Daily Devotion

“In Jesus’ day, the idea of ‘neighbor’ and ‘brother’ was the same thing. Love and support were to be only shown to one’s own tribe, race, and faith. By making the two main figures in the parable to be a Jew and a Samaritan, however, Jesus drove home the fact that a Christian must consider anyone at all, especially those of other races and classes, as my neighbor, even if he or she is of another faith.”

Timothy Keller · “The Bible on Church and Culture” (timothykeller.com, 2008)

Scripture

Luke 10:27, 36-37 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”…Which of these three do you think was the neighbor who had fallen into the hands of the robber?” He said, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”

Reflection

The parable of the Samaritan broke down religious barriers. In Jesus' time, Jews and Samaritans did not interact, much like some cultural divides exist today. However, the dignity of truth lies not in winning or losing debates, but in the depth of compassion. When we face Muslim neighbors, if we only approach them with a desire to correct their mistakes, we close our hearts; if we serve them with the "fragrance of Christ," we tear down the walls of separation. Loving our neighbors as ourselves means transcending doctrinal arguments and first becoming those who extend a helping hand in the public sphere. As Keller put it, a Christian must consider anyone at all as a neighbor, even one of another faith.