It was quite natural for the lawyer to ask the question how to reach Heaven. And it was all the more natural for Jesus to tell him to follow the commandments which he summarized into two. The first is love of God and the latter is love of neighbor.
It might be easier for the lawyer to love God because he might know who God is. It is clear from his expression that he asked Jesus only who his neighbor was. Why then did he not ask who God was? Did he know who God was? Only Jesus knows.
But when Jesus was asked who the good neighbor was, he said nothing but the parable of the Good Samaritan. You know well the parable and so I do not explain it or say anything about it. But the only thing I want to say is the last command of Jesus that is ‘do likewise’.
Jesus said this after saying the parable of Good Samaritan and explaining though the Good Samaritan how a good neighbor should be. Though there are many characters in this parable, the hero of the parable is none other than the Samaritan.
What makes or made him the real hero? It was then when he oiled the wounds of the robbed, when he took care of him with all the means he had, when he was ready to spend his time and money for the betterment of the other that he became a real hero.
The MERCY he showed to the other made him a neighbor to the one who was wounded. So in the same way if you SHOW MERCY TO THE ONE WHOM YOU FIND ON THE WAY you will also turn out to be a neighbor.
The modern world is so hectic and the people are so busy that they do not have enough time to take care of their parents and other family members. When we live in this world, we may ask ourselves whether we can become a NEIGHBOR as Jesus mentioned.
Whether you agree or not, you must realize that you are called to become a NEIGHBOR to the other who is in need. Remember the Word that “no one who cannot see their brothers can see God.” So if you can see the others in need as your NEIGHBOR and BROTHER, then you can surely see GOD as well. He will surely bless you to be with him.
So let us try to imbibe the Good spirit of the Samaritan who is the hero in the parable of Good Samaritan. Let us be blessed by Jesus. If we DO LIKEWISE people will start saying about us that we are the REAL NEIGHBORs.
It might be easier for the lawyer to love God because he might know who God is. It is clear from his expression that he asked Jesus only who his neighbor was. Why then did he not ask who God was? Did he know who God was? Only Jesus knows.
But when Jesus was asked who the good neighbor was, he said nothing but the parable of the Good Samaritan. You know well the parable and so I do not explain it or say anything about it. But the only thing I want to say is the last command of Jesus that is ‘do likewise’.
Jesus said this after saying the parable of Good Samaritan and explaining though the Good Samaritan how a good neighbor should be. Though there are many characters in this parable, the hero of the parable is none other than the Samaritan.
What makes or made him the real hero? It was then when he oiled the wounds of the robbed, when he took care of him with all the means he had, when he was ready to spend his time and money for the betterment of the other that he became a real hero.
The MERCY he showed to the other made him a neighbor to the one who was wounded. So in the same way if you SHOW MERCY TO THE ONE WHOM YOU FIND ON THE WAY you will also turn out to be a neighbor.
The modern world is so hectic and the people are so busy that they do not have enough time to take care of their parents and other family members. When we live in this world, we may ask ourselves whether we can become a NEIGHBOR as Jesus mentioned.
Whether you agree or not, you must realize that you are called to become a NEIGHBOR to the other who is in need. Remember the Word that “no one who cannot see their brothers can see God.” So if you can see the others in need as your NEIGHBOR and BROTHER, then you can surely see GOD as well. He will surely bless you to be with him.
So let us try to imbibe the Good spirit of the Samaritan who is the hero in the parable of Good Samaritan. Let us be blessed by Jesus. If we DO LIKEWISE people will start saying about us that we are the REAL NEIGHBORs.
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