Defining a good neighbor - as Jesus would
By Pastor Marcio Sierra Jr.
Lighthouse Church and School
If you look up the word “neighbor” in a dictionary, you’ll find definitions like: “a person living near or next door to the speaker or person referred to,” or “one living or located near another.”
Those are not the definitions that Jesus was thinking of when He told the story of the good Samaritan or the good “neighbor.” In the book of Luke, Ch. 10, Jesus provides us with a very clear picture of who a neighbor is and most importantly, what a neighbor does.
According to Jesus, a neighbor is not necessarily someone who lives next door or in close proximity. A neighbor could be someone that you have never met before, one who doesn’t look like you, speak like you, believe in the same things as you, or someone who is not even allowed to hang with you.
In the story of the good neighbor, God uses a Samaritan - someone who is not permitted to be with the Jews, with different beliefs and traditions - as the neighbor to a Jew. A neighbor, according to Jesus, is another human being.
What does a neighbor do or what makes one a good neighbor?
Based on the story from Luke Ch. 10, a good neighbor is:
- someone who is moved with compassion; someone who is willing to stoop down for another;
- someone that sees a need and responds by demonstrating mercy and kindness;
- someone who is willing to go the extra mile even if it costs him/her finances, time, comfort, or inconvenience.
A good neighbor, according to Jesus, is someone who is intentional about helping the needs of others without excuses and regardless of the other person’s race, gender, religion, or situation.
Are you a good neighbor? Keep in mind that Jesus not only paints us a picture of a good neighbor, He commands us to be one; “Go and do the same.”
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