I recently did a small paper for one of my communications class. I was supposed to find an article of some kind that I could break down the different types of communications in relationships. I chose the story out of Luke 10 commonly known as the story of the “Good Samaritan”. Since I was evaluating it for a class it did not have a lot of spiritual tones but it did bring back to mind something. The value of being a neighbor to a stranger. The story was stimulated by the statement from Jesus to love your neighbor as yourself and then the return questions to him “Who is my neighbor”. Check the story out in Luke 10 but to just say a few thoughts:
First Jesus asks at the end of the story who was the beaten man’s neighbor. The answer was the one who showed mercy and Jesus says, “Go and to likewise”. So the overall point is saying go and take care of your fellow man, regardless of who they are and maybe even regardless of the cost to you. Second Jesus is breaking the definition of neighbor from those that we know to anybody we encounter. This seems to raise the bar of “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Jesus seems to be saying love everyone you encounter as yourself, willing to give whatever it takes to take care of them the way you would take care of yourself… Just a quick thought.
