BIBLICAL BRIEFS 60
Love for your neighbor does not mean a blind love for everything and everyone, no – your neighbor is not all of humanity. The definition of “neighbor” has been one of the most controversial topics over the centuries, especially when people do not argue this from a Biblical point of view but from a religious, humanitarian, political or racist point of view. For example, there are believers who have a strong race-driven religious belief who tries to justify their view with verses from the Bible, but clearly do not take into account the contexts in which these Scripture were originally used. Would your neighbor only be the ones physically close to you? Do not speculate about who your neighbor is – the next person who unexpectantly crosses your path may change your understanding concerning this! Jesus offers the answer to this question in Luk. 10: 25-37, in the parable of the good Samaritan: “’Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands? And he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’” This parable, in reply to the question: “Who is my neighbor?”, does not offer a simple, straightforward answer. The aha moment of the narrative is not an easy explanation. Is it the good Samaritan? No! The crux of the story lies in the remark that underpins the lawabiding believer’s attitude of the heart spelled out in verse 29: “But wishing to justify himself”, “desirous to appear blameless” (LONT), “looking for a loophole” (MSG). The concept of ‘justifying yourself’ is explained a few chapters later: “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15). Righteousness is clearly not self-righteousness, and NO law can justify or remit you – “because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Rom. 3:20). Therefore, the person who asks the question is specifically called an “expert in the law” and Jesus pertinently asks: “What is written in the law? How do you read?” Clearly, Jesus speaks of the spirit of the law (Rom. 7: 6). But remember – the question is not strictly about who exactly you consider your neighbor to be – the hypothesis deals with the great commandment of love, which Jesus unequivocally correlates with righteousness, and it necessarily leads to the demonstration of a particular attitude of the heart. One’s neighbor is not determined by one’s love for a particular group of people; the attitude of your heart and the extent to which the perfect love of God flows from your heart determines your neighbor! This is exactly the opposite of what we always have been taught. Therefore the question is not who is my neighbor; the real question is – what is the condition of my heart, and how much of God’s love can flow from me? Only now one can realize it’s not necessarily a humanitarian ‘free for all’. If Jesus in John. 5:42 says, “but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts,” it simply means that love is always the only criterion for God. From the total abundance of His love, which has already been poured into your heart (Rom. 5: 5), you will do good to those who come close(st) to you today, and without distinction or restriction, but of your own free will (Phil. 1:14) you will serve them with undeserved and unconditional goodwill, because you are “full of goodness” (Romans 15:14). Kindness matters, always.
Dr. Tom Gouws
