“Love thy neighbour.” It’s simple, yet some forget that the parable of the good Samaritan was in answer to the question, “Who is my neighbour?”

And Christ did not respond with, “Everyone”; rather, he gave three options, and asked which of the three was neighbour to the man in question; the correct answer was not, “All three”, but, “The one who showed him mercy”.

The principle is clear: your neighbour is the innocent (until proven guilty), and the righteous, whoever they are, though they are a complete stranger who is met on the road, and from a nation filled with sin and false doctrine.

Of course, as the Samaritan was neighbour to the injured man, the injured man was neighbour to the Samaritan, thus why he rightly showed him mercy, and thus why Christ points this out in his final words on the matter: “Go thou and do likewise.”

“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me.” (Mt 25)

2023/02/04 #SabbathPosts