Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

a prayer to open

Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

May your Kingdom come, may your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

“By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Jesus told his disciples in no uncertain terms to go and show tangible, actionable, costly mercy the way the Samaritan did for the stranger on the side of the road.

Close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting in a favorite, familiar spot. Get comfortable there, listening for sounds, seeing what is around you. Then imagine Jesus next to you or across from you, looking into your eyes, telling you the story of the Samaritan, and then saying these words: “Now go and do the same.”

• What would you do today if you allowed Jesus’ words to guide you? What would you stop doing today if you allowed his words to guide you?
• What doubts arise in you as you think about showing mercy the way the Samaritan did? What fears or worries arise in you when you consider Jesus’ words applying to you?
• Are there ways in which you are assessing people and determining whether they are worthy of your time and attention? Take a few moments to ask God to show you if there are certain areas of life in which you are withholding mercy because it would be uncomfortable or costly.

Father, thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you for granting me the ability to be a carrier of that mercy and grace in the world. I want to model the Samaritan in this story—to do good to those who need help, regardless of the inconvenience it might cause me, the price I might have to pay in time or money, or whether the person in need looks like someone “worthy” of my help. Grow me in humility and give me eyes to see every person through your loving gaze. And may I act to love my neighbor as myself. Amen.