Jesus had an uncanny way of turning people’s questions around on them and, in just a few words, tackling the deep struggle within their hearts. In the story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10 and Luke 18, a man who asked, “How can I get?” was given the response, “What are you willing to give?” Leading into the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus responded to an expert in the law by turning the question from obligation to one’s own heart.
The expert was asking, essentially, “Who am I required to love? If I have to love my neighbor as much as I love myself, then who qualifies for that kind of treatment?” Jesus’ answer, a beautiful parable about someone who chose to sacrificially love his enemy, even when absolutely nothing was required of him, switched the question. Instead of answering, “Who am I commanded to love?” Jesus challenged His listeners to identify what it looks like to behave like a true neighbor, loving others unselfishly and as much as they loved themselves.
When you have the opportunity to give to someone in need, do you ever silently make a judgment call about whether that person deserves your generosity? In other words, do you ever wonder, “Is this person really my neighbor?” What would change if you reworded the question to, What will it look like for me to behave like a neighbor?
As you pray this week, ask God to show you situations in which you are expecting the other person to meet the qualifications of being your neighbor. Ask Him to help you become the neighbor whose unreserved kindness points others to God.
