Who Is My Neighbour?

Daily Devotional – Thursday, June 29, 2023
“And who is my neighbor?”
Luke 10:29 (NKJV)

Who is my neighbour? I have four of them (families) in my immediate environment. They are good people. While we do not interact very closely, we often discuss our children and spouses, the welfare and security of the compound we live in, and life in general.

A Transactional Relationship

To some extent, I know my neighbours would come through for me when an emergency arises just as I would do for them. However, I have learned over the years that neighbours have a transaction relationship. Its silent mantra is, “I will help you as long as you help me and vice versa.”

Indeed, I have witnessed cases where a neighbour who failed to help a bereaved colleague was abandoned by the rest of the local community when he lost his kin. “Tit-for-tat is a fair game. Let him sort his situation. Let him have a taste of his own medicine.” Said the community.

Defining a Neighbour

Now, as a Christian, I am interested in knowing what Jesus had to say about this issue. I find the answer in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. A lawyer, keen to justify himself before Jesus, asks the Lord, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29).

In response, Christ narrates the now-famous parable. The wounded man on the Jerusalem-Jericho road requires urgent medical attention. His ‘neighbours’ are his ethnic colleagues – the priest and the Levite. The religious men ignore the suffering man and leave him to die.

The Unlikely Benefactor

Ironically, it is the avowed enemy of the Jews, a Samaritan man, who rescues the wounded Jew. The lawyer who had asked the question now agrees with Jesus that the Samaritan is the real neighbour of the injured Jew because he saw a need and attended to it despite the underlying restricting factors.

Jesus, therefore, defines a neighbour as anyone in need of your help. This comprises the old granny who cannot pay her medical bills, the widow with hungry children, the orphan who cannot afford school fees, and that beggar who graces your street faithfully every day.

Who Is My Neighbour?

Some of your neighbours are in prison and hospitals waiting for you to visit them. Others are drug addicts and confused teenager who would benefit from your wise counsel. Your neighbours crave for your prayers and support even if they do not tell you so.

They come in all genders, ages, colours, ethnicities, social and economic classes, academic levels, temperaments and so on. Today, ask yourself, “Who is my neighbour? Which of their burdens can I help carry.” Your services are in high demand.

Prayer
Dear Jesus, lead me to a neighbour whose need I can attend to on Your behalf.