Who is my neighbor?

I just love our Tuesday and Thursday Bible Study groups...such rich experiences and learnings from the Bible and each other.

Last night at the Get Nailed Men's Group that meets at Slocum Insurance Agency, 308 Civic Ave @ 5 p.m. on Thursdays, we explored Luke 10:25-37 where a lawyer tries to set Jesus up.  He asks what he must do to inherit eternal life and Jesus turns it back to him asking him what the law of Moses says and how he understands it.  When he answers that the law says to Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and Love your neigbhor as yourself, he then asks for a definition of neighbor.

But Jesus blows him out of the water by telling a story that has lots of unexpected twists.  We would define our neighbor as someone who lives nearby... thus our definition of neighbor is proximity.  But not Jesus!   His definition of neighbor is anyone who is in need of mercy!  That is who we are to love!

That widens the field of possible neighbors!

Jesus in this passage sought to stretch the lawyers understanding of who he was required to love.   Isn't it interesting that most of the time we want to know the bare minimum we have to do.  Yet Jesus expands the expectation... way beyond what we would have thought. 

By Jesus' definition, we have neighbors that live halfway around the world!