Who is my neighbor?

The Daily Prayer of the Church continues today with the Gospel according to Luke:

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’  (Lk. 10: 26-37).

One of the basics of trial law is not to ask a question of a witness during trial that you do not know the answer to, but our lawyer does it in today’s Gospel, and the answer he gets is one that takes him by surprise.  “Who is my neighbor?”  Jesus answers, “The person who is in need.”  That answer may take us by surprise as well.  Our neighbor is not necessarily the person who lives next door, although it could be.  Our neighbor is not necessarily someone we have a lot in common with or that we like, although it could be. Our neighbor is the person who needs our help, no matter who that person may be.

Let us pray:  Make us glad, we pray you, gentle God, to give each other your loving care; make us happy to receive it. May there daily grow within us a generous, trusting spirit.

CALENDAR REMINDERS

Tonight, 16 May, Sharing Your Faith Dinner at Jo & Jim Bremer’s home at 7 P.M.

Sunday is Pentecost!  Wear red.  We will baptize Kensleigh Paige Florence and Jeremiah James Florence.

8 June 2013: Gospel by the Sea.

Please remember everyone on our Prayer List.

Your servant in Christ,

The Rev. Chester J. Makowski+

St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550