It’s All About Your Neighbor

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:36-37 (NIV)

Your treatment of your neighbor is critical in measuring your heart towards God.

How you treat others, regardless of their race, ethnicity, economic status, appearance, sexual persuasion, sinful tendencies, etc., reveals your motivations to chase holiness. It reveals your service to the Lord. It reveals your desire for eternal life.

Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan who helped a man in need when the clergy of the day wouldn’t. He did this in answer to a Jewish lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?”

After telling this poignant story, Jesus turned the question back on the lawyer: Of the three men in the story—the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan—which one was a neighbor to the man who was wounded and robbed?

Because of the deep cultural divide between Jew and Samaritan, the Jewish lawyer couldn’t frame his mouth to say, “the Samaritan.” Instead, he simply answered, “the one who showed mercy.” That answer was enough because Jesus had already made His point.

Spiritual maturity is measured by the love and compassion people have toward others—and particularly toward those who are needy. It’s about how you treat not just somebody, but how you treat everybody.

Can God get you to a spiritual place where you can make space in your life for other people? Can you live in a way that it’s not about you, but about your neighbor?

The greatest threat to human progression and authentic spirituality these days is too much focus on self. There is a toxic intoxication with self that is pervading our culture.

Authentic spirituality focuses not on self, but on others.

How will you inject that truth into your thoughts, actions, and lived experiences today?