January 7
Am I a Neighbour?
“Go, and do thou likewise.” —Luke 10:37
Read Luke 10:25-37
In verse 25 we read the most important question that we can ask: “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Was this question raised merely out of curiosity, or to cause a disturbance, or for some other reason? That is not the real issue here. This question has to do with our salvation!
Furthermore, closely connected to this central question is the fact that we ought to love our neighbour. But the scribes only regarded their own countrymen and those that held to the same religion as their neighbours. They saw the need to love them, but at the same time felt at ease in hating their enemies. Do we also have such a narrow-minded view regarding who must be considered our neighbour? Our neighbour is actually anyone who is placed on our life’s path.
In this parable, the Saviour does not give us any detailed informa-tion of the individual that fell into thieves’ hands. He speaks of a “certain man.” Nevertheless, it was a person who experienced great hardship from his attackers; he was a human being with a soul. If you have experienced God’s mercy in your personal life, wouldn’t you then also show mercy to a person who crossed your path? This is demonstrating true love to God and your neighbour. The Lord Jesus actually turned the question around when He said, “Which now of these three…was neighbour unto him,” instead of asking “Who is my neighbour?” Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
What can we do for our neighbours?
This devotional was taken from “The Time of Your Life” a daily devotional published by the Youth & Educational Committee of the FRC. To order a printed copy of this book, contact: bookorders@frcna.org.