Jesus explained to a self-righteous religious leader, a Bible teacher what love for a neighbor is with a now well-known parable. It is known as “The Parable of the Good Samaritan”.
Jesus and the Bible expert agreed that if a person loved God and neighbor they would inherit eternal life. Jesus told him if he did this he would live. The Bible teacher was challenged because he knew that he did not love everyone all the time. They had just entered Samaria. He, like most Jews of the day, did not love Samaritans. In fact, many hated Samaritans. So here he stood wanting to test Jesus (25) and instead found himself tested.
The religious Bible teacher tried to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” He would have taught others that a neighbor is a person we know. Religious teachers in that day said, “A stranger and an enemy are not our neighbors. We do not have to love them.” Jesus with this famous parable states that my neighbor includes strangers and enemies. Samaritans and Jews were practically enemies. Yet, the Samaritan in the parable showed mercy to a Jew when a Jewish Levite and Jewish Priest did not.
Jesus taught simply during the Sermon on the Mount. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48)
