Day 1

Hello Neighbor

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii[a] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Luke 10:25-37

If you are old enough to remember, a kind, gentle man wore a sweater and asked on his television show, “Won’t you be my neighbor?... Hello, neighbor.” He wasn’t talking about the person who lived next door; he was talking to me and everyone listening on this side of the television set. Mr. Rogers viewed those in his audience as his neighbors and invited them to be a part of his life and world. Are you willing to do the same with those God has placed around you?

A lawyer asked Jesus the question, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus explained it through the parable of the Good Samaritan. Three individuals saw a man in need, and only one stopped, had compassion for his injured body, dressed his wounds, and took him to a place of safety. It wasn’t the two religious leaders who showed mercy but the Samaritan. Jesus instructed the lawyer to “go and do likewise”.

Like the commercial jingle, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there,” you can be there for your neighbors by meeting them where they are, identifying needs that they might have, and helping them when they need it the most. God has divinely placed you where He wants you and has placed people around you for a purpose. Pray for your neighbors and pray that you will be the kind of neighbor Jesus described in this story.

Application: Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you minister to and build relationships with your neighbors. You may bake and deliver cookies, mow their yard, invite them over for dinner, or ask them to attend church with you.

Written By: John Hogan