An expert of the Law who was a Jew came to  Jesus and asked a vital question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The question was serious and  a crucial one for everyone on this earth. But it seems he was not genuinely anxious to get the answer, rather his intention was to put Jesus to the test(Luke10:25-37). However, Jesus knew his heart. Therefore, he did not reply to his question in a conventional way but answered like an intelligent lawyer and asked him what was written in the book of Law. The lawyer answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself”. Luke 10:27

But desiring to justify himself he asked,” And who is my neighbor?” We know, the lawyer was an expert of the Law, ie., a learned man in the Holy Law, which is known as the TORAH or the five Books of Moses.

The word, ‘Justify’ here it means to find loopholes such as the oral law or the meaning of ‘neighbor’ as per law for a Jew. This is self justification or self righteousness.

In the Old Testament, it was written, “Thy shalt love thy neighbor as thyself and hate your enemies”. Leviticus 19:18. The word, ‘Neighbor’ here is defined by the expression, “the children of my people”. The term implicitly implies the meaning that a neighbor was related to the bond of nationalism- a fellow man, a compatriot to the Jews. It’s a word that denotes complacency in the character loving only the selective group of people—like your friends, your relatives, your home neighbors, one who loves you etc. In the New Testament, however, the meaning transcends the limitation of a moral obligation to a mere fellow country man but on a moral obligation to any person in need, may be an unknown person or a stranger, a socially outcast man and may be an enemy. The commandment of Jesus to love our neighbors as ourselves means that human love should be divine, impartial, having all man for its ultimate goal.

Jesus flips the question of the lawyer as he desired and quickly goes onto tell the story of the good Samaritan who loved his Jewish enemy and explains how love turns an enemy into a neighbor.

In the parable of a good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), a man was beaten up badly by the side of the road by the robbers. Three types of people were passing by the man who perhaps came from Jericho to Jerusalem.

The first man was a Priest belonging to the top most group of people in the hierarchy of the Israelites. The Priest was a go-between or an intercessor between God and man or who acted as mediator. The Priests offered the sacrifices and performed various ritual acts.  He being a man of highest position in the hierarchy representing the Holiness of God, might have passed the man and did not want to take a risk of defilement that would require a  sanctification process.

The other man was a Levite. He was a  member of a group of clans  of religious functionaries in ancient Israel. The Levites were descendants of Jacob’s son and were selected to serve God in the Holy Temple. They did the basic works in preparing sacrifices and cleaning the Holy Place. The Levite in this parable also passed by the man in trouble without any mercy.

The third man was a Samaritan.

 The Samaritans were a mixed people group spiritually corrupt Israelites and pagan foreigners who lived in the area of Israel following the Assyrian conquest. They  eventually rejected Jerusalem and its temple as sacred centers. For them, Mount Gerizim at Shecheme and the temple in it was the right place for worship. There are plenty of stories about the Samaritans in the Bible regarding the hatred between the Jews and Samaritans prominently found in the Gospel, one such is in John4:1-26, the dialogue between a Samaritan woman and Jesus concerning the social untouchability and the free gift of eternal life.

In the story of the Good Samaritan, we have seen that the Samaritan who came across the man beaten up by the robbers felt pity on him and did all he could for his survival.

“He went to him and bandaged his wounds , pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, ‘Look after him, he said, ‘and when I return , I will reimburse you for any extra expenses you may have.” Luke 10;34-35

Jesus Christ used this story as the back drop of the Jews’ hatred for the Samaritans to show that every one was his neighbor even those considered an enemy. The relationship is not on kinship but on a moral obligation to any people in need, may be an unknown person or a stranger, or a socially outcast man. The commandment of Jesus to love our neighbors as ourselves means that human love should be divine, impartial irrespective of caste and creed having all men for its goal.

God’s love even crosses the human limitation. Jesus did not only say, “Love your neighbors as yourself” but also, “Love your enemies” …Matthew 5:44

In today’s world we are living, the idea of loving our enemies is absolutely a stupid thing, very contrary to our human nature. We have been witnessing what is happening in around the world. Enemies are fighting each other, killing each other. It is impossible for the world to negotiate for peace and obey what Jesus has commanded his people, “Love your enemies”. Because hatred is pervading everywhere like a powerful spirit. Evil is rampant on the earth in everybody’s heart.

But everything is possible with God. Our God is a God of love.   

“………Love comes from God. Everyone who love has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” I John 4:7-10

God, who is love, has told us to love not only our neighbor, but also  enemies . Apart from the help of God we cannot truly love our enemies. Jesus asked the lawyer, “Which of these three, do you think  was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The lawyer honestly answered, “ the one who had mercy on him”, that is the third man. The meaning is that one who helped the man in need was a neighbor to the other. Here we see that both the men, i.e., the man who helped and the man who was beaten up by the robbers were strangers to each other. Interestingly, the man who helped and saved the life of the other happened to be a Samaritan, i.e., an enemy for a Jew. And of course, the man who was beaten up badly was implicitly understood to be a Jew. The Jews and the Samaritans were generally antagonistic towards each other. The incident here seems to be a co-incident and becomes an example of true love manifesting.

Summing up:

1. The most interesting thing that I have come across Jesus’ two words saying, “Love your neighbors as yourself” and “Love your enemies”- is that they are one and the same thing revealing the Love of God. It means loving them with a heart of God’s love that is called the “Agape”- the unconditional and unfailing love of God for all mankind. God proved it by sending His own Son to die on our behalf that we may live through Him(I John4:9-10). It is the strategy of God’s children today to reach the unreached with the gospel of love and salvation.
2. Even if a neighbor happens to be an enemy yet the children of God are asked to love them and forgive them for all things that they did against you and pray for them that they repent and come close to God.
3. “Love your neighbors as yourself”- Here, As Yourself- implies the meaning that you need to love your neighbors unconditionally as much as you love yourself. There is no junk or barrier in between.
4. Jesus also said, ”Do to others what you would have them do to you” Matthew 7:12. This is known as Golden Rule. It is sometimes known as an ethics of reciprocity, the meaning implies that you should reciprocate to others how you would like them to treat you. It is not only reciprocal but a command of our Lord Jesus to show God’s love and compassion to all men equally.

Name of the Author of this article: Dr. Surya Kumar Daimari, MA,M.Ed, PGDTE,D.Min.(Doctor of Ministry)
The author is a freelance writer.
Book published: The Names of the Believers in the Bible in Types and Symbols .
https://outskirtspress.com/thenamesofthebelieversinthebible