July 14, 2025
Sue Westfall
Yesterday, the Common Lectionary served up as the gospel lesson, Luke 10:25-27. The parable of the Good Samaritan. Many of the preachers in this presbytery preached powerfully on this passage lifting up the pivotal question, “Who is my neighbor?”
The story of the Good Samaritan is perhaps one of the best known of Jesus’ parables. It is occasioned by a lawyer approaching Jesus with one of those “ultimate meaning” questions; what must I do to “inherent eternal life.” Jesus turns the question back to the lawyer – “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” The answer (which the lawyer gets right) is to love God with heart, soul, mind, strength, and your neighbor as yourself.” It was a well-known declaration from the Hebrew scriptures (see Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18) – the Shema – the central affirmation of faith for the Hebrew people in the same way that Jesus’ command to “love one another” is a central faith statement for Christians.
But the lawyer cannot leave well-enough alone and asks the question that the Abrahamic faiths have been seeking to answer ever since. Who is my neighbor? What are the allowable limits on whom I consider my neighbor? Who is in the scope of my compassion and care and who is legitimately outside the scope?
A friend of mine posted a cartoon on FaceBook recently that showed Jesus teaching and the lawyer asking, “Who is my neighbor,” at which Jesus responds, “Pretty much anyone you were hoping I wouldn’t say.” Think whatever political party member with whom you disagree. Think the people you avoid in your daily round (because you’re timid to go into that neighborhood or that shelter or to that rally.) Think anyone you consider as “those people.” Think of anyone you were hoping Jesus wouldn’t say because by casting a Samaritan in the role of the good neighbor, that’s pretty much the point Jesus was making. There are no “those people,” only “we people “ bound together in our common humanity. We, the ones Jesus calls precious and of inestimable worth.
Rev. Jihun Oh, the Stated Clerk of the PCUSA recently declared to and for the church in light of the recent rending our nation’s garment, “We will continue to stand with and for the most vulnerable in our society, whether that is because of status, identity, ability, resources, or any other factor; all bear the image of God.”
Who is my neighbor? The lawyer replies, “The one who showed mercy.” And Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.”
As ever in prayer,
Sue