Luke 10: Who Is My Neighbor?

Luke 10 opens the dialogue that redefines our typical definition of neighbor. We think of a neighbor as the person next door, but Jesus had something else (and something better) in mind.

The question: “Who is my neighbor?”

The response: “The one who had mercy on him [the one in need].”

In the story used to answer the question, known as the account of the Good Samaritan, many interesting observations can be made.

The person…

…was in need.

…could not help themselves.

…was of a different ethnicity.

…was of a different religion.

…had nothing to offer in return.

…required time, energy, and financial commitments.

…and required a risk.

If that is the requirement of a good neighbor, we all have room to grow. Only when we can respond to people in similar situations, whether the difference is religion, race, or another risk, are we truly answering Christ’s call to “Go and do likewise.”

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Dillon Burroughs has written, co-written, or edited over 60 books, including the upcoming devotional work Thirst No More (October 2011). He served as an associate editor for The Apologetics Study Bible for Students and is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary. Find out more at readdB.com.