But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”…Luke 10:28

When my children were young, one of their favorite television shows was Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. Who can ever forget Fred Rogers, the kindly, cardigan-clad host of the show? He brought to children’s television a humble, healthy personality which simply embraced children to enter his world of ordinary people doing ordinary things in an ordinary neighborhood. He modeled kindness, love, tolerance and acceptance in a way which is sadly lacking in the darkened media world my grand children are now exposed to. (It comes as no surprise that Fred Rogers was also a Presbyterian minister.) He opened every show with a child-like song:

…I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you
I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you..
Won’t you please. Won’t you please,
Please won’t you be my neighbor…

In today’s vitriolic, divisive and virtue signaling climate, Mr. Rogers’ openness, love and lack of guile seems impossibly idealistic. If today he is an anachronism, we are the ones out of touch.

Jesus’ world was not much different than ours is. His radical gospel teaching about the kingdom of God was constantly challenged by the religious leaders whose narrow legalistic world excluded everyone not like them. In Luke 10:25 ff, Jesus is questioned by a lawyer who wants to trap Him. “What must I do,” he questions the Lord, “to inherit internal life?” It was a loaded question but Jesus turns the tables on him with another question. My paraphrase might be, “You’re the religious legal expert. What does the law say?” The lawyer answered by quoting the Two Great Commandments, given in Deuteronomy and Leviticus: love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus tells him he’s answered rightly. “Do this and you will live.”

Then the lawyer tries to justify himself. As a “righteous”, religious, law observant Jew and son of Abraham he assumed the right to inherit eternal life. The original question to Jesus was already settled in his mind. “Well,” he says trying a new tactic, “who is my neighbor? With that, his hardened heart is revealed. He fully understood that the law of Moses required him to love both God and man,to be holy even as God is holy. Scrutinized and caught in the shifting conversation with Jesus, he looked for a legal loophole. How can I tell which neighbor I am to love according to the law? Jesus answers him with the parable of the Good Samaritan wherein a traveler is robbed, beaten badly and left for dead on the road to Jericho. A priest and a Levite see the victim and pass him by, showing no mercy. A despised Samaritan comes, sees the half dead man and has compassion. He cares for him and then provides for him. In fact his care is lavish – treating his wounds with wine and oil, probably wrapping him up in a robe and placing him on his own donkey. He takes him to an inn for better care and pays the inn keeper an extravagant two denarii, the equivalent of two months’ wages. He promises to return and repay additional expenses. The contrast between the religious Jews and the Samaritan can’t be overstated.

Jesus continues probing the lawyer, “Who then is the neighbor to the one fallen among thieves?” I can only imagine the lawyer’s quandary. The answer is obvious and he is forced to admit: “He who showed mercy on him.” Jesus’ parable convicts the man but the Lord offers mercy not condemnation. Go and do likewise, he commands.

What has happened in this story? How did the conversation get away from this knowledgeable, intelligent legal expert who must have left with his head spinning, wondering how he, not Jesus ended up being tested? For the question at the end of the dialogue was not “Who is my neighbor?”, but “What kind of neighbor are you.?” Do you love your neighbor as yourself?

This is how. Be a neighbor just like this Samaritan whom you despise. Open your eyes to see. Go to the one who is sick, dying, hurt, in trouble and needs you. Have compassion. Get personally involved. Offer hope. Heal his wounds and bring him to more help. Check back with him. Don’t treat someone cheaply with band aids, but lavish care even when it costs you time, finances, and tests your ways of thinking. Do not judge. Love God. Love your neighbor. Every person, especially your enemies. All the time. In every place and situation.

Welcome to Jesus’ neighborhood!