levite for their failure to do what is right for the beaten man. And we marvel at the loving actions of the despised foreigner who is willing to do the right thing. Then, God forbid, we are tempted to teach our Sunday Schools students to go and do likewise.

Dividing Law and Gospel is all about who is doing the work. We see clearly that the lawyer is looking to the Law for his salvation. "What shall I do"---and later, "desiring to justify himself"---these are Law questions. And Jesus' responds to the lawyer with Law answers: "Do this, and you will live"; "Go, and do likewise."

But Jesus is not teaching salvation by works here. He is making it clear that those who seek to justify themselves by their works are setting themselves up for failure. If salvation is a matter of loving one's neighbor as much you love yourself, and if everyone is your neighbor, you're sunk.

Jesus also gives us the opportunity to see a beautiful Gospel truth in this passage. The lawyer asks, in essence, "Who must I be a neighbor to? Who must I love? Who must I show mercy to?" After telling the familiar story, Jesus asks a very different question: "Who proved to be a neighbor? Who is your neighbor? Who loves you? Who has shown mercy to you?"

There is the Gospel! It's not about what we do! It is about what Jesus has done! He was despised by men in our place; He paid the price for our healing and care.

Go and do likewise? Yes! But before we can be the good Samaritan, we must see ourselves as the man who fell among robbers, the one who needs and receives mercy that we do not deserve, cannot earn or repay. Before we are neighbors to those around us, we are neighbors with Jesus.

God bless you as you teach His children His Word!