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Today’s Scripture: 1 John 4:13-21

Most of us know the parable that Jesus tells about The Good Samaritan, comes from Luke 10:25-37.

And remember that in that story Jesus is not commending the vocational ministers. He commends the hated foreigner. All of which makes me wonder if Jesus were telling the story today, who would He put in the Samaritan’s place?

Remember, that Samaritans and Jews practiced open hostility. But Jesus asserted that real love knows no boundaries.

Jesus might also have been making a point that loving God religiously, as the priest and Levite certainly would have been taught to do, is utterly meaningless unless it is accompanied by love expressed towards other people when they most need it.

1 John 4:13-21 (NIV) This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

We can only wonder if the Levite and the priest were judging the man for his condition, Jesus does not explain their thoughts as they passed by. Maybe they were thinking maybe he was a drunkard, or somehow brought the misfortune upon himself by his bad choices.

We can be like these two who are truly the anti-heroes of the parable. We can be like them when we see people who look desperate, dirty, and unkempt and we may falsely assume they got in their position by their own foolishness. We may falsely accuse them of getting what they deserve

Judging others for their brokenness distracts us from being able to love them, and see the way we can show them the love of Jesus. Which ministers to the brokenness of all our lives the love of Jesus brings us the completeness of the shalom.

Back to Jesus’ parable, remember the question Jesus asks the religious leader who had questioned Him.

“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.”

Who is my neighbor? Jesus’ answer is still the same: Love the one in front of you in whatever way you can.