Who is my neighbour?

By Giles Holloway

Image courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez – Unsplash

I recently moved house and if you’re familiar with that experience you’ll know how much it can put you in a place of weakness – in unfamiliar territory, lacking local knowledge, tired and probably stressed.

It just so happens that a place of weakness is one of the best places to be in to find out who your real neighbours are! When you haven’t got everything sorted yourself it empowers others to help you and gives you a good indication of their openness to you.

When we bought our first house, the guy next door was a decorator and offered to do the best bit of wallpapering I’ve ever seen! He and his wife became good friends. After our recent move the guy opposite introduced himself straight away and offered to take the bins in every week. We have already had some deep conversations together.

A lawyer once tried to sound wise in quizzing Jesus about who we should call our neighbours. In the story Jesus told in reply he used the parable of the Good Samaritan, and then asked the same lawyer:

“Who was a neighbour to the man lying beaten in the road?”

Luke 10

The lawyer answered:

“The one who had mercy on him”

Luke 10

Essentially, the one who rescued him, put him up for the night, fed and watered him and checked in on him from time to time. 

Jesus asks us to love our neighbour and here he turns the tables and suggests that we will know who our neighbour is when we are shown mercy at a time of need. If we don’t allow others to show us mercy we may never know who our neighbour is.

This is so counter-cultural – it goes against our English and Christian psyche! But Jesus is trying to press home his strategy which we find in the wider context of Luke 10. Before the Good Samaritan story, Jesus sends out the 72 to go out sharing the good news village to village telling them to travel light and looking for the “person of peace” when it came to seeking food and shelter. A ‘person of peace’ is someone who shows us hospitality, and we should focus on such a person. 

Jesus’ strategy of sharing faith simply is to share with the person who naturally welcomes you and looks after you. Immediately after the Good Samaritan story Luke tells of Jesus practising what He preaches, residing at the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha enjoying their hospitality.

So what is Jesus teaching us?

Are Christians to pursue free lunches and never offer to pay for coffee? I think that might be stretching it somewhat!

I am saying that the next time you are in position of weakness, or new to a place or situation, don’t pretend that you’ve got it all together, but simply ask for help and accept what help comes your way and note who comes to your rescue – someone with whom you can naturally build a relationship and share your faith simply.

Is there something you can ask someone for help with at the moment? Who wants to show you kindness?