“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”  Luke 10:25-37

Each of us knows that we are called to love others. This is easy to accept when it is vague, but we often convince ourselves that we’re excused from showing love to certain people. We’re eager to share Jesus with those we believe deserve it. Jonah was willing to speak difficult truths to the people of Israel, but when God told him to go to the Ninevites, he simply couldn’t stomach the idea. The Ninevites were a bloodthirsty people and had long inflicted cruelty on God’s people. Jonah’s heart had its limits, but they weren’t God’s.

For the Jews during Jesus’ time, enemies were no longer Assyrians but Samaritans. Although ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ was one of the laws in the Old Testament, they only saw ‘neighbor’ as including people of their own nationality and religion. It was for this very reason that the following conversation happened. 

A Jewish teacher of the law approached Jesus and asked, “Which of the commandments is the most important?” Jesus answered, ‘Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.’ The seeker was insightful enough to ask the next question, ‘Who is my neighbor?’ Jesus could have directly answered, ‘Well, a Samaritan is your neighbor!’ But sometimes the truth is so threatening that someone needs to discover it on their own through a non-threatening approach. What a wise teacher Jesus is. He avoids giving a sermon and instead brings truth in through the gentle persuasion of the Jewish teacher’s heart.

Are you facing a tough conversation with someone today? You might feel nervous because the truth could seem too threatening if stated outright. However, the truth needs to be uncovered and embraced. Following Jesus’ example, a series of thought-provoking questions might be the way for something spiritual to unfold. The Holy Spirit promises to provide wisdom, and He will fill your mouth with words beyond your own ingenuity.  

Lord, I ask that You show me who my Samaritans are.  Forgive my prejudices, Lord.  Amen