A Good Neighbor

A Good Neighbor
Luke 10:25-37

The Scripture reading for this sermon is a familiar story. It is the story of the Good Samaritan. The story is so familiar that there is even a Good Samaritan law in our country. The law basically says that if anyone stops to help another person on the highway, then they cannot be liable for any harm that they may cause to the person that they have stopped to help. Of course, the law assumes that the helper does not intentionally harm the person that they have tried to help.

The story of the Good Samaritan is more than just a call to do good things and more than a call to just help people. The story was told by Jesus in response to two questions that are related. The first question is “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered this question with a question, “What is written in the law?” The man answered that one should love God and love one’s neighbor. Jesus told him that he had given the correct answer. The same man asked a second question, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered this question by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan.

There are a couple of main themes that the whole Scripture reading contain. One theme is that our attempts to earn our salvation are doomed. God’s salvation is not something that we earn – it is a gift. Salvation is like an inheritance that is offered to us to accept or reject. Who wouldn’t want to accept an inheritance? A second theme is an encouragement that we should aim high, not because of what we receive, but because it is what God wants us to do.

The story of the Good Samaritan contains two kinds of sins, and two kinds of sinners. One sin is the sin of violence. In the story a group of men attack a man on the road. They beat him and rob him, leaving him for dead. The second sin is the sin of neglect. Several people walk by and see the man lying on the side of the road and they walk by on the other side, failing to do anything to help this man.

The story also says that God may use people other than those who are official, or those that you would expect to help others. God may use most anyone to do good. The folks who fail to help are the religious leaders, a priest and a Levite. These are the people that you would expect to be helpful. The good news is that the Samaritan didn’t follow their bad example. It helps to make the point of the story when we remember that the Samaritan was not a religious leader, and that Samaritans were half-breeds, that is, they had a mixed Jewish and Gentile heritage. So God used a person from an minority to do His work, while those who were religious professionals failed to do God’s work.

Upon a review of the story of the Good Samaritan, we might also note that the important question to ask is not “Who is my neighbor?”, but a better question is “To whom am I to become a neighbor?”. The emphasis is not on the neighbor, but upon us. Are we willing to help others, whoever they may be, and be good neighbors? Will we help anyone in need, no matter who they are? That includes half-breeds, strangers, and even enemies.

A few years ago, when we lived in Crozet, Virginia, just outside of Charlottesville, there was a letter to the editor in the local paper. The Sproul family was traveling west on Interstate 64 when their van caught fire. They wrote in their letter: “The Crozet Volunteer Fire Department arrived to extinguish the blaze and make sure we were safe…That night, they chose to be good neighbors and we want them to know how much we appreciate their willingness to serve. We extend our thanks to the strangers on the mountain…It was a spirit of community that made us feel safe that night, and we are very grateful.”

One other point in the Good Samaritan story is that help and hope comes to the man in a costly demonstration of unexpected love. The Samaritan stopped and helped. He interrupted his travel and did the work of a good neighbor.
The thieves beat him and robbed him;
the Samaritan took care of him.
The thieves left him to die;
the Samaritan left him at an inn for continuing care.
The thieves abandoned him;
the Samaritan promised to return and to pay his expenses.

This is a story about a man who is a good example of a good neighbor. He showed mercy and compassion to a stranger in need. After telling the story, Jesus turned to the listeners and said, “Go, and do likewise.”